And what could be better than pumpkin cake? Here’s a recipe for a good one.

Pumpkin Cake

Grease and flour a 9×13 pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together 4 eggs, 1 2/3 c. sugar, 1 c. oil, 2 c. canned pumpkin.

In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients: 2 c. flour, 2 t. baking powder, 2 t. cinnamon, 1 t. salt, 1 t. soda. Add to the wet ingredients.

Bake for 40-60 minutes.

Frost with cream cheese frosting: 1 block of cream cheese (at room temp), 1/2 stick butter (at room temp), 1- lb. bag powdered sugar, and a 1/2 t. vanilla.

Over on my blog I asked for some good breakfast ideas for hungry kids . . . and let me tell you! There are some fantastic ideas coming in over there! So if you’re in need of some new recipes give it a look – and if you have any great recipes of your own to share then I’m totally eager to hear them! (And you’ll get a shot at a Tintin book to boot!)

Since I’m on a roll, I thought I’d include the recipe I’m making for Heather’s bday tomorrow. It’s the easiest ice cream recipe in the world, doesn’t have the custard to cook, no eggs, and tastes fresh and yummy. If you just happen to have three quarts of half and half taking up space in your fridge, and you don’t know what you’re going to do with it, here’s your answer. Mix three cups of sugar with one cup of the half and half and stir until it is dissolved. Then add the rest of the half and half and stir in 4 tsp. good vanilla (imitation vanilla just isn’t vanilla) and 1 tsp salt.  Chill it up nicely in the fridge and then freeze it in your ice cream maker. Now is that easy, or what?

Have you ever made a big pot of coffee and then everyone changed their mind and went for something cold instead? And who wants to throw out a perfectly beautiful pot of fresh-brewed coffee? Well, here’s what you do. Pull out some of those plastic ice trays and fill them up with the leftovers and freeze them. Later, move the frozen coffee cubes into zip locks. Then when you want to wow everyone with a crazy wonderful coffee punch, you can pull them out and use this recipe. I have never worried too much about the exact quantities here, just make it and taste it as you go. I was making this long before I had ever heard of a Starbucks frappuccino, though it is in a different category all together.

Take a pot of freshly brewed coffee that you have cooled down, and combine it with 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla, and 3/4 tsp. nutmeg.  Set aside and whip up a cup of whipping cream. Take out your punch bowl and scoop out a pint of premium vanilla ice cream into the bowl in small scoops. Pour the coffee mixture over it, and add two trays of coffee ice cubes. Stir it gently and then top it with the dollops of whipping cream.

I’m telling you, if you serve this, you don’t have to even think about dessert. I’ve never tried to make a light version, but I’m sure it could be done. It’s the bee’s knees.

When I was a kid, the cranberry sauce (from the can) was my favorite part of Thanksgiving Dinner. No joke. In fact, once I ate all the leftovers and broke out in hives the next day. But I still love cranberry sauce, though we don’t eat the jellied stuff from the can anymore. We make our own. I made two varieties this year, a fresh uncooked relish that is easy as can be and a cooked version. The first is called Cranberry Double-Orange Relish (and the recipe is in Hot Providence) and the other is from Thanksgiving 101 and it’s called Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce. Both use an orange with the cranberries, which is a perfect combo with turkey and all the trimmings. And it’s so beautiful.

In case you want the recipe, here’s the quick Cranberry Double-Orange Relish:

1 medium orange

1 12-oz bag fresh cranberries

1 cup marmalade

Cut the unpeeled orange into eighths and pick out seeds. Place half the orange and half the cranberries in a food processor. Process until evenly chopped. Transfer into a bowl, and repeat with the remaining orange and cranberries. Stir in marmalade. May be made a day ahead, covered, and refrigerated.

The Grand Marnier Sauce takes a bit longer to prepare.

2 large navel oranges

12 oz bag fresh cranberries

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 T Grand Marnier

Grate 2 tsp zest from the oranges and set aside. Carefully remove all the membrane from the orange sections and set aside. In a medium saucepan combine the berries, sugar, 1 cup water, and the zest. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often to help dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is thick and berries have burst, about 10 minutes. Add the orange sections the last few minutes of simmering. Remove from the heat and stir in the Grand Marnier. Cool completely. May be made up to a week ahead, covered and refrigerated. Serve at room temp or chilled.