Day 31 - Pumpkin Bread

Here's another idea for that can of pumpkin. This recipe from Libby's is all over the place this time of year. It's no wonder why, this stuff is excellent for a Thanksgiving breakfast!

Libby's Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 cups granulated sugar

1 can (15 ounces) Libby's100% Pure Pumpkin

4 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup orange juice

1 cup sweetened dried, fresh or frozen cranberries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and juice in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans.

Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Day 32 - Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is the perfect day to remember what we are grateful for in our lives. Here are some ideas to bring the gift of gratitude to your holiday feast...

* Make place cards for guests using your computer and card stock . On the back of each, hand write a personal note of appreciation for each person.

* Create a Thanksgiving Journal for your kids. Trace their hand on card stock and have them decorate it like a turkey. Cut out the turkey, along with another sheet of card stock and several pieces of plain white paper. Staple the turkey together by the feathers to make a booklet. Have the kids see who can get the most family members to write 'gratitude notes' in their journal.

* Before your guests arrive, write everyone's name on a piece of paper and place them in a basket. As people come in, have them draw a name and anonymously write one thing they appreciate that person for on the back of the paper. Pass out the notes after dinner or give them as parting gifts when your guests leave.

Day 33 - Pumpkin Cheesecake

This year, skip the pie and try one of these. You won't regret it.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 1/2 cup crushed gingersnaps

1/3 cup melted butter

******
2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

For Crust:
Combine crumbs and butter. Press into bottom and sides of 9 inch springform pan.

Bake at 305 degrees for 10 minutes.

For Filling:

Combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Reserve 1 cup batter. To remaining batter, add the rest of the sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg, mix well. Pour half of the pumpkin batter over crust, then cream cheese batter, and top with remaining pumpkin batter. Using a knife, cut through the batter to create a 'marble' effect. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Cool completely, then remove from pan.

Day 34 - Turkey Cookies

I refuse to be like the stores and skip right over Thanksgiving. Until Thursday, I'll be doing some cool things to celebrate this forgotten holiday.

Turkey Cookies

1 bag of sugar cookie mix, prepared as directed for cookie cut outs

(I do have a recipe for real sugar cookies you'll get later,

but these work great for a project like this with the kids.)

1 tub vanilla frosting

1 tub chocolate frosting

candy corn

M&M's

paper & pen

sandwich bags

food coloring

Use the pen and paper to make a 'mitten' template the size of your child's hand.

Roll cookie dough until 1/2 inch thick. Using a knife, trace 'mitten' shape into dough and place on cookie sheet. Bake according to package directions.

While cookies are baking, place half of the vanilla frosting in a small bowl. With food coloring, tint this half yellow. This is what you will use to decorate the 'feathers'. Divide the remaining frosting in half again, tint one half orange and one half red. Put the red and orange frosting in separate sandwich bags. Snip off a small corner of the bag. This is what you will use to decorate the face.

After cookies cool, frost the 'mitten' part of the cookie with yellow icing and the rest of the cookie with the chocolate icing. Like this...

Make 'feathers' with the candy corn by placing them on the yellow part of the turkey. Like this...

Finish your turkey by giving him eyes (an M&M), a beak (orange frosting or candy corn) and a waddle (red frosting).

 

Gobble! Gobble!