Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I made this cake yesterday and it is so DELICIOUS. It is actually called Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Icing but I didn't cut it into bars so it became pumpkin cake.
The kids and Stino just love it too.

the recipe suggests to not grease the pan, which I didn't. But I totally suggest you do, as the cake was really stuck in the pan after baking.

Here is the recipe

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting


4 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
ICING:
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin. Combine flour,
Cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to pumpkin
Mixture and mix well. Pour into an ungreased 15x10-in. Baking pan. Bake at
350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely.
For icing, beat cream cheese, sugar, butter and vanilla in a small mixing
Bowl. Add enough of the milk to achieve desired spreading consistency.
Spread over bars

My Fall Photo Featured on the Weather Network

October 18, 2008 we picked up Stino at the airport at 11:30 am. It was such a beautiful day and off we went for a ride. First we stopped at top of garbage mountain but the sun wasn't in the right directions and so all the pictures I took didn't turn out.
Next we drove to Kilcona Park on Lagimodiere. Got out and we all took turns taking photos. I brought along two digital cameras but that wasn't enough at times as the kids each wanted to have a turn.
This is one of the first pictures I took at the entrance of Kilcona Park.



I liked this photo and uploaded it to the Weather Network and today (oct 19th) it was featured.


Before you click on the black arrow to view this 14 second video I took with my digital camera. Scroll down to the right hand side and click on the pause to stop the player from playing. Here's a screenshot of what I mean.


I was really excited. I have never entered any of my photos anywhere. At least I don't believe I have. So, this being my first time was pretty exciting.

Here's a few more pictures that were taken at Kilcona Park and a corn field along the highway.









October 19, 2008
This morning Carlina wanted to make pancakes from scratch but she wanted to do it herself. I told her that was fine but that also meant she had to get all the ingredients out and bowls, measuring spoons and cups. The kids have always just helped me out but this time I wanted her to do it pretty much all herself. I wish I had taken photos of her doing this along the way, but I'm surprised with myself that I didn't even think of it.
She did a good job and I was very proud of her. Minimal clean up too, so I liked that.
I did take a picture of her little pancakes.


Pretty nice day today and Stino and the kids were outside raking leaves.
Here's some of the pictures that were taken today.




On this picture, Stino was using the blower to get the leaves in a pile. Here you can see some of the leaves up in the air around Anthony.



I love this photo but it is blurry. I had the camera on a wrong setting which caused a slight pause when the picture was taken, thus a blurry photo. grrrrr.

Here's my Little Pajama Pirate Anthony


I was too lazy to get the pictures out of their frames and simply scan so instead I took pictures of them. Turned out crappy but decided to include them here as I just love these photos of Carlina and Anthony, taken on Oct 21, 2001




And finally I made a lemon loaf. So delicious. I could eat the whole thing myself.
The recipe didn't mention coconut, but I added it and I really feel it made it even better.





LEMON LOAF


515 g Duncan Hines lemon cake mix
106 g pkg lemon instant pudding mix
250 ml (1 cup) water
80 ml (1/3 cup) oil
4 eggs
(I added about half cup of coconut)(optional but a delicious addition)
Glaze
250 ml (1 cup) icing sugar
Juice of a lemon
Beat together loaf ingredients at low speed until moistened, and then at medium speed for 2 minutes. Bake in 2 greased and floured loaf pans at 350 F for 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
For glaze, combine icing sugar and lemon juice in small bowl. Stir until smooth. While loaves are still warm, drizzle glaze over top. Cool completely before slicing.
Taste Tester Notes: If you don't mind using mixes, this is quick to make and turns out super moist. The fresh lemon juice adds a nice tartness to the glaze. I lined the loaf pans with parchment paper, which makes lifting the loaves out easy, and let them cool in the pan. Readers noted that this freezes well, and can also be baked as a bundt cake by baking in a greased bundt pan for 45-55 minutes. Drizzle glaze over cake after removing from pan.

Dough for Focaccia

2 cups warm water

2 tsp dry yeast

4 ½ cups flour

2 tsp salt

in measuring cup add 2 cups water and warm it up

in microwave for a minute or so

then add the yeast and stir

let stand for 10 minutes


in a large bowl add the 4 ½ cups of flour

and the salt and stir

pour in the yeast mixture

knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic



add more flour if too sticky

Knead for about 10 mins and form into a ball


In another big bowl add a bit of olive oil
And add the dough turning to coat.


Cover with plastic wrap and a blanket

And let rise in a warm area for 1 ½ hours
Punch dough after 1 ½ hour and form into a ball again. Cover and let rise for another 45 mins

To a large rectangular baking sheet add a thin coating of olive oil or Pam

Add the dough and with fingertips press out to fit the baking sheet

No need to use a rolling pin

Let rise for 10 mins

Drizzle with olive oil, add olives, basil, oregano and anchovies

You can let it rise for 25 minutes

(I usually don’t)

or for pizza add your favorite toppings

I add pizza sauce, sliced black olives, sliced mushrooms, sautéed onions, cooked bacon,

Red and green sliced peppers, pepperoni

And lots of shredded mozzarella, cheddar or other

Favorite cheeses and toppings

Bake for 25 minutes in 350 oven
here’s what it looks like after 25 minutes


Enjoy!

Better Than Sex Cake

Yup, that's the title of this cake. So, I have had this newspaper clipping for this recipe for a few years now and finally!! I made it today and another yummy cake.
I checked on the internet for other variations of this cake and there are quite a few that I would like to try eventually.
This one was easy and the kids loved it with a glass of milk and Stino loved it with his coffee and I loved it with my Red Rose Tea.
Hey Linda, did you have your tea this morning?

The picture I took of this cake sure isn't pretty as that isn't my thing but I bet it would be delicious with some creamcheese frosting or chocolate frosting.

Better Than Sex Cake



3/4 cup (175 ml) semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup (175 ml) pecans, chopped
1 box chocolate cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla
3 1/2 oz package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup container sour cream
toss the chocolate chips and the pecans in 1 tablespoon of the dry cake mix. Beat the remaining ingredients for 3 minutes.
Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans. Pour into a greased and floured bundt or tube pan and bake from 30 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees or until toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Now, you ask, is it better then sex? Well, pretty darn close if you are a chocoholic.

Lemon Sheet Cake Recipe

Two weeks ago, I made this cake "Lemon Sheet Cake". I rarely ever use boxed cake mixes but I'm pretty sure I will from now on.
This cake was so moist and delicious and my kids,and Stino just loved it.
I didn't put on the frosting because my icing sugar tasted so gross. Even without the frosting it was so awesome and you can totally skip it.
Today I bought fresh icing suger so next week, I will make this cake with the frosting and will let you know if it can possibly be even better. But then again, it's got creamcheese.....so you know, it's got to be so good.
Also today I made another cake using a box cake mix. This one is called 'Better than Sex Cake' and yummy too. I'll post the recipe probably tomorrow for that one.

LEMON SHEET CAKE



510-g pkg lemon cake mix
4 eggs
60 ml (1/4 cup) water
540-ml can E.D. Smith lemon pie filling
In a bowl mix cake mix, eggs and water until well blended. Fold in lemon pie filling. Spread in a 18 x 12-inch cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool. Frost with icing. This freezes very well and always gets great reviews.
Icing
250 g cream cheese
125 ml (1/2 cup) margarine
7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) vanilla
250-375 ml (1 to 1 1/2 cups) icing sugar
1 tbsp grated rind of a lemon
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Taste Tester Notes: I don't normally use cake mixes or canned pie filling, but combined with the icing, this turned out moist, light and lemony, and good. I used an electric mixer briefly to blend the mix, eggs and water, and baked the cake for 20 minutes in a greased 11 x 17 x 1-inch pan (it should spring lightly to the touch and a toothpick come out clean when done). For the icing, I used an electric mixer to blend the ingredients until smooth, using room temperature cream cheese and butter instead of margarine. Start with the lesser amount of icing sugar and then add enough to make desired spreading consistency. I used 15 ml (1 tbsp) very finely grated lemon rind and squeezed in about 15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh lemon juice. The lemon juice will also help thin out the icing a bit if needed.


I went for a walk this afternoon. It was so nice and warm and a briliant sunny day. On the way out, I saw this spider next to my mailbox.

Now I'm not crazy about bugs but I think I like the challenge to see how close I can zoom in with the macro on my camera and not have a shaky blurry photo.

Then I walked down my kids school street and saw this cute little squirrel.


Stino, went fishing at Lockport Manitoba with his dad today. He left real early in the morning and he got back at 2:30pm. He wanted to go for a walk and so I went for another walk to Roxy Park. It was a short walk as my left foot is sore from using the new treadmill we got.
When we got back home, Stino decided to mow the lawn and I was inside checking my mail and he comes in letting me know he would like for me to get him the camera.
So, he took this real cool photo of this mushroom in our yard. Click on it to see a larger view of it. Stino's dad found some mushrooms in our shrubs and he took them home to cook. Geez, I would have no idea what is a good mushroom to eat. I wouldn't even take the chance. I've never asked him how they taste. He's been eating mushrooms from our yard for a few years now. Hmmmm, I will ask him next time I see him.