Sheet Cake, Pumpkin Bars, Cranberry Sauce . . . Losing 30 lbs????

Ok, so here are a few recipes I promised I would post.  Sorry this is so late, it just seems like every time I sit down at the computer Blake wakes up or is hungry again! :)  So, without further adieu, here are the recipes for sheet cake, pumpkin bars and a cinnamon apple cranberry sauce we are making for Thanksgiving this week.  You can tell me how that turns out since we haven't tried it yet either!  Sounds like my lose 30 lbs of baby weight plan is going askew!

Sheet Cake
Cake:
2 c flour
2 c sugar
1 c water
1 c butter
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 c buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Frosting:
1/2 c butter
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp milk
2 1/2 c powdered sugar

Combine flour and sugar.  Bring water, butter, 3 tbsp cocoa powder to boil in saucepan and stir until smooth. Pour over flour and sugar and mix with a beater.  Add the buttermilk, eggs, soda and vanilla and mix.  Pour into a sheet pan (9x13) sprayed with nonstick spray and bake @400 degrees for 17 minutes.

For frosting, when the cake is done, bring the butter, cocoa and vanilla to boil.  Remove from the heat and quickly add the milk and powdered sugar.  Spread over cake while hot.

Pumpkin Bars
Cake:
2 c sugar
4 eggs
2 c canned pumpkin
1 c canola oil
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Frosting:
3 oz cream cheese
1/2 c butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 c powdered sugar
1 Tbsp milk (if required to get right consistency)

Cream sugar, eggs, pumpkin and oil with a hand mixer.  Combine the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and cloves.  Add to the pumpkin mixture.  Bake in a greased pan @350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

For the frosting, mix the ingredients well and cover bars when cool.

Cinnamon Apple Cranberry Sauce
2 c cranberry juice
1 (6 oz) bag sweetened dried cranberries
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 c sugar
2 Gala apples, peeled, cored and diced
2 tsp cornstarch

In medium saucepan, over medium heat, add juice, cranberries, cinnamon and sugar.  Bring to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes.  Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have softened and apples are tender (about 5 minutes).

Remove 8 oz of liquid to a small bowl and whisk in the cornstarch.  Slowly add back to the cranberry mixture, stirring constantly.  Cook for 5 more minutes.  Remove from the heat and refrigerate in the serving bowl until thickened (about 30 minutes).  Remove the cinnamon sticks and serve.

Butternut Squash Soup (you won't believe it!)

This is an amazingly yummy butternut squash soup I found online! My husband hates squash, so when I made it and left it out for him to eat (he got home late) I intentionally stayed out of the kitchen so he would try it first before asking! :) He sat down at the table, and I waited, listening...



"Beck!! This stuff is amazing! it is the BEST soup! what is it!!" I almost felt bad telling him! Hope you guys pluck up the courage to try, it really IS good! This is not the typical cinnamon-y squash soup, it has a little kick--but not enough to dissuade all my people from gobbling it down!! YUM.

Easy Butternut Soup

Ingredients :
3/4 cup chopped onion (1 medium onion)
6 Tablespoons butter
8 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash (I used one large butternut and 1 large acorn, cook 25 minutes, halved & seeded, cut side down @ 350 in oven, cool to help cut)
5 cups water
6 cubes chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon dried marjoram (I didn't have--fabulous anyways)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (don't skip this though!)
1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup half/half or milk

Directions :


In a large saucepan, saute onions in butter until tender. Add squash, water, bouillon, marjoram, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil; cook 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.
Puree squash and cream cheese in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Return to saucepan, add half/half, and heat through. Do not allow to boil.

Pumpkin Bread

Becky and I both found this recipe coincidentally! It's really great! I don't know about you but I stock up on can of pumpkin this time of year :)

Pumpkin Bread

3 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 cups white sugar
6 eggs
4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
Optional add-ins: chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, pecans, coconut or raisins

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; stir into the pumpkin mixture until well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the loaf should spring back when lightly pressed (It took me an hour and 5 minutes).