The Cook-off

I think I could be accused of being over eager when it comes to the changing of seasons. Last October, I became a closet Christmas Music Listener. And now, I have embraced the idea of Autumn. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE summer, but I also love the idea of Autumn days at the park, yummy food, comforting candles, game nights, and all of the other things I love about the next season. And somehow, the prospect of it being around the corner has gotten me excited =0). Friday night we hosted a Pumpkin Dessert Cook-Off. We ate the Yummiest food, laughed until our bellies ached, and enjoyed the fact that we have such great friends.
What we ate:
Dinner in a Pumpkin (YUMMY, we'll definitely have it again this Fall)
Moist Pumpkin Cake with perfectly drizzled frosting
Yummy Pumpkin Bars
Pumpkin Cheese Cake with Carmel Pecan topping
Pumpkin Dip with Apples and Ginger Spice cookies

The Winners:
A tie between the Pumpkin Cheese Cake and the Pumpkin dip

The Prize:
Two pumpkin decorations that I learned how to make here

We Played:
To Tell the truth
-Everyone writes a sentence summary of 2 experiences from their life that they think no one else in the room knows
-The mediator calls up 3 people to be in the hot seats (one of which is the writer of the experience)
-The players in the hot seat must then all take turns telling (and trying to convince) the audience their version of how this experience happened to them.
-Then everyone votes who they think the experience really happened to
-and Lastly, the person who it happened to reveals themselves.

We figured out:
that I am a terrible liar...

Recipes:
Spice Cookies with Pumpkin Dip (Recipe Courtesy of Bridgette...a must try!)
1 1/2 c butter
2 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c molasses
4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp salt
4 c flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Add molasses. Add all dry ingredients and blend only until mixed. Chill overnight. Roll in balls, sugar and bake at 375 for about 6-7 minutes.

Pumpkin Dip:

1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese softened
18 oz can pumpkin
2 c powdered sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger

Cream all ingredients together. Serve as dip with cookies, apples, graham crackers

Dinner in a Pumpkin (Thanks Jill!)
1 small to medium pumpkin.Cut off top, clean out seeds and pulp.

Lightly brown 1 lb. of ground beef

Add:

½ c. chopped celery

½ c. chopped onion

¼ c. diced green onion

1 tsp. salt

Dash of pepper

-Cover and simmer over low heat about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add:

2 c. cooked rice

1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup

4 oz. sliced mushrooms

2 tbsp. brown sugar

3-4 tbsp. soy sauce

-Put mixture in pumpkin, replace lid, place on baking sheet in a 400 degree oven. Bake until pumpkin is tender (allow 1- 1 ½ hours). Cut in sections or scoop out to serve. Be sure to scoop a little of the cooked pumpkin with the filling.