pumpkin cake and other things~

What do you need to know? 

I've been thinking a lot lately about what my kids need to know when I'm no longer here for them to ask.   Oh... I have "my final wishes" all written down and filed where they need to know where they are in the event of my passing; but there are still things that they need to know.  Or I'm imagining that they will want to know.

Several times I have attempted to write some very personal journals to them ~ but would end up deleting them to the dark holes of cyberspace.  I've attempted on several occasions to start a cookbook of all my favorite recipes ~ only to let that project go too.  I do a lot of scrapbooking ~ which makes me feel good about leaving behind for them to look at ... but half my work is done digitally; and I don't have it all printed up and I don't even know if the kids, and I definitely know Dear Hubby, wouldn't even begin to know how to access it. 

I have trinkets and knickknacks collected over the years that have special meaning to me ... but will they mean anything to those left behind?  I know I just need to ask them and find out.  One man's junk is not always another man's treasure.  I don't want them sitting around after I die wondering why on earth did she hang onto that!! 

So...  what do they really need to know?

~~~

Do you want a really good moist pumpkin cake recipe?

As my family can attest... I usually don't write recipes down  ... or follow one to a tee ...  it's a toss of this and a toss of that ...  BUT...  I'm changing my ways and putting it in writing.

PUMPKIN CAKE with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING by mel

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees ... grease and flour a 9x13 cake pan

4 eggs
3/4 Cup of vegetable oil
1 Cup of white sugar
1 Cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla emulsion
1 (15 ounce) can of canned pumpkin

Throw those six ingredients into a bowl and hit it with the whisk a few times to get it all blended together nice and smooth.

Now add the dry ingredients:

2 Cups of flour
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 teaspoons of baking powder

Beat the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and pour into the prepared cake pan.
BAKE 45 minutes.  COOL before frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese ~ room temperature
1 teaspoon white vanilla extract
1-1/2 Cups of sifted powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons of milk

Mix together and frost.  Enjoy! 

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I just love the color of these nasturtiums ~  so "fallish".

I have some funky mushrooms in the yard right now.  These are puffballs.  If you step on them they release a plume of brown 'smoke'.

My Turtlehead plant is blooming ... finally!  I hope it holds up for awhile before the frost comes.  It's kind of a funny little name for a plant ...

Even the seed pods of my lilies are still pretty in the garden.

or at least ... I think so.

~~~

Did some more work over on the other site ... The JPD Warrior Project  Check it out if you have time.  It's a project that is VERY close to my heart and means the world to me.

Until next time...

So it goes in my neck of the woods.

~mel