A New Rhythm: Gooey Pumpkin Bars

Everything is happening a little too fast around here... I started listening to Christmas music a full two weeks prior to my self-imposed "start date," which has been a fast and furious rule around here, for as long as we've been married.  Thanksgiving came out of no-where.  Boxes of Christmas decorations have been pulled out of storage since last Thursday.  The tree... up since last Saturday.  I have a wreath hanging on my door.  A WREATH... before Thanksgiving day.  This is not cool.

But it's a necessity this year. 

It's probably not a surprise, but the Christian calendar provides a lot of stability in my life.  That long season of Pentecost... which always seems disproportionate with the actual length of the life of Jesus, comes to an an abrupt halt.  And we leap into Advent... breathing in the breadth of possibility and hope and new life in the midst of gray skies and dry, crunchy leaves.  I spend all year, longing for Advent... for the rhythm of waiting and sitting and anticipating and hoping for things not necessarily hoped for throughout the rest of the year.  I wait for the nesting and the baking and the smells of warmth and the glimpses of peace, in the midst of chaos.  Christmas lights make me weep and snow blanketing the ground, fills my spirit with much needed renewal.  I find warmth in the chill and comfort in the bustle.

But this year, it's all different.  We'll be gone for week two and three, of Advent... and I've lost my orientation, my rhythm.  I don't know how to "do" Advent and Christmas, without the week to week progression, the hearing of our biblical story, and the steady climb that we make, as church, to the birth of a newborn baby... the birth of hope.

So I'm satiating, with disproportionate amounts of butter and sugar.  And I made Paula Deen's Ooey-Gooey Pumpkin Bars.  Though they won't do a lot for renewing the spirit, they're quick and easy and they get the job done.  And I guess sometimes, that's all you can do.

What you'll need for the cake:

1 Yellow cake mix
1 Egg
8 Tablespoons butter, melted

What you'll need for the filling:

2 Cup pumpkin puree
1 8-Ounce package cream cheese, softened
3 Eggs
1 Teaspoon vanilla
8 Tablespoons butter, melted
3 Cups powdered sugar
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
1 Teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the cake, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Pat the mixture into a lightly greased 13x9-inch baking pan. And at this point you're thinking... well, this isn't SO bad (at least not for Paula Deen).  I mean, 8 Tablespoons of butter?  Yeah, that hurts a little bit... but it's not gonna kill me.  And then you make the filling...

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and EIGHT MORE Tablespoons of butter... and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well.

Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.  Then serve it to your family... and have the car running in case anyone can't handle their butter.

It's okay...it won't bring about world peace or sooth the weary soul, but you can eat it, knowing that it's not the last dessert you'll ever know... and just enjoy it for what it is... a little over the top, a bit cheapened by the commercialized-out-of-a-box taste, different than what you'd normally make...but still beckoning the holidays.

Blessings to you all this Thanksgiving Eve... may you know a rhythm of peace and joy and hope... even if it's a little different this year...

Feeling a Little Too Skinny Lately?

How many times a day, do you say to yourself... "Geeze, I'm getting skinny."

Or, "Golly, my cholesterol's a little low... better work on that."

And if I had a penny for all the times I've caught myself thinking, "I'm too healthy... I better not work out today..." well, you know, I'd have some change in my pocket (let's face it, pennies don't add up very quickly).


So if you're like me, and people are constantly coming up to you and asking if you're a supermodel or a yoga instructor...

I've got the perfect answer.














Chocolate Covered Pumpkin Cheesecake Balls (on a stick, so they're more fun!)

Yep. Took the Pumpkin Cheesecake, and MADE IT EVEN MORE FATTENING... er, I mean delicious... by covering it in chocolate! (Does it matter that I used dark chocolate?!)

If you've never been to Bakerella, you're missing out. She has one of the most creative and inspiring blogs that I read. She is, The Cakepop Master. And after spending two hours this afternoon, trying to force cheesecake into a ball, I have much respect for the master. Believe me. Let's just say, I had one lonely cheesecake pop to photograph... because that's the one lonely cheesecake pop that turned out. So I threw a bow on it, and called it Fancy.

If you wanna give it a whirl, I'm going to direct you over to Bakerella and let her explain how to make it happen. I'd give these a C just for the labor intensive nature of it all; but my husband gave it an A+! They DO taste good.

Day 5: Pumpkin Cheescake

Some foods look lovely, but don't taste very good. Example: fruit filled jello molds.

Some things don't look great, but taste like heaven. Example: any casserole that involves cheese and sour cream.

And then, there are those dishes that look great, taste great, and make you wanna put elastic wastebands in all of your pants.

Example: Pumpkin Cheesecake

Thank you Paula Deen.

What you'll need:

Crust:
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons light brown sugar (Didn't have any, so I used Raw Sugar)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used more like 1/2 Tablespoon)
1 stick melted salted butter (I only used 6 Tablespoons)

Filling:
3 (8-ounce) Packages cream cheese, room temperature (I used two packages reduced fat, one regular)
1 (15-ounce) Can pureed pumpkin (or in this case, 2 1/4 Cups puree)
3 Eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 Cup sour cream (I used reduced fat sour cream -- NOT fat free)
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon ground cloves (you know how I feel about cloves, so I used 1/8 Teas. allspice)
2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350*.

For crust:
In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside. To prevent butter drippage, I suggest covering the bottom with foil, like so:

For filling:
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. Then strap on the sweat pants and dig in!

Here's my husband, trying his first bite (you know, because everybody likes to have their picture taken, when they're eating):

We both give this cheesecake a standing A-vation! Great texture (smooth and creamy), mild pumpkin flavor (with a bit of tang from the sour cream), and yummy crust. Try this... and invite me over... I'll wear sweats so you won't feel bad. Or maybe I'll wear sweats, 'cause nothing else fits. Whatever.