A Taste of Fall

Yes, I know, we are still a week away from the start of Autumn - but, why can't I get a jump start on my favorite season?  The mornings here in NC have been so pleasant, that hubby and I are just itching for the cooler weather to arrive to stay!  Early in our marriage, I learned that pumpkin pie was a favorite of my love.  That was fine with me.  Only one crust to worry about - no slicing or peeling fruit - everything mixed in the KitchenAid ...  Then I realized that it was nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves that were the hit ... anything with these spices is a winner.  So this weekend I tried a dessert to complement the two of us.  It had pumpkin and "fall spices" for hubby and cream cheese for me!  It was fairly reasonable in price after some super double coupons combined with a BOGO sale at our local Harris Teeter and the use of home grown pumpkin.  I also used up some stale graham crackers in the crust instead of using Ginger Snaps and pecans (though that sounds really good).  I was also tired by Saturday night, so the squares were not swirled - I just mixed everything at once!

So here it is complements of Kraft:

Pumpkin-swirl Cheesecake

25 Ginger shaps, finely crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup finely chopped Pecans 

1/4 c butter, melted

4 pkg. Cream Cheese softened 

1 c sugar, divided

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Dash ground cloves

Heat oven to 325*.
Mix crumbs, nuts, and butter; press onto bottom of 13 x 9 inch pan.
Beat cream cheese, 3/4 c sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each just until blended.
Remove 1 1/2 c batter.
Stir remaining sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter.
Spoon half of pumpkin batter into crust;
top with spoonfuls of half the plain batter.
Repeat layers; swirl with kinfe.
Bake 45 min or until center is almost set.  Cool completely. 
Refrigerate 4 hours.

Today, I need to roast the pumpkin seeds that were left after cooking up my pumpkin.  Yummy!  I also saw a recipe for peppers stuffed with beans and rice that are cooked on the grill.  Sounds like some of my garden peppers are destined for the grill tonight.  Ignore their screams - I am experimenting tonight.  If it is good, you just might see the recipe for it next Menu Monday. 

"... trust ... in the living God,

who giveth us richly
all things to enjoy;"

I Timothy 6:17