Pumpkin Sheet Cake

A seasonal favorite
by request…

CAKE
15 oz canned pumpkin
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg

FROSTING
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. Beat pumpkin, sugar and oil. Add eggs and mix well.
Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg. Add to pumpkin mixture and beat until well blended.
Pour into greased 15x10 jellyroll pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool.
For frosting - beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add sugar and mix well.
Frost cake and sprinkle with nuts if desired.

Terry’s Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love it when friends share recipes.
This is no exception.
My first taste of this wonderful soup was a year or two ago at a Christmas Party.
A variety of soups for dinner.
Christmas Caroling.
Dessert.
A perfect combination.

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1-1/2 C chopped onion
2 Tbsp minced garlic
4 cup chicken broth
3 corn tortillas - cut in squares
1 can diced tomatoes w/chilies
1  tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cup cooked chicken **
1-1/2 cup frozen corn
1  Tbsp lime juice
salt & pepper to taste
1 can black beans drained & rinsed

Sauté onion and garlic in oil for 3 minutes. Add broth, tortillas, tomatoes, oregano, cayenne, coriander & cumin. Heat to boiling then cool 5 minutes. Blend until smooth. Return to heat, add cream chicken corn. Heat to boiling, simmer 5 min. Add lime juice, salt & pepper and beans. Heat until warm.

** I have used leftover turkey… just as delicious!!

Mini-Cheesecakes

By request…

We recently served these at a banquet for Gamma, my daughter sorority. The original recipe comes from Paula Deen.

Photo courtesy foodnetwork.com

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 12 vanilla wafers
• 1 (21-ounce) can blueberry filling, or other pie filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a paper cupcake liner in each cup of a muffin pan.

Beat cream cheese with a handheld electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Place a vanilla wafer, flat side down, in each muffin cup. Spoon cream cheese mixture over wafers. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow tarts to cool completely. Serve with blueberry filling on top, or pie filling of your choice.

Note: The cakes will come out of the oven puffed up, but as they cool, the center will sink, creating a well, perfect for filling with the topping of your choice.

Just for fun, I am including some photos of the table decorations. My daughter was responsible for decorating them, and she did a great job.