Pumpkin Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing

We are heading to Toronto Tomorrow for a family Dinner.  We haven't had a Family Dinner with Dave's dads side of the family since Roger and Carrie's Wedding Party.

I have been asked to make dessert.  I have been wanting to make a pumpkin cake since I made Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns a coupe of months ago. I have a bunch of Pumpkin puree in the freezer.  I can't think of a better way to use it.   I have made this Martha Stewart recipe before and had hoped to make a different one.

Every recipe I found either had two sticks of butter and 4 eggs or 1 cup of vegetable oil.  I decided to use Martha's recipe again because it had half the butter and eggs as those I had looked at.  I couldn't decide between a cream cheese or brown butter icing.  So I made my own.  Here it is:

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing


1 1/4 Cups Packed Brown Sugar
3 oz Butter
1/2 Cup Whipping Cream
6 oz Room Temp. Cream Cheese
Note: Be sure to scrape the bowl along the way.

1. In a sauce pan combine all but the cream cheese.  
2. Heat until melted stirring occasionally.  
3. Once boiling stir constantly for 1 minute.  
4. Pour into metal bowl and allow to cool a 20 minutes.  
5. Turn your mixer on low aiding in the cooling for 5 minutes.  
6. Turn mixer up to medium for a couple of minutes.  
7. Add cream cheese and Mix on high for a couple more minutes.  
8. Let stand for a few minute and then use.

I added Some Heart Nuts from Grimo Nut Nursery for decoration.  I couldn't find a hammer in the house so I had to use a meat tenderizer.  It took forever and I am surprised I didn't hit my finger.    

I can't wait to try the icing and cake together.  

Caprese Salad

Fiore di Latte cheese is one of my new favorite finds from Bailey's Local Foods.  The distributor for this cheese is in Ingersoll called Local Dairy.  I discovered last night while preparing this delicious salad that it is manufactured on Mulock Street in Toronto.  Our last place in Toronto was on Mulock and there is an amazing cheese factory kiddie corner from our house.  We lived on a strange street.  It was where industry met residential.  From what we could gather our street was where the labourers from all the different slaughter houses in the area used to live. The slaughter houses are no longer there.  They have been gone for many years.  The whole area has been built up.  It was just beginning when we left.  We went by there the last time we were in the city.  It is amazing how many homes there are now.

Caprese Salad
2 tomatos sliced
1 ball fresh mozzarella sliced
5 large basil leaves sliced
Drizzle olive oil
Drizzle balsamic vinegar
Granulated garlic
salt & pepper to taste.

Arrange the slices of tomato and cheese.
place slices of basil through out the plate.
drizzle both olive oil and vinegar.
shake on garlic, salt and pepper.

Strawberry Lumpy Drizzle 2009

That's what the label would read is I were that organised. I couldn't even find enough jars that were the same size. However, Otis and I spent the better part Friday night making jam/sauce/drizzle. which ever you prefer to call it. I call it awesome.

Otis played with his new pirate ship most of the time. good thing being there was knife or hear involved for the majority of time. He got to mash, and pour the sugar and lemon juice.



It was really easy.

I am not really sure where I got the basic proportions some recipe online somewhere. They all basically read the same. I made a few adjustments as it really didn't need to set completely. I was aiming for a good balance between thick and saucy.


Loopeeeee's Strawberry Lumpy Drizzle

A whole lot of mashed strawberries 9 - 10 cups
Six on the small side cups of sugar (small side =not leveled & not heaping)
1/4 cup & a bit more 3 times (to taste)

1. Put the 9 cups of strawberries in the pot and add sugar
2. Mix together and taste. If you find it to sweet add the remaining cup of berries. Don't add anymore. then there wouldn't be enough sugars to cause the berries to bind.
3. Add 1/4 of lemon juice. It's amazing how much the lemon juice cut the sugar.
4. Fiddle with the lemon juice until you get what you want it to taste like. this is the Bit three more times.
5. Bring to a boil and simmer stir while cleaning your fridge. Pay as close attention to the boil while you add the rotting stuff to the compost bowl.
6. Funnel into sterilized jars and then process the jars for 10 plus minutes. Enough time to do the dishes and run the compost out.
7. Remove Jars and listen for the pops.




It seemed really similar to the recipe I used for freezer jam a few years back. I am a bit concerned about it's shelf life. The jars popped right after I took them put of the pot from processing them.

I will just have to keep an eye on it.
This recipe made 4 x 500ml, 6 x 250 ml, 1 x 125ml jars. For the organised person this would mean approx. 16 250 ml. jars.


Saturday morning Otis and were in the North end we stopped at St. Jacobs to get Yummy bread to go with the jam. We had it for breakfast that morning after we ran a few errands before 9:30 am. It was a great start to a productive day.

Cookie Goodness

I have made these cookies twice now. They are so quick and easy.

Picture From modobjectathome

Everyone who has ate them are in love. I thought I should spread the word.

Roasted Toasted Seeds

This year I decided to try and do it right with all the steps.

Simply Recipes is a great jumping off point. I knew there was a step with salt water I just couldn't remember what to do.

What you need:

Pumpkin Seeds
Olive Oil
Salt
Seasoning
And Whole lot of patience

I cleaned out three large pumpkins and sorted the seeds. I did most of the sorting while I was cleaning the pumpkins so I wouldn't throw in the towel half way through as I usually do.

1. Rinse pumpkin seeds. don't worry is there is a little goo it adds flavour.

2. Boil Pumpkin seeds in a salt bath for 10 minutes.

3. Toss olive oil, seeds and seasoning in pan

4. Bake in oven for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

5. Mix seeds a couple of times in the oven

6. Cool pans on wire rack

7. Serve

** I made two types of seeds.
Both had salt and garlic.

The second batch was spiced up with some. Konriko Brand Jalapeno Seasoning. John and Gail pick it up for us any time they are down south and come across it. We have one jar left. Good thing they are heading south in a couple of weeks.

We put this stuff on everything.

***For the salt bath I used about 1 1/2 table spoons in a medium sauce pan of water.