Maria's Cranberry Salsa

1 15 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained (keep juice)
1 T. ginger, grated
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. orange peel, grated
1 tsp. all spice
1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
1 8 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce, or frozen
1/3 c. green onion, sliced

Heat above ingredients (using juice only from pineapple=save pineapple) for 8 minutes on med-high heat. Remove and add the following ingredients:

crushed pineapple

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

2 cans mandarin oranges (same texture as pineapple)

Serve warm, or at room temperature

Note: This is wonderful for Thanksgiving! Spread over turkey or anything else, instead of using normal cranberry sauce. It makes a lot so you can 1/2 the recipe. You can add more cranberries if you desire.

An alternate recipe:

2 lg. oranges, peeled & chopped

fresh, or canned whole cranberry sauce

1 T. fresh grated ginger

1/2 tsp. ground all spice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. green onions, chopped

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

heat above ingredients, then add:

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. lime juice

Note: If you use fresh cranberries add 3/4 cup sugar(cook&heat), and 1/4 c. water

Gingersnap Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie

1 1/2 c. finely crushed gingersnaps (about 32 cookies)
1/4 c. butter, melted
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 c. whipped topping
1 c. cold milk
2 packages (3.4 oz. each) instant butterscotch pudding mix
1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Additional whipped topping, optional

Crust:
In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Filling:
In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over crust.

In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Stir in the pumpkin, pie spice, vanilla and cinnamon. Spread over cream cheese layer. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Garnish with additional whipped topping if desired. Yields 6-8 servings.

Helpful Hints: When I made this, I doubled the recipe. I used 1 box of gingersnaps for 2 crusts and it was plenty, so I'm not sure you need 32 cookies for just 1 crust. I'd measure it as you go, don't just crush 32 cookies. The gingersnaps were hard to crush "finely". We found the best thing was to use "the chopper".

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Note: I usually double this recipe

1 2/3 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cloves
3/4 t. mace
1/2 t. salt
1 c. canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
6 oz. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Combine all wet ingredients in a bowl. Add wet to dry and partially mix. Add chocolate chips and mix until lightly combined. Bake in 12 cup muffin tin for 20-25 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.

Stuffed Pumpkin

1 - 1/2 c. chopped celery
1 can drained mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp butter
1 lb cooked ground beef
1 c. rice (pre-cooked)



Brown hamburger. Add all other ingredients. Cut a circle around the stem of the pumpkin to make a "lid ". Remove the lid, clean out the inside of the pumpkin. Stuff the pumpkin with the hamburger mixture. Replace the lid. Bake 350 for 1 - 1/2 hours or until a toothpick will insert easily into the side of the pumpkin. You can scoop out the cooked meal after removing the lid, or I slice the pumpkin all around and get the middle stuff out, and then I add brown sugar, butter and salt and pepper to the pumpkin strip and eat the squash.

Pumpkin Roll

INGREDIENTS
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
confectioners' sugar for dusting

1 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. Grease and flour the paper.
In a large bowl, beat eggs on high for five minutes. Gradually add white sugar and pumpkin. Add flour, cinnamon, and baking soda. Spread batter evenly in pan. Sprinkle walnuts evenly on top.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately turn out onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners sugar. Peel off paper and roll cake up in the towel, starting with the short end. Cool.
To Make Filling: Mix confectioners sugar, vanilla, butter or margarine, and cream cheese together till smooth.
Carefully unroll the cake. Spread filling over cake to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up again. Cover and chill until serving. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar, if desired

Pumpkin Bars

2 c. flour
1 ½ c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
¼ t. ground cloves
¼ t. salt
1 c. oil
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
4 beaten eggs
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, soda, salt, and cloves. Stir in oil, pumpkin, and eggs. Thoroughly combine. Spread into ungreased 15x10x1 (cookie sheet) Bake at 350° for 25 min. (or till toothpick comes out clean) Cool in pan.


Cream Cheese Frosting:
3 oz. cream cheese
¼ c. margarine or butter
1 t. vanilla
2 ¼ c. powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Add 1 cup of sugar until well stirred. Add rest of sugar and mix till combined. Spread on cake.

Recipe from: Missy T.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 Spice cake mix
1 can 15 oz. pumpkin
dark chocolate mini morsels

Mix together, drop on cookie sheet & bake @ 350 for 20 minutes.

This is very easy to keep on hand as food storage. I'm told this cookie is worth 1 point @ weight watchers if you only use 3/4 c. chocolate morsals. I use the whole bag!