My Brother's Favorite Dessert

Pumpkin Praline Rum Pie

2 cups chopped pecans

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon corn syrup

½ cup butter

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

¾ cup sugar

8 tablespoons butter, melted

2 envelopes gelatin

¼ cup rum (optional)

½ cup cold water

1 ½ c. brown sugar, firmly packed

3 cups canned pumpkin

1 ½ teaspoons ginger

5 tablespoons milk

¾ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 ½ cup very cold, heavy cream- whipped

¾ teaspoon nutmeg

Prepare Praline Crunch: Melt ½ cup butter in skillet. Stir in 1 cup sugar, 1 T. corn syrup, and pecans. Cook over medium heat. Stir until golden brown (approximately 3 minutes). Remove from heat and spread onto greased cooking sheet. Cool. Crumble. Makes 2½ cups.

Prepare Crust: In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, ¾ cup sugar, and 8 tablespoons melted butter. Press into a greased 9”x13” pan. Bake for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Sprinkle half of the praline crunch over bottom of baked pastry shell. Set aside and cool completely.

Prepare Filling: Sprinkle gelatin over rum and water in saucepan. Place over low heat-stir constantly until gelatin dissolves, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add brown sugar. Stir until everything is dissolved. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, ginger, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Gradually blend in gelatin mixture-stir until smooth. Make sure filling is cool.  Fold in whipped cream. Pour into prepared crust. Reserve ½ cup of the remaining praline crunch for garnish and sprinkle remaining Praline Crunch over top of pie. Chill until firm.

Serves 15 to 20 people.  Serve with whipped cream and remaining crunch. 

Keepin' It Clean!

I have Windows! Lots of BIG windows! On more than one occasion, I have had to go to the Wild Bird store and get those reflective decals that help the birds see my big ol' windows, cuz they keep committing suicide on them. And cleaning these windows can be a long painful process! But my friend, Ann gave me this 'recipe' for homemade window cleaner… and boy-howdy, does it work better than that store bought stuff. I mix it in a clean 5 gallon paint bucket, reserve some in my spray bottles, and clean all my windows (inside & out) with what’s left.

Oh, and one more thing, my husband taught me (really, he did), that newspapers & a good long handled squeegee work better than paper towels at making the windows streak-free! 

And since no good deed goes unpunished...I let him clean the windows all the time now!

Ann’s Magic Window Washing Recipe

2 gallons hot water

¼ cup ammonia

1 cup rubbing alcohol

2 drops “Joy” dishwashing detergent

Mix together in large bucket.

Pour some in a spray bottle to keep around for spot jobs.

Wash windows with a squeegee and old newspapers.

Happy Once' de Mayo

MARGARITA CAKE

This cake is best if made at least a day ahead. You can wait tofrost it till later!

Cake

½ cup butter – room temperature

4 eggs

1 white, orange, orlemon cake mix

1 small box lemon instantpudding

10 oz.  Can frozen margarita mix concentrate (such asBacardi) – room temperature

1 Tbsp. Lemon juice

1 Tsp. Lemon or Limezest

1 Tbsp. Tequila

1 Tbsp. Triple Sec

5 drops green foodcoloring (optional)

Pre Heat oven to350° degrees & prepare angel food cake or Bundt- style cake pan.   Mix together butter, eggs, margaritaconcentrate, juice, & zest. Add cake mix, pudding mix, tequila, &triple sec until well blended. Batter will be thick.

Spread the batter inthe prepared pan & bake 45-55 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes & removefrom pan. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

8 oz. softened CreamCheese

½ cup butter –softened

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 drop almondextract

2 Tbsp. lemon or limejuice

1 Tbsp. lemon or limezest

4 cups powderedsugar

Cream together thecream cheese & butter. Stir in remaining ingredients & beat until lightand fluffy.

Photography 101….I need it!

My friend, Martin just helped me purchase my first real camera. To be quite honest, I don’t know an f-stop from F-Troop! But with his help, and a little time spent browsing You-Tube…maybe I’ll learn how to focus...
 

Another New Thing

So I try very hard to keep up with the younger generations. My son's fiance, Carrie joined a sight called Pinterest! I was intrigued. You need to ask for an invitation to join, but that isn't hard! Deciding what you want to "pin" is very difficult! SO MANY THINGS!!! It's just fun!

Waiting...

Just finished teaching at the Quilting in the Desert Conference. Now to sit, stitch. and relax a bit. Fortunately these little penny-coaster are the perfect project to work on while I wait for my ride home

Now is the Time!

Hello dear family & friends,
I have been watching the news today....it looks cold where you are! Time for a trip to Tucson, don'tcha think?http://www.visittucson.org/