Holiday Recipes

My weekend, as I'm sure yours all did, entailed food galore! Here's two recipes i made. One I got from my aunt who's an amazing cook and the other from my best friend who's also the dessert queen. For anyone who knows me on a personal level can testify how far from a cook I am. However, I'm on a new kick with cooking and have enjoyed it thus far. I've always loved food, I just never learned how to make food...just how to order it. :) So any recipes I share, you KNOW will be simple and do-able for beginners.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Our last Sunday dinner in Idaho, my wondeful aunt had us over for dinner and this was the dessert she made. I fell in LOVE beause it had pumpkin (delish) and yellow cake (yum). Put the two together and it's a hit. Plus, it gives the whole pumpkin pie a new twist.

Turtle-Turtle

My biff came over the other day and shared a single turtle she made for her family with me. It had the salty-sweet combination going on and I HAD to copy her. What else are best friends for?

Pumpkin Pie Cake Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup margarine, melted
• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix well, and spread into the prepared pan.
3. Sprinkle cake mix over the top of the pumpkin mixture, and pat down. Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over the cake mix, then drizzle with melted margarine.
4. Bake for 60 to 80 minutes, or until done. Top with whipped topping when ready to serve.

Turtles Ingredients

• Pretzels
• Rolos (or chocolate caramel kisses)
• Whole pecans

Directions
1. Heat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Place pretzels over parchment paper with rolos on top (removed from foil duh!)
3. Bake 5-10 minutes until chocolates get soft
4. Remove from oven and use a whole pecan to push chocolate down. Cool completely before devouring. :)