Luscious Four-Layer Pumpkin Cake

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin, divided

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

4 eggs

1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/4 cup Chopped Pecans

HEAT oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round baking pans. Beat cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp. spice in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Pour into prepared pans.

BAKE 28 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely. Beat cream cheese in small bowl with mixer until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and spice; mix well. Gently stir in COOL WHIP.

CUT each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife; stack on serving plate, spreading cream cheese filling between layers. (Do not frost top layer.) Drizzle with caramel topping just before serving; sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate leftovers.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad

Line the plate a flour tortilla. Top the tortilla with pork, rice, black beans and cheese. Cover with romaine lettuce and a few tortilla strips for crunch and garnish. Top with creamy cilantro salad dressing.

(This salad is such a crowd pleaser and PERFECT if you are having people over and giving out food assignments. You can also use uncooked tortillas from Costco. Throw them on the griddle and cook just before serving.)

Sweet Pork
4 lb. pork roast
2 to 3 cans tomato sauce (8 oz.)
1 tsp. pressed garlic cloves
1 1/2 to 2 cups brown sugar (packed)
2 tsp. cumin
2 cups Dr. Pepper (optional)
2 Tbsp molasses
1/2 tsp. salt Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except pork until sugar is dissolved. Place pork roast in a crock pot sprayed with Pam. Pour mixture over roast and let simmer until meat is tender and pulls away with fork. (Cook on low over-night if desired.) Shredding pork and return to liquid. This pork/liquid mixture freezes well for later use. Serving size is about 1/2 cup cooked pork.

Lime Rice
2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/4 cup rice
2 1/4 cup chicken broth (or chicken bullion crystals)
3/4 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
Juice and zest (peel) of 1 large or 2 small fresh limes
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves 1/4 tsp. cumin
Melt butter with rice in skillet.

Add the rest of ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Makes about 4 cups of cooked rice. Serving size is 1/2 cup per person.

Creamy Cilantro Dressing
16 oz. bottle of La Victoria green salsa (or any other tomatillo green salsa)
1 package dry buttermilk ranch dressing (about 4 Tbsp)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh cilantro (just use leaves and really pack cup)
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (Taste and decide)

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Refrigerate. Makes about 1 quart dressing.

fruit salsa

chop into small pieces:
4 granny smith apples
4 peaches or apricots
1 box of strawberries

mix chopped fruit with one can of crushed pineapple (juice included).

for the sugar/cinnamon chips:
preheat oven to 350 degrees. cut 10 tortillas into 16 triangles. Spread each triangle tortilla into a cookie sheet. cover each triangle with melted butter. sprinkle a sugar/cinnamon combination graciously over the tortilla triangles. bake for 10 minutes.

eat the salsa with the chips for a yummy, healthy snack!

Sarah's Double Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce

Sarah made this for our New Year's Eve party and it was so temptingly delicious we fought over it the next day. (She used a prepared graham cracker crust which cut the preparation time in half. Note: this filling will fill two prepared crusts). She also said she would have put more of the fudge in to make it more chocolaty. :)

Crust:
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar

Filling:
1 cup sugar
4 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1 (10 oz) white chocolate chips, melted
1 cup chocolate fudge ice cream topping, warmed

Sauce:
2 (10 oz) packages frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Heat oven to 325, stir together all crust ingredients and press on bottom of springform pan. Bake 10 minutes, cool.
Combine 1 cup sugar and cream cheese in mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy (3-4 min). Add eggs one at a time and beat, stir in melted white chocolate chips.
Pour half of cream cheese mixture into prepared crust, spoon 1/2 cup of fudge over cream cheese, swirl with knife. Top with remaining cream cheese. Spoon remaining fudge over cream cheese mixture and swirl with knife. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes. (Let cheesecake remain in oven for 30 minutes until center is set). Cool, remove from pan, refrigerate 8 hours.
Press raspberries through strainer , discard seeds. Stir with cornstarch in saucepan and cook until comes to a full boil until slightly thickened. Refrigerate until serving time.

Potato Soup, Spicy and Broccoli

4 lbs. Potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cans of Chicken Broth, low sodium

Boil the Potatoes in the broth until tender, DO NOT DRAIN!!!

8 oz of Pepper Jack Cheese, grated
(for not as spicy: 4 oz of Pepper Jack and 4 oz Monterey Jack)

Add to the potatoes and let melt.

1 can Cream of Celery
1 can Cream of Onion
1 c. sour cream
1 pint 1/2 and 1/2 (can use fat free)

Stir in until hot, Serve immediately. If you have leftovers and used just pepper jack, it will be very spicy the next day but is still good.

or...add the following after the potatoes are cooked and not drained...

8 oz of Monterey Jack cheese

1 can Cream of Celery
1 can Cream of Mushroom
1 c. sour cream
1 pint 1/2 and 1/2 (can use fat free)

then...chop up a bunch of broccoli and add to the soup. Cook for about 5 more minutes until the broccoli is about half cooked and still slightly crunchy.

super yummy with sourdough bread!
Stir in until hot, Serve immediately. If you have leftovers and used just pepper jack, it will be very spicy the next day but is still good.

Penne with Salsa Verde, Mozzarella, and Cherry Tomatoes

¼ cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley w-thick stems removed

2 cloves of garlic, smashed

1 ½ tablespoons drained capers

½ teaspoon anchovy paste (which I never use)

6 tablespoons olive oil

¾ teaspoon red-wine vinegar

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

¾ pound penne rigate (or any other kind you like)

¾ pound fresh mozzarella, cut into ¼-inch cubes

2 cups cherry (or grape) tomatoes, cut into quarters

1. In a blender or food processor, puree the parsley, the smashed garlic, the capers, and the anchovy paste with the olive oil, the wine vinegar, and the salt and pepper.
2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne rigate until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain.
3. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the parsley mixture, mozzarella, and tomatoes.

Mom's Chocolate Christmas Cookies

1 (10 oz.) jar maraschino cherries (about 48)
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 (6 oz.) pkg. semi sweet chocolate pieces
1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk

Drain cherries and reserve juice. Stir together flour, cocoa, soda, powder and salt. In a large mixer bowl beat butter until soft. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture and blend well.

Shape dough into 1" balls. Place about 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Press down center of each with your thumb. Place a cherry in each cookie.

In small saucepan combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over low heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of the reserved cherry juice. Spoon 1 teaspoon frosting over each cherry, swirling to completely cover cherry.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Remove to racks and cool. Makes about 48.