Death by Pumpkin Cake

1 stick melted butter
1 yellow cake mix
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
2 (15 oz) cans pumpkin mix (approx 3.5 cups)
4 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

In a small bowl mix melted butter, cake mix and pecans; set aside. In a larger bowl combine pumpkin, eggs, evaporated milk, sugar, cloves, cinnamon and salt. Stir until smooth.

Pat half the cake mixture in bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. Pour in pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle half of remaining cake mixture and swirl in with a knife. Reserve some to sprinkle on top.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until knife comes out clean. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream on top.

NOTE: This cake is best if made the day before serving and then slightly warmed before serving.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1 lb spinach

¾ box of strawberries sliced

1 cup toasted pecans

Dressing

1/3 cup raspberry vinegar

1 cup oil

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 ½ teaspoons poppy seeds

I usually toast my pecans over the stove with sugar sprinkled on them. When the sugar melts I take them out of the pan and put them on wax paper to cool.

Pasta Salad - Monica Strang

Here is my recipe from Wednesday:

"Everything Pasta Salad"

-- Mini bow-tie pasta (cooked then cooled)

Then add whatever you want! Examples.........

-- golden raisins
-- olives
-- grape tomatoes
-- feta cheese
-- asparagus (cooked and chopped)
-- shrimp (cooked and chopped)
-- chopped basil
-- corn
-- bacon (cooked and chopped)
-- chopped mini carrots
-- salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
-- Apple Cider Vinegar
-- Fresh Lemon Juice
-- Honey Mustard
-- Sugar
-- (and/or) Italian Dressing

Sorry -- I don't have measurements for anything. I just added until it looked and tasted good.

Thanks!!
-- Monica Strang

Shayla's White Bread

Here's the recipe: (yields 6-7 loaves)
note: bread flour is best, but you can use all-purpose & just add a little more & mix a little longer to build up gluten.

In a heavy-duty mixer with dough beaters add:
4 T yeast
1 1/2 C. warm water
1/2 C sugar
I also add 1/8 C. honey
Mix the above ingredients
Add:
5 1/3 C. warm water
2 T salt
6 T shortening (I use 6 T canola oil instead... I think that's why it's so moist)
7 C. flour.

Beat in large mixer and then
add 8-9 C. more flour (or maybe a little more if you used all-purpose flour)...
Knead for 10 mins with your mixer.
Cover and let rise until double. Shape and put into greased pans, rise again. Bake in a 375 oven for 20-25 minutes. (sometimes I make 6 loaves of bread and a batch of rolls-- for the rolls, 375 oven 15-20 mins.

Sweet Pork and Dressing

Sweet Pork (I love Lisa's version, this is just another variety)

3-5 lb Pork loin or pork roast

1 1/2 cans coke classic

1 C. sugar

7oz can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce - provides some heat

1 tsp dry ground mustard

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp minced garlic

Remove chilies (throw chilies away) from adobo sauce and add all ingredients except pork in a blender. Rinse can of adobo sauce with coke to get all the sauce out. Blend in blender until well mixed. Place in crock pot and pour sauce over it. Cook for 4-6 hours on high or 7-9 hours on low. Carefully turn roast over halfway through. Cook in sauce until pull apart tender and shred. Serve over rice, on a salad, or in a tortilla/enchilada.

Creamy cilantro-tomatillo dressing

1 envelope buttermilk ranch dressing

1 C. mayo

1 C. milk

1/2 bunch cilantro (I don't use this much because I am not a cilantro fan)

2 tomatillos

1/2 serrano chili pepper with seeds removed

Blend in blender, let sit to thicken

Dressing gets a bit spicier after sits in fridge. No worries Karyn, not too spicy though!

Recipe from Liz Macdonald