Pumpkin Crunch Cake

(Recipe from a Rose Acre Farm Egg Cookbook I picked up at the National FFA Convention- I promise that this recipe is egg-strodanarly good!)

• 1 can (15 oz) Solid Pack Pumpkin


• 1 can (12 oz) Evaporated Milk


• 3 eggs


• 1 ½ c. sugar


• 1 t. cinnamon


• ½ t. salt


• 1 package (box) Yellow Cake Mix


• ½ c. Pecan (halves)


• 1 c. butter (two-sticks, unsalted)


• Whipped Topping or Ready-Whip to top when served

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Pour into the greased pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture and top with the pecans. Drizzle melted butter over the pecans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and serve well chilled (or warm!). Top with whipped topping when served.

Autumn Apple Pie...

This is my new favorite apple pie recipe of all time- and I promise it tastes fantastic!
(Recipie modified from Amy B.'s version in the Gooseberry Patch "Taste of Autumn" Cookbook)

• 4-5 medium red delicious apples (or any other variety), cored, peeled & thinly sliced


• 3 T. lemon juice


• 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed


• 1/2 c. plus 1 T. sugar, divided


• 2 t. cinnamon


• 1/4 t. nutmeg


• 3 T. all-purpose flour


• 1/4 c. butter, chilled and diced


• 1/2 bag of caramels (I used the quick melt balls) or 9 caramels, unwrapped & quartered


• 2 9-inch frozen pie crust (I used a deep dish and 1 that I could spread over it)

Combine apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, 1/2 cup of sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, butter and caramels. Stir until mixture evenly coats apples. Spoon mixture into the deep dish crust. Cover with second crust; flute edges and vent as desired. Sprinkle remaining sugar over crust. Place on an aluminum foil-covered baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the crust is golden.