{tasty tuesdays} Thanksgiving dessert

Everyone knows that you have to have a pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, right? (unless you are a crazy person and don't like pumpkin pie... cough*lydia*cough)
Sometimes though, it's a lot of work to make a pie. Mixin' all those ingredients, rollin' all that crust out, making sure things don't get too brown... er, well, that's about it, but still. If you LOVE pumpkin pie, but want a slightly easier pumpkin-y dessert, have I got a recipe for you.

Kala's Pumpkin Pie Cake

(so named after the dear friend from whom I got this recipe)

1 large can pumpkin

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)

3 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

1 box yellow cake mix

2 sticks butter (I never said it was healthy)

Mix first 7 ingredients and pour into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle the box of cake mix on top. Melt the butter and pour evenly over all.

Bake 50-60 minutes in a 350 degree oven, until set and golden brown on top.

Tastes great served with whipped cream, of course.

I don't have a picture to include, unfortunately, but I will be making this to take over to our family Thanksgiving (yay!), so if I remember to take one I'll stick it in here.

And now, just for fun, since this is a holiday-ish recipe, I thought I'd include this fun little holiday questionnaire that I found over at Ashley's.

Egg nog or hot chocolate? oh, I love them BOTH. I drink hot chocolate a lot this time of year, but egg nog is one of those special things I only allow myself a few times right around Christmas. It's better that way. (also, Jeremy hates egg nog, so I can't buy much more than one of those itty-bitty cartons)

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? well, I wrap presents and put them under the tree! I LOVE wrapping gifts and making them pretty and personalized. I love the sight of them sitting there under the tree, too.

Colored lights on tree/house or white? I like white on the tree, and a nice mixture of both outside. We always had colored lights growing up, and that's why I can't do completely without them.

Do you hang mistletoe? You know, I never have, actually! But I'm thinking I should, this year. I'm always glad of another excuse for smoochin'.

When do you put your decorations up? Right after Thanksgiving... or a teensy bit before. It depends. But I like them up as soon as possible so we can enjoy them that much longer! Our house feels so cozy and cheerful when it's decorated for Christmas... part of me never wants to put it all away.

Favorite holiday memory as a child? There are so many... but one of my favorites is when my brother Elijah and I would take our blankets and pillows downstairs by the tree, turn on the twinkly lights, and sleep there for the rest of the night. We did that every year for a long time, and it was always so magical. There was just something about creeping quietly through the chilly house when it was dark and everyone else was sleeping, then laying there cuddled up under our warm blankets, watching the lights make crazy patterns on the walls through the tree branches...

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Honestly, my parents never made a to-do about Santa, so I never thought he was real. There were never any shattered illusions to be had, in my case. :)

How do you decorate your Christmas tree? white lights, gold beaded garlands, and lots of blue, silver, white, and gold ornaments. And of course, all of our special "sentimental" ornaments are in there too, even if they don't match. :)

Snow! Love it or dread it? I love it, especially at Christmas-time. Although, I have to say that I'm kind of glad in some ways that we live in a place where we don't have to deal with it all. winter. long. I do wish it snowed here occasionally though... it's SO beautiful! Snow is a wonderment. Have you ever stood outside in a new-fallen snow and just felt the stillness and silence that blankets the world around you? Or seen how it turns the sky that amazing glowy color at night? Or walked through big, fluffy flakes as they fell, feeling them in your eyelashes and on your nose? Or woken up to a sunshiny day following a fresh snowfall, feeling so dazzled by the brightness and the sparkle and the the contrast of the blue blue sky with the white horizon that it hurts your eyes? Because if you haven't, you really should. It's amazing and there's nothing like it. I miss snow.

Do you remember your favorite gift? When I was 8 I received an American Girl Doll from my mom and dad (Samantha, because I thought she looked like me!). Also, one year not too long ago, my dad surprised me out of the blue and bought me a beautiful handmade scarf. It's still one of my favorites, and there's something so special about it because my dad picked it out all by himself, just for me. And of course, last Christmas, Jeremy surprised me with my little camera and now I can't imagine living without that thing!!

What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Celebrating Christ's coming to earth as we worship and sing joyful Christmas songs. The wonderful time we get to spend with any and all of our family.Teaching my kids about the true meaning of it all and why we celebrate Christmas, as well as passing on meaningful traditions to them, getting to see things through their eyes. Ahhh, I love it all!

What is your favorite holiday dessert? ummm, I don't know if I can pick just one... I'm kind of a pig when it comes to holiday desserts...

What is your favorite holiday tradition? Again, I don't know if I can pick just one! They are all so special in their own ways and mean so much to me, especially since they involve our dear family and the memories made with them.

What tops your tree? I don't really have a good tree topper... I need to find one I love. I think it's a star right now, though.

Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Giving. It's so fun to try to find that perfect gift for the someones I love. But lately, we have been getting away from presents a little bit, keeping it simple and inexpensive, trying to do little tokens of thoughtfulness. Christmas isn't about the presents, and I really would love it if we could all just give to each other all year long as we see fit, and then there would be expectations or obligations come this time of year. But that's just me. :)

What is your favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night... so beautiful, and so powerful. And I LOVE singing it. But oh, I love almost all Christmas music. Joy to the World. Silent Night. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Gah, I need to go sing some carols RIGHT NOW!

Candy canes? Not to eat, but they sure are cute and I love to have them around. Also, it's so fun to see the kids eating them and getting all sticky!

Favorite Christmas movie? Elf is definitely up there. I can't help it, it's so funny. Little Women is another favorite for this time of year. Sigh. I love Christmas movies too.

What do you leave for Santa? nothing... but I do try to have a well-stocked goody pile in case any friends or family want to come on by!

Go ahead, fill this out yourself if you want too... it's fun and I'd love to read it.