Pumpkin Bars

Brrrr, it's a chilly 20 something degrees out there!  I'm warming up with a mug of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, yum. 

 

  

Troy has a girlfriend named Abby J.  He spoke of her every day for the past few weeks and I had to meet her.  So, yesterday we had her over.  She is a delightful girl.  Troy was sooo excited to have her here in our living room that he literally could not stop moving,  Thus, the picture:

 

In other news, I have completed Gladdie's Christmas gift of Barbie furniture.  I gotta say, as far as homemade gifts go, this is one of the easiest I've ever made. 

Barbie found the Styrofoam sofa to be most relaxing.  It's reinforced with metal hardware for stability.  As is the matching loveseat.  Both are upholstered with the finest of Troy's discarded t-shirt.  The same for the table covering and stools.  The base of the stools were varnished with a black Sharpie. 

The rug was made from leftovers of a latch hook project.  It gives the room a groovy feel.  Barbie tested out the dinette set as well.  She thought the cardboard based stools were awesome.  The table is made from a drink mix container (cut in half) and a Country Crock lid.

As you can tell by Barbie's expression, she was very pleased with the set.  I think they will really spruce up her dream house.  

 

 

Speaking of homemade gifts, Troy made these beautiful Thanksgiving place mats at school and gave them to me.  It's so much fun getting artwork from the kids!

Our Thanksgiving this year is going to be celebrated at my nephew's, mother-in-law's house.  Wow, that is a mouthful.  I am very much looking forward to it.  My Grandma's Pumpkin Rolls was what I got the honor of bringing.  They are so delicious that I had to bake a diversion dessert to keep the kids out of the rolls until the time is right.  That diversion dessert, (with less than 24 hrs to go), has served it's purpose very well.  Basically, it's a not-so-fancy pumpkin roll in bar form.  The pumpkin bar:

A soft, brownie like cake, is topped with a cream cheese frosting.  This dessert, from the picture, and somewhat in flavor, mocks my Creamed Cheese Pumpkin Bread .

The recipe is from my aunt Annabell, may she RIP.  It's a total crowd pleaser and makes a large cookie sheet of bars.

My healthier alterations to her recipe include swapping 1/2 cup of applesauce for 1/2 cup of the oil,  reducing the sugar by 1/2 cup, omitting the pecans,  reducing the butter to 1/2 cup, and using a full 8oz brick of fat free cream cheese.  Therefore, making each bar about 60 calories according to my calculations.  The really nice thing about the alterations is the bars are just as yummy, yet you can feel better about feeding them to your kids, or your neighbors, or  your fishing buds, or yourself. :)

Hope you give em a try.

Happy Thanksgiving!!