Marshmallow Meringued Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie

It's that time ladies and gents, what time may you ask? Time for football, well sure. Time for the time change, very soon yes. Time for watching Love Actually, yeah almost. What is it truly time for though...?





Well folks I believe it's time to upgrade your pant size for the holidays, or better yet...might I suggest elastic. I am quite lucky to be pregnant right now, or perhaps it's a curse...I almost feel I have permission to eat what I want. It's hard to tell a Jennifer craving from a baby needs it to grow craving. I mean who am I to deny my child a cupcake?





Shoot maybe that cupcake is growing that part of my babies brain that could make him president one day? Or better yet, maybe that cupcake is happening to up his "luck factor"..the kind of luck that has him force me to buy the winning lottery ticket one day while were buying Slurpee's at 7-11.





Now that you have that to chew on, perhaps you should make this..and have a whole dang pie to nibble, shoot I won't lie - this makes two pies!

One for me, one for baby.





Ingredients (Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie) Makes 2 Pie's
Delightfully borrowed from Paula Dean ya'll
{Full Printable Recipe}

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional

- 2 Store bought crust, 9'.





Directions (Pumpkin Pie)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Pre-bake your pie shells for 10 minutes.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crusts and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the center is set.  I covered my pie edges with aluminum foil.  Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature.






Ingredients (Marshmallow Meringue)
Originally borrowed from Sprinkles Bakes

3 egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 -7oz. jar of marshmallow creme





Directions (Marshmallow Meringue)

Beat egg whites, vanilla and salt at high speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar 1 tbsp at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.

Beat in 1/4 of the marshmallow creme. Repeat with remaining creme until meringue is well mixed and fluffy.

Heap meringue in the middle of the cooled pie and swirl with the back of a spoon or spatula. (I used fork to make the stripes.) Bake at 400 until browned.

Oh Yeah baby..literally

Pumpkin Sheet Cake

Man do I hate being sick. When I'm sick my whole personality suffers, not to mention all other humans within 3 miles. I am definitely not the easiest person to get along with when the coughing, fever, and general crappy feeling strike. In fact, I can list out things and people that suffer when I'm sick…hope they are reading…







The first thing that suffers while I am sick is my husband. Let’s face it, as my husband he probably has a hard enough time trying to please me 100% of the time…but when I am sick it’s on like Donkey Kong.







First off, why has my husband not developed the ability to read my mind yet? Is it too much to ask that the house be cleaned, dinner be made, child be washed, clothes be folded, refrigerator cleaned, bath tub scrubbed, tables wiped down, lawn be mowed, sidewalk swept, garage cleaned, closets organized, candles lit, grilled cheese and soup for me, beds made, ice water on my bed side table, etc…all without me asking? Come on DUDE!







Second notes go to my lovely daughter Indigo, she cannot read just yet but since my husband has now been informed that he should read my mind he should already know to tell her this.


Indy…darling…If I ask you to go play nicely with your toys that does not mean to go find that one Dora guitar that only has one setting…that setting being *SO FREAKING LOUD I WANT TO GO AND DICE MY EARS OFF*. Also I really cannot watch Megamind even one more time, nope – NOT going to do it.


Thanks honey, mommy loves you.  I'm sick, please forgive me.







INGREDIENTS (Sheet Cake)
Delightfully borrowed from EatatHomeCooks.com
{Printable Recipe}


• 16 oz can pumpkin
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt







DIRECTIONS

In a mixing bowl, beat the pumpkin, sugar and oil. Add eggs and mix well. Combine the dry ingredients and add to the pumpkin mixture, beating until well blended. Pour into a greased 10×15 inch baking pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes at 350 degrees.





INGREDIENTS (Frosting)

• 5 Tbs. butter, softened
• 3 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar
• 3-4 tsp. milk

*The Orange decoration on my sheet cake was made with 2 tbs butter, 2 tbs milk, orange food coloring, and a couple of cups of powdered sugar.*







DIRECTIONS

Beat the butter and cream cheese together. Add the vanilla and blend till smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix well. Add the milk a bit at a time until it is nice and easy to work with, spread a super thin layer on your cake.  Easy peasy and delishishy..I can make up words when I'm sick.

Now I must bid you farewell, my family is getting outta line during this sickness and I need to whip them back into shape. That shape being the kind that listens to every word I say and only lives to please me.


Now that’s what I’m talkin’ bout baby.

Apple Hi!! Umm, I mean Pie...

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Me
Me who?
Me who said I was leaving but am now showing up two months later because making food and taking pictures is like a drug I need in my life.

Hi, My Name is Jennifer and I like to cry wolf...and eat...tons..and document it..

Do you guys think we can just pretend like I took a long vacation? You can? Well that's great!





So let me get you guys up to speed.

1. I am now 4 months pregnant with what we believe to be a little man! Yeah.
2. I did the calculations and I can now consume about 2,300 calories guilt free since I am eating for "two".
3. I consume about 3,000 calories a day. I guess that is more of a confession.
4. Indigo wakes me up before 6am every morning.
5. Hey, if a girl is up from 6am until bedtime what can you expect but eating 3,000 calories a day.

I rest my case.





So there you have it, I eat alot and I missed you!

YOU = Fellow bloggers and blogging and having a free place for my lists and confessions and sugar and chocolate and recipes and pictures and run on sentencing in general.

You like apple pie? Well sure nuff I bought apples to curb the calories and didn't eat them. Shocker, so into the pie they went.  Logically if you buy something to eat healthy you should add at least 1 stick of butter.





INGREDIENTS
Delightfully borrowed from Allrecipes
{Printable Recipe}

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6-8 apples - peeled, cored and sliced

*1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice and or cinnamon*





DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer for 20 seconds.





Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly in the center. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.





Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and cover with foil very loosely, sprinkle with turbinado sugar if you like. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft. My pie went for 40.

So posting might be a little less frequent but I do need a little outlet that doesn't include me yelling at my 3 year old...and husband....and cat...and television screen..

You get the point.

Chow.