Pumpkin Roll Dessert

I can't say how many times I called Mom to get this recipe over the years.  I'd search my recipes and come up empty, thinking for sure I'd written it down the last time I requested it.  Anyway, it made for a good excuse to call and I think she was always flattered when someone asked her for a recipe.

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup canned or cooked pumpkin
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
powdered sugar

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Beat eggs until lemon colored.  Gradually add sugar.  Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice.  Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt; add to egg/pumpkin mixture.  Line a 10x15 inch jelly-roll pan with wax paper, and grease the paper and sides of pan.  Pour batter into pan.

Spread batter evenly in pan and sprinkle with nuts, if desired.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle powdered sugar onto a kitchen towel (a thin, non-terry cloth towel works best).  Turn cake onto towel, and remove wax paper.

Roll up cake and towel lengthwise.

Let cool.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Filling:

6 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup soft margarine
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whip cream cheese and margarine.  Beat in 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla.  Unroll cake and spread with filling.  Roll up again (without towel!) and sprinkle with more powdered sugar.  Cut in half and wrap each roll in plastic wrap.  Chill again for several hours.  Slice into 2 inch servings.

Fruit Dip

1 package (8 oz.) softened cream cheese
1 jar marshmallow cream
The juice of one orange
1/4 teaspoon ginger

Blend all together and serve with fresh fruit.

Note:  I would beat the cream cheese, juice and ginger together first, then fold in the marshmallow cream.  This might prevent the dip from being too runny, which mine was.  For those of you on the East Coast, finding marshmallow cream in the store can be tricky.  It goes by another name (Fluff) and is found on the peanut butter and jelly aisle because New Englanders like to make what are called "fluffer-nutters" (peanut butter and marshmallow cream sandwiches.)  Go figure.

Farfalle Pasta in Asparagus Sauce

We had this for dinner last night and it was really good.  I'm not sure where Mom got this recipe, but it looks like it came from a magazine or was in a box of pasta.

7 to 8 ounces of dry Farfalle (bowtie) pasta
1 large bunch asparagus
1/2 cup Half & Half
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup cooked diced ham
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Set a large pot of water to boil.  In a separate pot, cook the asparagus just until tender and drain.  Cut off tips of stalks and set aside.  Cut the tough tends off the stalks and place the remaining portion of the stalks in a food processor or blender.  Add the half & half and process or whip to form a smooth cream.  Set aside.  Melt butter in a saute pan and cook asparagus tips and diced ham for 3 minutes.  Add the asparagus cream and simmer at low heat for several minutes.  While sauce is cooking, abundantly salt the boiling water.  Add pasta and cook until "al dente".  Drain the pasta thoroughly, return to pot and mix with the cream sauce over high heat.  Add the grated parmesan cheese.  Taste, seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper if necessary.

Two Zucchini Breads

If you're wondering what to do with that extra zucchini from your garden, try one of these.

Deseret Zucchini Bread


Combine and beat together:
3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups zucchini, grated
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a separate bowl, stir together:
3 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Add dry ingredients to egg mixture.  Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts, if desired.
Pour into two well greased 4 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch loaf pans.  Bake one hour at 325 degrees.

Nell's Zucchini Bread


3 eggs beaten well
1 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine above ingredients and beat until foamy.  Combine 3 cups flour, 2 teaspoons soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg.  Fold into egg mixture and beat well.  Fold in 3 cups grated zucchini and one 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, well drained.  Add one cup chopped nuts, if desired.  Pour into two greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

California Spinach Salad

I made this very simple salad and tried out each salad dressing on it.  The blender dressing won in our house, but if you prefer a more savory dressing you may want to give the sesame vinaigrette a try.

1 ten ounce bag of spinach
1 1/2 cans mandarin oranges
1 small red onion, sliced thin
1 1/2 c. sliced almonds

Sesame Honey Vinaigrette
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
4 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all vinaigrette ingredients and whisk vigorously.

Blender Salad Dressing
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp. prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1/4 cup vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix for one minute.

Buttermilk Scones

Mom found this recipe in Sunset magazine.  The recipe's title is "Buttermilk Scone for Two," but she wrote the following on her typed index card:  "I like to double or triple this and make smaller biscuits, baking them for a shorter time.  I think it needs more buttermilk than what it calls for."  The following is the original recipe:

1 cup flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon soda
1/4 cup cold butter or margarine, cut into small pieces
3 Tablespoons currants
1/4 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon mixed with 1/2 Tablespoon sugar

In a bowl, combine flour, 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar, baking powder and soda.  Add butter; rub with your fingers to form fine crumbs.  Stir in currants and orange peel.  Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk.  Stir with a fork until dough holds together.  Pat dough into a ball, knead on a lightly floured board five or six turns.  Shape dough into a smooth ball and place in a greased 8 or 9 inch cake or pie pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes, then, with a sharp knife, quickly cut a cross 1/2 inch across top of scone.  Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes longer.  Serve warm.

I made the scones using Mom's alterations and the results were delicious.