The Smell of Pumpkin

Nothing quite says fall to me like the smell of pumpkin. Pumpkin candles, pumpkin pie - it just screams comfort, doesn't it? I love pumpkin seeds, displaying pumpkins, carving them. They just automatically bring a smile to my face. They immediately put me in a comfort zone, one in which I really never want to leave.

I like to display seasonal pictures around my house as I'm sure a lot of you do as well. And harvest scenes are one of my favorites. In Nunnie's Attic we sell a lot of miniature prints and pictures typically for dollhouses. But, I thought I would share an idea we got one time from a customer. She bought a few pictures to hang in her cubicle at work. Her cube consisted of 3 half-walls. She couldn't hang any pretty pictures due to the weight and she wanted to display seasonal pictures and ones of her family. We can make any picture into a miniature and frame it for you. Our prints ended up working really well for her and she was able to hang more than one in the space she was provided. Please take a minute and see what pictures we offer.

In the meantime, let me share with you one of my MOST favorite pumpkin recipes. This recipe is courtesy of Paula Deen (my idol) and is one that I have been making for years. Enjoy the fall and get out there and pick some pumpkins!!

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream. Enjoy!!