A Great Pumpkin Day to You

For the record:  All but the bottom set of pumpkins were born and bred at Hickey's Pumpkin Farm over on Hickey Road.  

They spent their formative year in the fields over on that beautiful farm in 2013 until pumpkin patrons purchased them and took them home to whatever fate awaited.

Pumpkins in the bottom photo are of the Lovestead Manure Pile Variety----born and bred here just west of our barn.  That big one to the right ranks as my biggest pumpkin ever. 

I do believe it has lovely character too.  

It will be sad, after today to see them go to the great pumpkin grave yard just behind the barn.  For some reason, this year's pumpkins are suffering from a premature softness, so much so that I'm afraid that if I pick 'em up, all the meat and seeds will fall out.

Anyway, I'll harvest as much yellow meat as possible over the next few days and then take the remainder to their final resting place. 

On this Great Pumpkin Day----the day after a very special package came from Georgia via UPS---I have decided to spend some time whipping up my BEST DAMN PUMPKIN DESSERT, PERIOD! recipe. 

That decision stemmed from the special package that arrived yesterday, filled with chopped pecans, thanks to "Mrs. Love . . . I can't call you Marianne" Cherry.  

Cherry told me to enjoy my baking, so, for you, Cherry, I'll put some of those pecans to use in hopes of serving a truly decadent dessert over the weekend when we celebrate Halloween, the ZAGS first game and our dearly beloved Debbie's birthday. 

Big weekend, filled with pumpkin flavor.  

Happy Halloween to all, and for those who'd also like to try "the recipe," here ya go.  I'm thinking you use the big cans of Libby's pumpkin sauce, not the skinny ones. And, if you have pecans, substitute them for the walnuts.  That will make the dessert even more decadent. 

BEST DAMN PUMPKIN DESSERT, PERIOD!

CRUST:

1 Box of yellow cake mix (Reserve 1 cup and set aside)
Add to the cake mix 1 melted stick of butter or margarine, 1 beaten egg, and ½ cup of chopped walnuts. Mix well. Spread mixture in a 9x13 greased baking pan.

FILLING:

Mix together: 1 large can of pumpkin, 4 beaten eggs, ½ cup of brown sugar, ½ cup sugar, 2/3 cup of Evaporated milk, 2 ½ tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp of nutmeg, ¼ tsp salt. Spread the filling over the crust.

TOPPING:

Mix together until crumbly: the reserved 1 cup of cake mix, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup of walnuts, ½ stick of softened butter or margarine. Crumble the topping over the filling.

Bake @ 350 for 50-60 minutes. Cool and serve with whipped cream on top.