PUMPKINS, STITCHING AND NERVES

Here it is, Saturday afternoon, and 4 hours to game time. We play Mississippi State at 6:45 PM, and I'm not really feeling warm and fuzzy. I've changed my stitching piece several times while sitting here watching Georgia and Auburn. Michael is at the game but we're here with colds and with some heavy music on Sunday. We're just going to get well and get ready for the Big One on the 29th. So here I am with my greatest consolation-my computer.

Thought I'd throw in a recipe. It's one of my favorites and I sometimes give them as presents at Christmas. It's a good substitution for those who don't like Pumpkin Pie. It is good served warm with a little vanilla ice cream.

PUMPKIN CAKE

1C. butter, softened

3 C. sugar

5 lge. eggs

3 C. AP flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/8 tsp. apple pie spice

2 C. cooked (or canned) pumpkin

1/3 C. rum

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour a tube (or bundt) pan.Beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until yellow disappears. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and apple pie spice. Combine pumpkin and rum. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix at lowest speed until just blended after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bak for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until done. Cool cake on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan.

For those of you who prefer to omit the rum, I'm not sure what you can substitute. Apple juice? Orange juice? Rum extract won't work because liquid is needed.

Here's a fun site I found when looking for a picture: http://www.pumpkin-patch.com/

Picture from http://www.superbakes.com/