Pumpkin Pie Crunch ...p111

There in my cabinet loomed a large can of pumpkin yet unused from Thanksgiving.  This was the motivation I needed to make an almost unheard of treat in our home barring the holidays - dessert.

Except for slicing two sticks of butter

and chopping pecans with my favorite Uli knife,

this was a very simple "cake" to make - much like a dump cake (a term that causes my kids to squirm and question what the heck the ingredients are, while I pray that Nana doesn't mutter her favorite word during our exchange!)

But, of course, why would she with this wonderful variation on the pumpkin theme - pie or cake, whatever you call it, it's a rich, delightful dessert that will feed a crowd.

 

  

Not sure why - maybe my oven's off, or maybe the humidity was too high, but the 50 min. of cooking I anticipated turned into 1 hr. 30 min before my knife came out clean.....  Make it ahead if you don't wanna keep them waiting ;-) 

Hardy Appetit!

Baked Orange Roughy ...p51

I'll tell you what, I don't miss the West Coast "nuts" (okay my friends, you know I'm kidding), but I sure do miss its fish.  You'd think fresh fish would be plentiful here on the gulf coast, but my little town has little to offer in that category without an hour long foray.  I am so jealous of my Alaska family!  Send me some salmon, will ya?

"Orange Roughy" is a strange name for a fish, conjuring up images of a rough textured bully, so I found it interesting Wiki reading that it is the largest member of the "slimehead" family.....  Not quite the same visual.  I also felt bad for eating this poor fish as it can actually live to be 149 years old.  Tricia, with her usual blunt questioning, asked, "now how do they KNOW that?"  Sheez, they've obviously been tagging them for that long, eh?

In all seriousness, this recipe brought oohs and aahs from the family and yet was so simple to make.  I even found the fish - fresh - close to home and very reasonably priced.

 

Delicate and mild, this white fish melts in your mouth.  Creamed spinach, saffron rice and fresh asparagus added a nice variety to the meal. 

Hardy Appetit!