Honoring World War II with the Pumpkin

Celebrate the Victory gardens of World War II and my novella, “Only Forever” in the historical romance collection Homefront Heroines and a tasty pumpkin bread recipe with a secret filling, passed down to me by my aunt. It became a tradition in the Bliss house to receive a still warm and fragrant loaf every Christmas when we came visiting and remains a treasured memory of the past.

Pumpkin Swirl Bread

1 8oz cream cheese, softened, combined with ¼ cup sugar and 1 beaten egg, set aside

1 ¾ cup flour

1 ½ cups sugar

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

1 cup pumpkin

½ cup melted margarine (I like butter)

1 egg beaten

1/3 cup water

Combine pumpkin, melted margarine, egg, and water. Mix together dry ingredients, mix with wet ingredients.

Reserve two cups of batter. Pour the remaining batter into a greased and floured large loaf pan.

Pour cream cheese mixture over the batter. Pour the remaining two cups of batter over the cream cheese filling.

Bake at 350 for 70 minutes – or until toothpick comes out clean.

Homefront Heroines – from Barbour Publishing in January 2020. Preorder

Join the Facebook group celebrating the heroines and their loved ones during World War II!

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Valentine Treat - Decadent Chocolate Cake and Icing, of course!

What is Valentine's Day without the treat of all treats, CHOCOLATE! Although this photo, courtesy of Ifood, also shares in the second best dessert to have alongside the chocolate cake, a bowl of French vanilla ice cream. The best of both worlds!

I have a delectable chocolate fudge cake recipe that I'd like to share in honor of the day of love and chocolate. Bon appetit.



Decadent Chocolate Cake

1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1 stick of margarine or butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease one 9 inch cake pan. In a saucepan, combine corn syrup, and butter, bring to just a boil over medium heat. Stir in chocolate morsels. Remove from heat.
In medium bowl, combine sugar, eggs, and vanilla, stir in chocolate mixture.
In another bowl, combine flour and nuts, add to chocolate mixture
Pour batter into cake pan. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Turn cake out of pan and cool completely.

Glaze
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 teaspoons whipping cream

In a saucepan melt chocolate, corn syrup, and butter over low heat. Stir in cream. Pour glaze over cooled cake.
  

Have Your Cake from a Can and Eat It, Too!

Good Cooking Recipe of the Month #2

This is a recipe passed down on my mom's side of the family. I believe it came from her grandmother. It's always been one of our family's favorites, even if one of the ingredients seems rather strange. I never tell anyone what's in it until they eat the first few bites. What they don't know won't hurt them in the least. But it's a scrumptious cake, and a nice touch on those chilly days. If you make it, let me know what you think. 

"Spice Cake from a Can"

(Otherwise known as Tomato Soup Cake)

 

½ cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 can tomato soup

1 ½ cups flour

1 tsp baking soda dissolved in I Tbsp hot water

½ tsp salt

1 tsp each nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, allspice

1 cup raisins

1 cup walnuts

confectioners sugar

Mix shortening, sugar and soup. Add dry ingredients, mix thoroughly. Add raisins and walnuts. Pour into greased and floured 9x9 pan. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. Test with toothpick for doneness. When cool sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

A Pot Roast Kind of Day

Good Cooking Recipe of the Month #1

(I decided it might be nice to cook up something new, like a recipe of the month, born out of my journey that day. Here's #1)

Today I awoke to a raw, rainy day, ready to take several hikers who had stayed with us up to Shenandoah National Park so they could continue their hike of the Appalachian Trail that runs the length of the park. When I arrived at the entrance station, the ranger there told us, "Just to let you know, it's snowing up there in Big Meadows. Be careful."

Snow? On October third? It couldn't be. But sure enough, as I drove along the Skyline Drive, flakes of snow drifted down from the skies. It soon gathered on leaves barely showing their autumn colors, weighing down branches and then began collecting on the road. I delivered the hikers to their destination and thought, have we gone from summer to winter and bypassed fall?

On the way home I stopped off at the market and there happened upon a nice chuck roast on sale, approx 2 1/2 lbs. With the cold day and thoughts of snow lingering in the back of my mind, this piece of meat brought to the forefront a nice pot roast dish. And I know I will score as its one of my hubby's favorites.

Once home, out came the small roasting pan and cover. I salt and peppered the meat and browned it in a little canola oil on both sides. I then added a can of beef broth, covered it, and tucked the pan in an oven at 350 degrees to let it slow roast over several hours.

I then began peeling carrots and potatoes. I peeled some whole onions and cut up several stalks of celery. Into the pot went the nice assortment of veggies to cook another two hours, soaking up the flavorful broth.

Wahla. Out comes the pot roast, its aroma filling the house, putting to rest the discomfort at the thought of frosty, bone chilling mornings and instead, making me hope for more days like this when the house is filled with warmth and the inviting aroma  of another deliciously cooked meal. I thickened the broth into a nice gravy to serve over the meat. A perfect dish to welcome fall, even if there was a taste of winter thrown in for good measure.

Servings - depending on the amount of veggies you throw in: 4-6 servigns