Happy Thanksgiving

We had our Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday at Luke & Mel's house.  For which I was very thankful.  :-)  You will see a link to their food blog in the sidebar.  Mel's parents & her granddad were there too so it was a nice not-too-big crowd.  I brought dessert - Darlene's Pumpkin Squares and an Autumn Fruit Flan.  As you can see from the photo, I had to check the squares and make sure they were safe to eat.  Yup.  Good.  I would happily eat this whole pan and not come up for air until Thursday.  Darlene is my co-aunt and shared her recipe last year (when I ate most of HER pan of squares).  I have altered the recipe a wee bit to make it (hah!!) a wee bit healthier.

Darlene's Pumpkin Squares

Ingredients:

1 - 18 ½ oz (510 gm) box yellow cake mix
½ cup butter (melted)
4 eggs
1 - 16 oz (473 ml) can pumpkin
½ cup sugar
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup carnation milk
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp nutmeg
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½ cup oatmeal
½ cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1/4 cup butter (slightly softened)
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pre-heat oven to 350* (or 325* for glass pan)

grease 13 x 9 baking pan

•    Reserve 1 cup cake mix in a small bowl.
•    Lightly beat one egg in a larger bowl and stir together with remaining cake mix, and melted butter.
•    Press into prepared pan.
•    In a large bowl blend remaining 3 eggs, pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, milk and spices.
•    Pour over cake mixture in pan.
•    To the 1 cup reserved cake mix add oatmeal, pecans, and softened butter, sprinkle on top of pumpkin layer.

Bake for 50-60 minutes.  Serve warm or cold.