Pumpkin & Pears

I have been canning pears and baking with pumpkin. In the wake of Hallowe'en, I have had two pumpkin or related squash to bake and keep (refrigerated or frozen) for baking. Yesterday, I made these:

Pumpkin Cake (or bars)

4 eggs
1 & 2/3 cups brown sugar (or white, or a blend, but I will use all brown next time)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 pound creamed pumpkin

Mix until smooth and bubbly in an electric mixer.

2 cups all purpose flour, scant or sifted
1/2 c thick oats
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground clove
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Combine and blend dry ingredients, then gradually sprinkle over pumpkin mixture and blend. When beaten thoroughly, pour into 9x13 baking pan (greased) and bake for 30 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 cup butter

Blend together until even with an electric mixer.

2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Add to cream cheese and butter, then mix until even. Spread when cake is cooled completely.

* Taken mostly from a magazine recipe card without identifying features. That recipe uses 15 oz of pumpkin (a can), all white sugar, and lacks nutmeg, clove, and oats.

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I am still trying to figure out canning fruit. I want to make fruit spread (just fruit, maybe some fruit juice or pectin, but little or no sugar), but my preserves are too wet or have too little pectin. Such work takes some expertise that I wish to obtain.

Soon--later today--I will write some film reviews and some other comments. I know that I have not been writing in here the way I would have hoped to do. Mostly, my mind meanders about the duty of filling out graduate school applications. More later.