I am grateful that we only had 9 pumpkins for Halloween and Thanksgiving. I realize that I am expressing my gratitude in the negative and I am sorry to sound ungrateful, but I have spent the good part of this day man-handling pumpkins with a very sharp knife. Even though it’s called man-handling, trust me, these pumpkins were handled by no man.

Ms. Dorothea and I moved the pumpkins in from their decorative places, cut the pumpkins, cleaned out the stringy guts and seeds, baked the pumpkin hunks, and peeled the smoking hot pulp until we had great big piles of pumpkin.

Now you know why I am exhausted but grateful this process is half-over.

This is the cake called Pumpkin Earthquake Cake is what started it all. It is so good and you make it with fresh pumpkin if you have it. If you are wise, you will forego all the pumpkin gyrations and buy a can at your local market.

Here is the recipe: (courtesyhttp://www.flourmewithlove.com/2014/11/pumpkin-earthquake-cake.html)
1 box of white cake mix (you DO NOT need the ingredients on the box)
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
1/2 C butter
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 C powdered sugar
1 C butterscotch chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9 x 13" pan.

Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove top. Mix in the softened cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir in the butterscotch chips; set aside.
Mix the cake mix, pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree together. Pour into the prepared pan.
Spoon dollops of the cream cheese mixture onto the batter. Take a butter knife and swirl the cream cheese mixture into the batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool. Slice, serve and enjoy!

Hugs,

Diana