Megan's Homemade Apple Sauce

When I was a little girl growing up in Massachusetts, Fall was my absolute favorite time of year. We would go to "The Big Apple" orchard in Wrentham and pick bushels of apples, get candy and caramel apples. This was always a big treat for me and my brother. they also made cider and applesauce. Ok, so I usually hate the texture of applesauce, but this one is a little chunkier and just yummy. This brings me back...

INGREDIENTS
4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher.

Pumpkin Roll

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I love when people share recipes with me. I sent an email out to some friends and family asking for favorite fall recipes. This pumpkin roll is from Trisha, one of the nurses who works with my dad. Trisha and her husband are now empty nesters, but they know how to have fun!

Thanks for the great recipe Trisha!

Pumpkin Roll
For the cake:
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans

For the filling:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons margarine
1/2 teaspon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and lemon juice. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir until well blended. Line a 10 1/2" by 15" cookie sheet with parchment paper, trimming excess. Pour the batter onto the cookie sheet, spread evenly. Sprinke with pecans. Bake 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Prepare a linen towel heavily sprinkled with powdered sugar. After baking, turn the cookie sheet onto the towel, parchment paper side up. The cake should slide out onto the towel. Remove paper and roll up the cake into the towel. Cool 30-40 minutes. For the filling, stir together the powdered sugar, cream cheese, margarine and vanilla. Mix well. After the roll has cooled, unroll it and spread the filling evenly. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and slice.

Pumpkin Cobbler

I asked some of my friends to share their favorite fall recipes with me. This one comes from Val in Tampa. Val and her family lived in Italy when we did. (Val made me my first apron when I was a little girl) Val got this recipe from her daughter-in-law’s aunt Karen. She loves it because it is very simple but delicious and it is also a fun dessert to make with kids! (These cuties are Val's grandsons)
I know Matt would love this one, he is a huge pumpkin fan.

1 large can pumpkin
1 13 oz can evaporated milk
4 eggs
2 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice
1 yellow cake mix
2 sticks butter or margarine

Mix first 4 ingredients. Pour into 13 x 9 x 2” pan. Sprinkle with dry cake mix.
Pour melted butter on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr. 15 min. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.