The sisters are coming, the sisters are coming....again

Each year my Otterbein sisters get together for an afternoon of pleasure.  Each person brings a salad and along with these delectable dishes is a bunch of catching up.  Andy and I hosted it last year and we have volunteered to do it again this fall on the 24th of September.  We are inviting the husbands this year since they now do most of the driving.  Andy will have a good time chatting with the guys.  I am not supposed to make anything....like that is going to happen.  I am told I could buy dinner rolls if I wish, but that's it. LOL

Last year there were ten or twelve of us which is a rather large crowd coming from all over the country.  Everyone is so busy one never can figure a good time for everyone to get here easily.

Today is the first OSU home game and some Cincinnati relatives are coming for the day and night.  We are going to have a bite to eat before they leave here for the band show.  Andy is chomping at the bit because our band director was fired, unfortunately, and he thinks there will be some shenanigans going on at the skull session, so he wants to be front and center on that. My menu got bigger than I wanted it too: corned beef with potatoes and carrots, chicken/noodles,and the oxtail pasta dish, (carbs, carbs, carbs) sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, kale salad (my first) and the number one poke cake for dessert. After the band session four will come home (the rest go to the game) and seven of us will watch the game and have take out Chinese; I'm done cooking. (OSU lost it's first opener in years. Andy's bummed.)

I am in the mood for pumpkin something something.  I found this recipe on the English Kitchen blog.  I think I will give this a try.  She is not English, but lives in England and the English have the best old fashioned baked items: sticky buns come to mind, but their best seem to be the dense loaf cakes and breads.

*Cinderella's Pumpkin Cake*

Makes 16 servings  

Printable Recipe  

This is a wonderfully moist and delicious pumpkin cake.  Nicely spiced and iced!  

For the cake:

380g of sugar (2 cups)

4 large free range eggs

225ml of sunflower oil (1 cup)

280g of plain flour (2 cups)

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

400g of pumpkin puree (1 15-oz tin)

1 tsp vanilla  

For the icing:

115g of cream cheese (4 ounces)

115g of butter, softened (1/2 cup)

225g of icing sugar, sifted (2 cups)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon extract

fudge bits to decorate

   

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.   Butter and lightly dust a 9 inch bundt pan with flour, shaking out any excess.  Set aside.

Beat the sugar and eggs together until light.   Beat in the oil.  Sift together the dry ingredients.   Add to the egg mixture, combining it well.  Stir in the pumpkin, combining it in well.  Turn into the prepared baking tin, smoothing over the top.

Bake for 55 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.   Allow to set in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Once it is completely cool, froze with the icing and decorate with the fudge bits.

To make the icing blend together all of the ingredients until smooth and creamy.   You may need to add more sugar.  I often do.   Frost the cake and sprinkle on the fudge bits before the icing sets. (English Kitchen's blog picture and recipe) Thank you.

Ina Garten's  no cook GAZPACHO FOR A CROWD.  We have a bounty of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, herbs and what ever it takes to turn this soup out for company.

GAZPACHO FOR A CROWD!! This is the ultimate no-cook tomato soup – chop up tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, red onion and garlic in a food processor or blender and whisk in olive oil and vinegar. It’s a fresh salad in a bowl. I am going to add some Mr. and Mrs. T's bloody Mary mix and some hot sauce.