A New Twist on Pumpkin Pie

Now this is one you have to try!  A friend brought this to my home for dinner recently.  I had never heard of a pumpkin pie with a cream cheese layer.  It was divine!  It is a recipe handed down in her family for generations.

Cream cheese bottom layer:

12 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs


Pumpkin top layer:

just under 2 cups of canned pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
a dash of salt
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
3 eggs

Use a generous sized pie pan and preheat oven to 359.

Combine all cream cheese layer ingredients and mix until well blended.  Pour into the bottom of the pie shell.

Combine remaining ingredients and mix well.  Pour slowly over the cream cheese layer to avoid marbling.

Bake for 65 to 70 minutes.

French Toast

This morning I had French Toast for breakfast.  Not the fancy, gourmet recipes for French Toast prevalent today.  I made them the way I grew up eating them for breakfast!

Here is the "real" French Toast recipe!

whole wheat sandwich bread
a mixture of raw eggs and milk
cinnamon

For one person, use 2 slices of bread.  Heat a cast iron skillet over medium to high heat and coat with butter.

Let bread soak in the milk and egg mixture for a minute or two.  Then place in heated skillet.  Sprinkle top of each side of the bread with cinnamon.

Cook about 3 minutes per side.  Serve with maple syrup.