Orange Fruit Dip

1 pkg (8 oz.) package cream cheese

2  teaspoons orange zest 

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (just use some juice from the the orange that you zested)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

1   (7oz.) jar marshallow cream

Beat cream cheese, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla, and salt until smooth and creamy.  Add marshallow cream and beat until combined. 

Rhubarb Crisp

If you are new to the wonderful and extremely tart vegetable called rhubarb, this is the perfect recipe to introduce this flavor to your palette. Rhubarb is a vegetable that is somewhat similar in look (and look alone) to celery. It is a tall, skinny stalk that is usually green and/or red. It is super tart and unless you sweeten it with sugar, it will make your lips pucker and eyeballs water. I personally love it raw and can eat it straight out of the garden, but other than my family, I've never met anyone else that likes it that way!

Now, on to the delicious recipe! Which, FYI, I usually double the crisp part (only 1.5 the butter) because I like that crisp to rhubarb ratio better.

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups oats

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup melted butter

5 cups diced rhubarb

1.5 cups sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

Mix the first 4 ingredients together. Mix in melted butter. (I usually just dig in with my hands to make sure it all gets incorporated.) Layer half of this mixture in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan, then cover with rhubarb.

In a small sauce pan, bring sugar, cornstarch and water to a boil. Boil until liquid thickens and turns clear. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour this mixture over the rhubarb, then sprinkle the remaining crisp over the top. 

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes.

Serve warm (or straight out of the oven) with vanilla ice cream!

Pumpkin Puree

Despite temps hovering near 100 degrees here in Arizona, it is Fall and I am making the most of it. We run our AC low and I still serve soup for dinner. Ü Today I woke up in the mood for something pumpkin (Mmmm, I love pumpkin!) and I decided to whip up a batch of Kim's pumpkin bars. I never used canned pumpkin and instead make my own pumpkin puree using Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond's super easy method.

I've seen several variations on how to roast and puree pumpkin. Some involve water, or roasting at a higher temperature, or even a lower temperature for a really long amount of time. Ree's directions are simple and easy and I haven't had a bad batch yet! Check out her site for a picture tutorial, but here are the basics...

* Cut the top off of a pie pumpkin
* Cut the pumpkin in half
* Scrape the seeds and strings out of the middle
* Cut in quarters
* Lay quarters on a baking sheet, cut sides up
* Roast in a 350* oven for 45 minutes
* Remove skin
* Throw in the food processor
* Freeze puree or use to make whatever fall yummies you would like