Shaun, there's a pumpkin shortage here too, I didn't realize it until a few months ago when I tried to buy canned pumpkin and it was nowhere to be found. Sure enough, checking around resulted in my finding that there was a shortage, the Midwest lost most of the pumpkin crop (and a lot of other crops) due to the flooding last fall. However, harvest of this year's crop should start any time and pumpkin will be back on the shelves, hopefully. My pumpkins did OK, last year, I've been wishing I'd have cnaned some, I sure will this year. I did find out, however, that my overflow of butternut squash takes the place of pumpkin pretty well. It's a bit milder, but still good in pie and bread, and probably, in whoopie pies. Now, winter squash didn't do all that well either, but if you can find that instead... Annie

Pumpkin Roll 3 eggs 1 c sugar 3/4 c flour 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ginger 1/2tsp nutmeg 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2/3 c canned pumpkin 8 oz chopped walnuts Grease jelly roll pan and line with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350�. In large bowl, beat eggs for 5 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beat until light. Mix in flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, soda, salt and pumpkin, blend well. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with nuts. Bake 15 minutes. Turn out onto clean kitchen towel, and roll up into towel. Cool. Frosting: 6 oz cream cheese 1 c powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla 2 T butter Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Unroll cooled cake, remove towel, spread with frosting and roll back up. Chill well, slice to serve. Hearty Pork Stew with Squash Source: Penzey�s 2/09 1\-1/2 lb boneless pork loin roast, trimmed and cubed (I used boneless chops) 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4" slices 1 medium onion, chopped 2 c peeld parsnips, cubed 1\-1/2 c butternut squash, peeled & cubed 4 c chicken broth 1 T fresh sage or 1 tsp dried 2 tsp fresh thyme or 3/4 tsp dried 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 3 T flour 3 T butter, softened In 4\-5 quart slow cooker, mix the pork and remaining ingredients except flour and butter. Cover and cook on low 6\-7 hours. OR... place in a covered pot in the oven at 350F for 2 hours. In a small bowl, mix together the flour and butter. Gradually stir into stew until blended. Increase setting to high or return to oven. Cover and cook 30 minutes longer, stirring occasionally until thickened. 6 servings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake source: Betty Crocker For the crust: 2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted For the filling: 4 pkgs. 8 oz. each cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 cup canned pumkin not pumpkin pie mix 1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg Heat your oven to 300 degrees. Grease a 9 inch springform pan with shortening or cooking spray. Wrap foil around the pan to catch drips. In a small bowl, mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press crumb mixture in bottom and 1 inch up sides of pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or till set. Cool 5 minutes. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with mixer on medium speed just till smooth and creamy, do not overbeat. On low speed, gradually beat in sugar. On low speed, beat in eggs, one at a time, just till blended. Spoon 3 cups of cream cheese mixture into pan over crust. Spread evenly. Stir pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg into remaining cream cheese mixture; mix with wire whisk until smooth.Spoon over top of mixture in pan. Bake 1 hour and 25 minutes to 1 and a half hours or till edges are set but the center jiggles slightly when moved. Turn off oven; open door at least 4 inches. Leave cheesecake in oven for 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven; place on wire rack to cool. Without releasing side of pan, run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen the cheesecake. Cool in pan on wire rack 30 minutes. Cover loosely, refrigerate at least 6 hours but no longer than 24 hours. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake again, carefully remove side of pan. Place cheesecake on a serving platter. Store cheesecake covered in fridge. Linda

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies My group loves this recipe and it might work for TG with the pumpkin and all. Posted by caliloo (My Page) on Thu, Oct 4, 07 at 5:16 These were a huge hit with the kids & adults last year so I thought I would put the recipe up again for anyone who may have missed it the first time around. I made mine a little smaller and ended up with about 2 dozen. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (not just for the kids) Cookie Cake Ingredients: 2 egg yolks 2c brown sugar 1c vegetable oil 2c cooked pumpkin (or 1-15 oz can) 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. ginger 1 tsp cloves 1 tsp cinnamon 3c flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt Beat egg yolks, brown sugar and oil together, add pumpkin and vanilla and beat until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Cool on cookie rack. Mix filling ingredients and fill cookies like a sandwich. Makes about 18 pies. Filling Ingredients: 1/2c butter 4 oz. marshmallow fluff 8 oz. cream cheese 1/2 tsp cinnamon 2 1/2c powdered sugar 1/2 tsp nutmeg David

I was in a really big national chain grocery today. There was a little "Fall" display with mostly flowering plants of the mumish flavor and little pumpkins and gourds for decorating with. One jack-o-lantern type pumpkin another that might be a cheese--both more part for the decor than in the baskets for sale--and some pie pumpkins. A faint waft of that pie spice thing. In all, however, it looked appropriate enough for nearly 90°. :) I was admiring the restraint. :D