Carol - My point with the steak was simply that the USDA guidelines are supposed to be idiot proof. Since I am not an idiot, your ouija comment notwithstanding, I find myself looking at the USDA guidelines with a healthy degree of skepticism. That isn't to say I'm going to throw them out the window, simply that I'm open to alternatives. Canning with wire bail and Weck style jars is not recommended by the USDA, either - but people in Europe do it all the time - and don't die. If no one ever questions the guidelines how on earth do they ever get revised? Del

Any spice cake I've made doesn't have molasses in it. The texture in a spice cake might be kind of light for a trifle, although I haven't seen Paula Deene's recipe. One of those Stouffer's loaf pound cakes would work with a trifle or here's one that also might work: CHOCOLATE CHIP BOURBON PECAN LOAF (make the day before) 2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2 eggs 1 stick butter, softened 1/2 cup pure maple syrup 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup chocolate chips 1 cups coarsely chopped pecans 5 TBL Bourbon Preheat oven to 350°. Oil a 9" loaf pan. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Set aside. Beat the eggs, butter, syrup & sugar together with a mixer at medium speed until light & fluffy. Reduce the speed to low. Add the flour mixture & buttermilk alternately to the egg mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips, pecans & Bourbon. Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow the loaf to cool in the pan 10 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan & cool completely on a rack. Store in a sealed plastic bag or airtight container.~~Gourmet L.A.

You could make some pumpkin soup and dump some of the pumpkin butter in it. CURRIED PUMPKIN SOUP 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 Tbs. butter or margarine 2 Tbs. flour 1 tsp. curry powder (less or more to taste) 3 cups vegetable broth (can use chicken broth) 1 can (15 oz.) solid-pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) 1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk 1 Tbs. honey 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg Fresh or frozen chives or chopped green onion tops (optional) In a large saucepan, saute the mushrooms and onions in better until tender. Stir in the flour and curry powder until blended. Gradually add the broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the pumpkin, milk, honey, salt, pepper and nutmeg; heat through. Garnish with chives if desired.

A frittata is always a good breakfast dish for entertaining, since it can be served warm or at room temperature and can be made ahead of time. They're also very adaptable to whatever you have on hand. Here is my favorite recipe...I make substitutions for everything but the eggs from time to time! Vegetable & Cheese Frittata 8 eggs 2 t lemon juice (preferably Meyer)& 1 t zest (optional) Chopped fresh herbs (For mild, leafy herbs, 1 T or more but if you use rosemary, use significantly less, as it's so strong) 4 oz of cheese(s)grated or crumbled 2 green onions, chopped (or 1/3 c carmelized red onions) Minced garlic (I like garlic, so I use 4 or 5 cloves, but if cooking for folks whose tolerance I'm unsure of, I use 2) Salt & pepper olive oil A mixture of vegetables-your choice, 1 to 1 1/2 c, after precooking. 1/2 c Balsamic vinegar, simmered until reduced by half. Preheat the oven to 325. Prepare your vegetables. Most veggies will need to be at least partially precooked, both to reduce water content and to ensure tenderness, so saute them in olive oil with the garlic and some salt & pepper. Roasted red bell peppers is one of my favorites for this dish, with sauteed mushrooms or greens of some kind. Asparagus is wonderful with some oil-packed sun dried tomatoes (saute the asparagus in some of the tomato oil...yum!). Eggplant works well also, I usually brush it with oil and cook it on the grill, as it absorbs too much when sauteed...I like the eggplant coupled with the tender tips & leaves of celery hearts. As for the cheese, I like to use a combination, but it isn't necessary. I like blue with mozzarella or jack, or feta with Parmesan, but sharp cheddar is good as well. Mix all the ingredients except for the eggs & Balsamic in a bowl and mix well. Whip the eggs with a whisk until good and foamy, then pour over the other ingredients. In a 9 inch frypan with an oven proof handle, heat one T of olive oil very hot but not smoking. Turn the pan to coat it with oil, and then pour in the egg and veggie mixture. The pan should be hot enough to sear the bottom of the eggs, but then immediately move it to a low heat. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the sides begin to set up, and then finish in the oven for about 20 minutes. The frittata should be firm and turning gold on top, not brown. Use a heat proof rubber spatula to loosen the frittata in the pan, and when it is free, put a plate over it and turn over, so that the bottom of the eggs are facing up. Brush the frittata with the reduced balsamic just before serving.