Simply Fond of Fall!!

Don't you just love the change of seasons? I am constantly amazed at all the beauty God has surrounded us with! I also really enjoy looking at how people respond to the seasons in their landscape, home decorations inside and out...I find it all so inspiring! The foods of the seasons are tantalizing as well. I think I might have to try this one...how beautiful...you just want to grab a fork and dig in!! I've included the recipe for those of you who would like to try it, too!



Yield
12 servings
Ingredients:

1 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) pumpkin*
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted and divided
2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 (16-ounce) raisin bread loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
Lemon-Vanilla Sauce
Preparation:

Cut off top of pumpkin, reserving lid with stem. Scoop out pumpkin seeds and pulp, and reserve for another use. Brush inside of pumpkin shell with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Top with lid.
Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.
Brush inside of baked pumpkin shell with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
Stir together eggs and next 6 ingredients; spoon pudding mixture into a lightly greased 8-inch square pan.
Bake pumpkin and bread pudding at 350° for 25 minutes. Let pumpkin cool; spoon bread pudding evenly into pumpkin shell. Serve with Lemon-Vanilla Sauce.
Note: For individual servings, substitute 12 (1/2-pound) pumpkins. Scoop out seeds and pulp; sprinkle each pumpkin shell with 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon sugar, and bake with the bread pudding. (Do not prebake as with the larger pumpkin.) Spoon bread pudding evenly into baked pumpkin shells.


Very creative pumpkin topiary




I found this little beauty browsing "pumpkins" online. I may just have to make it and add it to my pumpkin collection!!

Aren't these adorable? May have to add them to Nana's play box!

They both came from this web site. I like a lot of their things!

http://www.colonialcrafts.com/item/_I_N_/19021

Check out my new Fly Lady widget! She'll help us control our clutter and keep our homes organized!

Her website is http://www.flylady.com/