Besides Halloween itself, my favorite part of Fall is the abundance of pumpkin everywhere. Coffee creamer, ice cream, recipes of all sorts, even bath products…. I’m a woman obsessed (and I’m not the only one - Hi Mel!). Today, in honor of my birthday, I’m making Harvest Pumpkin-Spice Bars with Cream Cheese Icing. I found the recipe in a book I bought last year at a checkout… Betty Crocker Fall Baking or something like that. You know, one of those little mini-magazines. Anyway, they’re in the oven right now and the house smells SO good! I’ll have to post an image of them later if they turn out. Also, I decided that I want ham for my birthday. So instead of going out to eat again, I’m cooking my birthday meal! It’s all good though, because I really love to cook. I’ll be making a small ham, mashed potatoes, corn, rolls and maybe another veggie. Yum!

Because I just had to try this dessert. These are the Harvest Pumpkin-Spice Bars I found in that mini-magazine last year. The cake is so moist, with just the right amount of spice. It caved a bit along the center (all my cakes do, not sure why), so the icing part was a little tricky. The recipe called for raisins and nuts, but I don’t like either so I left them out. Still turned out so yummy, even John liked it and he’s a picky eater. I will definitely be making this again!

Speaking of my birthday… kind of odd. I haven’t spoken to my dad since Easter (short story- he and my mom are separated, and my dad is very much the “victim”... feel sorry for me, nobody loves me, blah, blah, whatever). Anyway, he actually called and asked if he could take us out to eat so I put my anger aside and we went. It was good to see him. John bought me the newest season of How I Met Your Mother on DVD, some Andes mints (love those!) and treated me to a Peppermint Mocha at Starbucks for dessert after we ate. My mom is supposed to be taking me out to eat on Friday, so all in all, pretty good birthday. I’d rather eat than get actual gifts anyway!