Cornucopia Treat!

These mini cornucopias are lots of fun for children to make for Thanksgiving. I've been making them for 14 years! These are the 3 ingredients you need and then just top the bugle off with a little frosting and dip in Fruity Pebbles! Cornucopia: A symbol of food and abundance dating back to the 5th century. In North America it has become associated with Thanksgiving and harvest.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

I make this every Thanksgiving. It is the Kraftfoods recipe tweaked in a "Jamie" way.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

2 cups finely crushed Keebler Sandies cookies (or more, I'm not good at measuring) The original recipe called for Ginger snap cookies mixed with pecans, but it was too rich, so the Sandies make it a little less rich.

6 Tbsp butter, melted

3 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar, divided

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

dash of cloves

Mix crushed cookies with melted butter and press onto bottom and 2 inches up side of 9-inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer, until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the plain batter. Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin and spices onto remaining batter. Spoon 1/2 of the pumpkin batter over crust, top with spoonfuls of the 1/2 of the reserved plain batter. Repeat layers. Cut through batters with knife several times for marble effect.

Bake at 325 degrees for 55 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator. Makes 12 servings.

Company Salad

Sorry no picture for this one, I hope to update this with a picture after the holidays! This recipe is actually all about the dressing, the salad can be anything you like, although I will tell you what I almost always use. My sister in law gave me this recipe and she said her mother always made this dressing when they had company so it was called "Company Salad". Now, every year at my husband's Christmas party, his employees request this salad, so it has become our own "Company Salad"!

Company Salad Dressing

3 to one oil/lemon juice

(I usually make 3/4 cup oil/1/4 cup lemon juice)

1 tsp mint

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp oregano

2 tsp parsley

pepper to taste

Mix together.

I toss this with red leaf/green leaf lettuce or Romaine mix with lettuce added.

Top with large black olives and croutons. (I use homemade bread crumbs/croutons)

Homemade Croutons

12-15 slices bread (whole wheat is best but it doesn't matter)

1/2 cup butter (or more)

garlic salt

Remove crusts, brush both sides with butter, sprinkle with garlic salt and cut into chunks.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Lazy Cheesecake Salad

This salad is one of my favorite "fruit" salads. It is really more of a dessert but does pass as a fruit salad! It's bright colors of red and white are festive for just about any special day!

It's always a hit with kids and adults alike!

Lazy Cheesecake Salad

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

8 oz Cool Whip

8 oz sour cream

1 can pie filling (strawberry or cherry)

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding (dry)

1/4-1/2 cup milk

Mix all together and top with pie filling. *My mom adds graham crackers, I don't. Do what you want. She's also tried lemon filling on top and put strawberry pie filling layered with it. (I only like the recipe I posted, which is why I posted it!)

**I also double this recipe to get a big bowl of it, like is pictured.