Back to School

Two weeks ago we headed back to school.  Just to give you an update on our educational status:  Craig is working on his PhD and hopes to be done in the next two years (fingers crossed) and Andrea is currently doing an internship at the Utah County Health Department with the chronic disease programs that are part of the health promotion department.  Andrea is also taking a class on campus as well as TAing (if that's even a word) for the Health Science Department's Program Planning class taught by Dr. Brad Neiger.  She has the chance to work for one of the best professors on campus and is enjoying it very much!

Here's a pic of Craig on his first day of school with his bike:

With the start of school came cooler weather.  Every time around this part of the year I begin craving fall food and fall smells.  Now I don't mean the actual smells of fall like the rotting leaves and the rotting vegetables left over in the garden.  I'm talking about hearty soups, the smell of pumpkin, and the aroma of cinnamon wafting from kitchens, candles, and wallflowers.  So, when Craig informed me that we needed to bring a dessert to a work party this week, I jumped at the chance to test a new fall recipe.  This recipe was given to me by my friend Cathy Busby over a year ago, but I had yet to get around to trying it.  If I remember right, it's her mom's recipe.  The recipe is for a pumpkin roll.  Maybe I made it wrong, but it was unlike the other pumpkin rolls I have devoured in the past.  It was delicious and disappeared quickly at the party we attended, so don't let my previous comment discourage you from trying this one at home; it's just a different version.  It came together quite easily and I hope you and your family can enjoy it as much as we did.  Happy Fall!

Cathy's Mom's Pumpkin Roll

 Ingredients

3 Eggs
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2/3 Cup Pumpkin

3/4 Cup Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

8 ounces Cream Cheese
1 Cup Powdered Sugar (I used a bit more)
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Directions
Mix together the eggs, granulated sugar, & pumpkin.  Add the flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Spread evenly onto a long cookie sheet lined with wax paper.  Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.  Invert on to a dish towel.  Remove paper.  Roll long way, towel and all.  Cool completely, about 15 minutes.  While cooling, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in a bowl to be used for the filling.  Unroll, spread filling to all corners of the cake, re-roll, and refrigerate.  Enjoy!

*Personal Notes:  I used a jelly roll pan (1/2 sheet cake).  Also, if I were to do this again, I would try using parchment paper instead of wax paper because the wax paper left a residue on my pan.