Barbara McClellan

It’s started. For many years I have referred to the time between Halloween and the Super Bowl as the marathon of cooking and eating. This time period of about three months involves many special days and events — patriotic, religious and sports.

Perhaps I’d better not ask which ranks uppermost in importance for some. You know without my telling you that food is vital to every one of these special times. You and your family and friends no doubt have special traditions that have varied very little over the years.

Even when our families implode and the children leave the nest to go out to create their own families, many times some of the favorite customs are taken along. I admire, and probably envy, the families who are able to gather for many or most of these special times.

Sometimes distance or physical situations make it impossible for families and friends to celebrate together. If you can gather your flock together for special times, large and small, count yourself blessed. It takes effort, but these efforts pay off in beautiful memories being made.

It just seems necessary to bring pumpkin recipes to the forefront when fall finally gets here. My family never had many pumpkin dishes (pie or otherwise), so we never added those to our dessert table. I think my mother did not like pumpkin, or maybe her mother did not.

We girls (and guys, too, I think), very often cook for our families the way we were brought up. However, as I “mature,” I have learned to appreciate many things we did not have regularly.

In long ago days, I only remember pumpkin being used in pumpkin pies. I am sharing an easy pumpkin cake with you today.

I love to hear that some of you use my recipes, either from my cookbooks or from the column.

Martha Rutherford, who I have said for decades is one of Longview’s finest cooks, reminded me of this (or one like it) that a friend made recently and brought to Martha’s for a gathering.

Martha Dalby, one of the hard-working Texas Shakespeare Festival volunteers, said it was one of my recipes. This might not be the exact one.

Easy Pumpkin Poundcake

1 box (15 ounces) spice, yellow, or pumpkin cake mix

1/2 cup sugar

1 can (15 ounces) can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup water

4 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a tube or Bundt pan very thoroughly with pan spray. Place all ingredients in electric mixer bowl, and blend for about 1 minute. Scrape sides, and mix for 2 minutes.

Pour into prepared pan, and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until tests done with toothpick stuck in middle of cake (toothpick should come out clean.) Let cool in pan for 10 min. Remove to cake plate.

Frosting (if desired)

4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temp.

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients with electric mixer and spread on cooled cake.

I try to keep crunchie/munchies around that have a semblance of nutrition.

My “go-to” that I keep on hand for us and for a couple of friends who agree that it’s “passable” though not the “real” Texas Trash is easy. Don’t tell anyone who makes wonderful “Trash” like my friend, Chris Folzenlogen, how lazy I am.

Throw It Together Texas Trash

1 pkg. (8 ounces) Chex Mix (any flavor)

1 1/2 cups Chex cereal (I prefer corn or rice)

1 cup mixed nuts

Just mix and eat.