Zuppa Toscano

Tuscan Soup, if you don't speak Italian. This is perfect for a cold night. If you opt for hot Italian sausage, omit or go really easy on the seasonings or it might be too spicy (especially if you have a husband like mine). Also, I usually only put about half as much cream as it calls for and think it is still yummy.

1 12-16 oz pkg pork sausage or hot Italian sausage
1 medium onion
2 cups chopped collard greens (optional)
64 oz chicken broth
1 T. garlic
6 russet potatoes
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 pint heavy cream or half and half
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot cook sausage, onion, and garlic. Fry until sausage is cooked. Break up sausage while cooking. When browned, drain fat. Add chicken broth, potatoes, and seasoning. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and add cream. Heat through. Add collard greens just before serving.

Pumpkin Roll

This is my absolute favorite Thanksgiving dessert, and that's saying a lot because I LOVE pie. The instructions make it seem kind of tricky, but it's really not--don't let all the steps scare you off.

Ingredients:

CAKE
1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
FILLING
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Directions:FOR CAKE:PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar. COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts. BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack. FOR FILLING:BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Some tips I've learned:

Pam with flour (especially for baking) or baker's joy cooking spray work even better than greasing and flouring and they're much easier. (don't use only regular pam, though--I've had trouble with the cake sticking.)

Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

And most importantly: DO NOT use generic brand cream cheese. Only Philadelphia. Now I'm not above skimping and using generic brands of some items, but generic cream cheese absolutely ruins this dessert!! It makes the filling gluey instead of that nice, flaky, and dense mixture you want. I promise it's worth the extra money!

Also, I never use the nuts. I'm sure they'd be yummy, but I love nuts and my family hates nuts, hence I don't add them. I already eat most of the roll anyway, why set myself for disaster if I'm the only one eating it???