Kewanna Pumpkin Dip and Oops Potatoes

I was just going to call this post "Pumpkin dip" and "potato skins", but due to the change of current events, I realized that I needed to include the entire town of Kewanna in the helping of making the dip and also that sometimes when things go unplanned, it works out for the better.

You see, when you live outside of town 30 + minutes like I do, making a meal or special dish isn't always easy.  I find myself often calling the neighbors for a cup of milk, or sending Seth to raid his mom's pantry when I don't have something I need.

Tonight we are having a dinner with some family friends, and I wanted to make pumpkin dip. When I was in college, I got to go to an event with the Purdue Varsity Glee Club (they're amazing, if you are ever in Indiana in December, you have to go catch the Purdue Christmas Show, or any Glee Club show! You won't regret it!) The event was held in the fall, and the people who hosted it always had this delicious pumpkin dip that everyone would gather around until they were literally licking the remains from the bowl. So I decided to make it today to take over, but then realized I didn't have a can of pumpkin in my pantry.

So, I called up a friend to see if she wanted to run into town with me to pick up the ingredients and take her to get any last minute things before her c-section on Wednesday.  2 pedicures, manicures, 100 pound bag of dog food, and Subway sandwich later, we finally got the ingredients but not without Megan having to find half of it for me. There were two almost mental breakdowns in front of the spices when they had "apple pie spice" and "all around spice" but no "pumpkin pie" spice.  Apparently pregnancy gives you amazing eagle eye vision to find these things.

I finally got home and went to go pick up Eli when I realized that last time I went to make a dip (chocolate chip cheesecake dip...its also delicious!) that I couldn't find the beaters for my mixer.  Thankfully, my mother in law let me borrow hers so I was on my way. I got home, unloaded everything, got the baby down for his nap, and was ready to get my Martha Stewart on when I realized: I forgot the cream cheese!  Thankfully, my wonderful husband ran over to our neighbor's house and she had some to spare! Shout out to Lisa for being the best neighbor ever!

Here's the recipe:
 1 8 oz package of cream cheese softened
2 cups of confectioners sugar
1 can of pumpkin
1 tsp of frozen orange juice concentrate
1 Tbsp of ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp of pumpkin pie spice

mix the cream cheese and sugar until soft

Gradually add the pumpkin, spices, and juice concentrate

mix together and let cool in the fridge for 1 hour. serve with apples and graham crackers. enjoy!

As for the "Oops Potatoes", that is a whole different story. Seth loves potatoes and I never make them because I am still trying to lose the lovely 20 lbs of baby weight hanging on my midsection, so those pesky carbs need to go find someone else!  Anyway, I wanted to make potato skins with cream cheese and bacon bits to take over to the party as well.  Well, scooping out the potatoes turned into me breaking them apart and at one point I almost just threw all of my stupid potatoes out in the field.  Since I was taking advantage of having a mixer, I decided to just make mashed potatoes instead.  But as I started beating them, they wouldn't mix. So I added some sour cream.  That helped. Then I added milk. then ranch dressing. Then cheese. Then bacon bits.  Then since I had added so much milk they were cold, so I put them in a casserole, popped them back in the oven at 350, and took them over to the party.  I ended up getting more compliments on those damn potatoes than the pumpkin dip! People kept asking for the recipe. I felt like I earned a new farmer's wife badge to have someone actually ask me for a recipe!

Unfortunately, I don't have any cool pictures to show except for the leftover scrapings in the casserole.

It looks kinda gross in this picture, but I swear its really good!