Italian Love Cake

"All we need is love, love. Love is all you need." Couldn't we ALL use a little extra Love... Cake. :) I was looking for a yummy cake and this rich creamy, chocolaty cake was a big winner! *I have to say I was quite surprised because you pour the white ricotta mixture over the top of the chocolate cake mixture and you open the oven and it's gone. It just kind of gently sinks to the bottom. It's kind of magic. I felt like I was part of the magic somehow... maybe just because I got a nice big slice. Yep, that was it. :) Oh- and I baked it.

Italian Love Cake (allrecipes.com)

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
• 2 pints part-skim ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

1. Prepare cake mix as directed on box. Pour batter into 9 x 13 x 2 inch greased baking dish. Set aside.
2. Combine ricotta cheese, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Blend well. Spread mixture evenly over the top of the cake batter.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 75 minutes if using a glass baking dish, 90 minutes if using a metal pan.
4. Blend pudding mix and milk until thickened. Blend in whipped topping. Spread over cooled cake.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

It can't truly be autumn without some stuffed squash, right?! This was a yummy quick recipe that turned out lovely. I even sped thing up a bit by microwaving the squash to soften it up a bit.

Stuffed Squash (Kathy's Pumpkin Patch)

1 medium acorn or 2 sweet dumpling squash 1 tablespoon butter, melted 2 tablespoons brown sugar ¼ teaspoon salt, divided 1/8 teaspoon pepper ½ pound ground beef 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ¾ cup milk 1 cup Stove Top Stuffing ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese Cut squash in half; discard seeds. Place squash cut side down in an 11 in. x 7 in. x 2 in. baking pan; add ½ inch hot water. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Drain water from pan; turn squash cut side up. Brush with butter; sprinkle with brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Bake 30-40 minutes longer or until squash is tender. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook the beef over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in flour and remaining salt. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in stuffing mix. Spoon into squash halves. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 2 servings if acorn (sweet dumpling squash will stuff 4)