Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

Every year, without fail, Melissa would choose to have this as her birthday cake. Most years our mom would make it for her, but a few times Melissa has made it for herself because she refused to have any other cake on her birthday. Other family members enjoy the cake as well but not enough to have it on their birthday too. So unfortunately, Melissa only gets this cake once a year but LOVES it every time.

2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
2 cup sugar
1 cup bran cereal
4 eggs
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 cup oil
2 cup pumpkin
1 pkg. chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together (it is a very liquid batter). Put in a greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Take cake out of oven and turn upside down on a plate or platter while it is still hot so the cake will easily come out of pan.

Nana's Date Nut Bread

Nana used to make date nut bread every Christmas. It has been one of our family traditions to eat this every year since as long as we can remember. Now that Nana has passed on our Aunt Janice makes it every year. When our aunt dies somebody else is going to have to make it or our dad will be very disappointed every Christmas.

1 pkg. pitted dates
1 c. hot water
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sugar
1 Tbl. soft butter
2 c. flour
1 c. walnuts
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg beaten
cream cheese

Cut up dates, put in bowl, add hot water and baking soda. In separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together. Beat the egg and add alternately with date mix and sugar and butter mixture. When mixed thoroughly, add nuts and vanilla.
Bake in greased pan for 1 hour at 350 degrees. When cooled remove from pan and cool on its side. Serve with cream cheese.

Aunt Janice's Carrot Cake

These recipe was a must! This is Angela's favorite cake recipe ever! She has this for her birthday cake every year. We got the recipe from our Aunt Janice. Our mom would make it for us for people's birthdays often and for family parties during the summer.

In a large bowl, sift together:

2 c flour
2 t baking soda
1 t salt

Make a well in the center and add:

1 c sugar
3 eggs
1/2 c oil
1/2 c applesauce
2 T vanilla

Blend together lightly with beater. Fold in 2 cups tightly packed grated carrots. Bake at 350 degrees. For 45 minutes.

Icing:
1 large pkg. cream cheese
1 c powdered sugar
1/4 c butter

Mix ingredients together. After cake has cooled spread over the whole cake. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top.

Nana's Fairy Pie

We have never met our Grandma Piccolo (Nana) she died before we were born. This is a recipe she would make for everyone for dessert on Christmas Day. After she died my aunt and other family members continued to use this recipe for Christmas. It was a tradition for a long time until we all decided that it was too rich and fattening to eat. We do not make this every year now but occasionally make it to simply remember Nana.

MOM'S FAIRY PIE

1 c butter

1 c. sugar

8 eggs

1 1/3 c. flour

2 c. sugar

2 tsp. b. power

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. milk

1/2 pint whipping cream

nuts

Cream butter and sugar; add 8 egg yolks beaten lightly. Add flour, b. powder

and milk. Divide mix into two round pans which have been greased and floured.

Beat 8 egg whites, add sugar and vanilla. Divide this into the two pans.

Cover with crushed nuts. Bate 25 mins. in 350 oven.

When cool, remove one from pan by putting upside down on large plate. Spread

whipped cream on it. Then add other half of pie/cake on top. Refrigerate