Butternut Squash Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

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Butternut Squash Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Butternut Squash Cake

Transformations take place within us every day. Most are so small they are unnoticeable, making tiny changes that move us forward in subtle ways. The large transformations are the moments we don't expect, moments that burst through our minds and our hearts, stealing the air in our lungs with sudden awareness and understanding of ourselves.

Transformations like the moment I realized I was capable of falling in love, as I stood on the Rialto Bridge in Venice, holding hands with a boy and overlooking the dark, moonlit water. The moment I realized a fierce independence lay inside me, as I cut through rough waves, grasping tightly onto a windsurfing board. The moment I realized I could write my own future, as I sat in an uncomfortable office chair, blinking at a bright computer screen full of numbers and symbols.

Transformations move mountains within our souls.

Butternut Squash Cake

Books are one of the few ways to live a thousand different lifetimes. Each story I hear, whether read or told, opens a window into a new domain of different perspectives on myself and others. Books have the power to change me in both the small and big ways.

When I first encountered John Green's book, The Fault in Our Stars, I found myself sitting on my bed, clutching the book between my hands with a unique desperation. I stayed up late into the night as my eyes traveled over the words; I couldn't read fast enough to reach the next sentence and I couldn't read slow enough to allow myself to fully savor the moment. I laughed and cried simultaneously, my tears spilling onto the page, my heart full of emotion. When I closed the pages, I spent a rare moment in reflection.

The book changed me in that moment. Though I may never pinpoint the ways or means of the change, I could feel the transformation within me—real, raw, and pure.

Butternut Squash Cake

Little moments are a minor key to the major chords in our lives. The beautiful kindness of a stranger who helps me pick up a pile of dropped books as I apologize for my clumsy nature. The rush of positive emotion brought on by a childhood smell I had forgotten existed. A message from a friend that arrives at precisely the right moment it needed to be heard.

The power of a revolutionary moment, whether large or small, should never be underestimated. An unassuming piece of cake on a dreary autumn afternoon can provide immeasurable comfort to a weary soul.

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Pumpkin Rolls

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Pumpkin Rolls

Pumpkin Rolls

When rainy autumn weather begins taking its toll and darkness descends earlier than I anticipate, I like to wrap myself in blankets, wear ridiculously fuzzy socks, and marvel at how long my evenings suddenly feel. Time passes slowly after the sun sets and my eyes grow tired when the clock strikes ten. Somehow, despite my sleepiness and couch potato tendencies, I can't get myself to crawl into bed until after midnight.

Old habits die hard, it seems.

Pumpkin Rolls

On the few occasions when I flip on the television or indulge in a few moments on Pinterest, I can't help but notice that holiday advertisements and Thanksgiving pies are already trying to sneak up on us. Even though I can avert my eyes in mild distaste at their early arrival, these thoughts of family togetherness and comfort food have managed to weasel their way into my subconscious thoughts.

It was only after I made these pumpkin rolls for the second time in a week (the first batch disappeared sooner than I would have liked) that I realized how lovely they would be graced upon a Thanksgiving table surrounded by family and friends. I wanted to shake my finger at myself for falling prey to commercialism so early in the season, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Perhaps I just miss the feeling of home.

Pumpkin Rolls

These pumpkin rolls, however, are remarkable in their own right. They are neither sweet nor savory, but fall squarely in between, toeing the line with the skill of a tightrope walker. While I often make a recipe more than once to play around with ingredients or give it a few minor adjustments (as recipe developers will do), this time I followed the recipe exactly the second time I made these rolls. There was nothing I wanted to change about them, no minor detail that needed to be altered. It was a rare and beautiful moment, as if I had stumbled upon a hidden treasure in my kitchen.

I am so excited to share this recipe with you.

Pumpkin Rolls

Pumpkin Rolls are perfect to share with friends and family over holiday dinners or enjoyed on a simple Sunday evening at home with loved ones. The rolls are lightly spiced and lightly sweetened, which allows them to fall to the savory or sweet side depending on your mood. I have enjoyed these rolls spread with maple cream cheese, drizzled with melted chocolate, prepared with a simple butter spread, and soaked in mashed potatoes and gravy. The pumpkin flavor is present, but mild, which makes them a good choice for pumpkin lovers and skeptical fathers alike.

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Pear Crisp

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Pear Crisp

Pear Crisp

The falling leaves of autumn remind me that I'm growing older. When the leaves begin falling from the trees, I start dreaming of raking up a pile to jump in. I've always found the smell of fallen leaves comforting, even as I pull colorful leaf fragments out of my hair after I've had my fill. However, these little dreams are short lived as I quickly remember that I neither have a rake nor a yard of leaves to gather together. To make up for the disappointment, I like to trudge through the leaves on the sidewalk in my heels, crunching my way to and from the car with satisfaction.

Though I may often look and sound like an adult, there is a child resting just below the surface, longing for a pile of leaves to dance in.

Pear Crisp

There are two trees in front of my parent's home that begin changing colors as soon as a hint of fall is in the air. While my parents often wished the trees would hold onto their leaves longer than the first of October, my sister and I relished in playing in the fallen leaves wearing only a light jacket in the golden autumn sun.

These trees, however, are peculiar. Though a few leaves are lost to the wind here or there, the trees typically drop all of their leaves at exactly the same moment, usually taking only a few hours' time. I imagine the trees talk to one another, planning the occasion by passing messages through their entangled roots. The dropping of the leaves has quickly become one of my favorite moments of autumn.

Pear Crisp

When the trees drop their leaves, it is similar to a rainstorm; they fall from the sky in a moment that can only be described as wonderment. There are times when the leaves descend so hard and so fast, it is possible to become buried in only a few minutes' time if you found yourself lying beside the rough trunk of the tree. I remember one morning with particular fondness. It was a Saturday. My sister and I awoke to a windless morning and raining leaves. We ate our breakfasts in record time, spending the rest of the morning beneath the trees playing and laughing and reveling in the innocence of the moment.

Every year since then, as I watched the changing of the leaves from green to gold, I wished and hoped the leaves wouldn't drop while I was away. I was afraid to miss the moment. To miss the simple magic only fallen leaves could bring.

Pear Crisp

Pear Crisp is a sincere dessert to enjoy after a day spent in the autumn sun. The flavor of the crisp is clean and pure. The pears are roasted in brown sugar and vanilla (with a hint of bourbon, if you dare) while the crumble topping shines with a combination of oats and sliced almonds. Though I love to steal bites of cold pear crisp from the refrigerator, this dessert can be served hot with a side of ice cream to warm up cold noses and chilled ears.

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