dippity do da lunch - pumpkin style

Our house rule is no eating anywhere there is carpet unless you, personally, can afford replacement carpet.  This pretty much takes care of the under 18 crowd.  I think maybe a few of our grown up friends too...

We made pumpkin dip this weekend and let the kids break the house rule by taking it, and a bag of gingersnaps upstairs to munch on while watching a family movie.  Sometimes ya just got to!

My original 'martha' plans were to make a pumpkin cheesecake on a homemade gingersnap crust.
But in the midst of my friday night sweet tooth, hunger, and rule breaking rampage, there was no time for
'Martha-ing'.   I wanted it, and I wanted it NOW (well, then... you know what I mean...)

The sugar pumpkins I intended to bake and puree are still on the counter.  I shamelessly grabbed the 'emergency' can of pumpkin puree from the pantry and had the concoction whipped up in about 5 minutes.
 
Someway, somehow, some dip and gingersnaps made it through the weekend unscathed.  The gingersnaps join a cut up apple for dipping.  A spinach salad with feta, and some cheddar bunnies finish out this lunch.

This recipe is on the Nestle/Libbey website, but with double the cream cheese and more than triple the sugar!

we find this version to be sweet enough!

Easy Cream Cheese Pumpkin dip

1 8 oz. package of softened cream cheese

1 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree

1/4-1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1/4 - 1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice (ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves)

In a mixing bowl, blend cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth.  microwave cream cheese for better blending if needed.    Add spices and confectioners sugar to taste.

great for dipping graham cracker, gingersnaps, breads, apples...