Pumpkin Cookies
        (these are super easy to make, and they melt in your mouth)

1     cup cooked pumpkin
1     cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1     teaspoon ground cinnamon
1     teaspoon baking powder
1     teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2     cups all purpose flour
1/2  cup raisins

Mix up cookie dough in order given.  Drop by rounded tablespoon on to
ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in 375 preheated oven for about 13
minutes (do not over bake).  Cool, and store in covered container.

Icing

2      tablespoons butter/margarine
1      cup powdered sugar
1/4  teaspoon vanilla ext.
1/2  teaspoon orange ext.
1+    tablespoon milk

Melt butter in small saucepan, until it just starts to lightly brown.
Add remaining and stir until smooth.  If it starts to 'glaze' over too
much before all the cookies are ready for it, a small amount of heat
can be applied to re-melt it, or you can use a couple more drops of
milk.

These aren't overly sweet cookies, so don't skip on the icing.  Also,
if you don't have orange extract on hand, it's worth the trip to the
store for it.

Sherry made these cookies with pecans instead of raisins, and said
they were excellent.  I plan on trying that one too.

8 Minute Cheesecake

2   8oz. pkgs. cream cheese
1/3  c. sugar
1   pint sour cream
2   t. vanilla ext.
1   8oz. container Cool Whip

Beat cream cheese until smooth, slowly add sugar, and beat until
smooth.  On slow, blend in vanilla and sour cream.  By hand, fold in
cool whip.  Spoon into prepared graham crust,* and chill until set.  

Serve with instant pie filling over top, or one of my
favorites......just liberally sprinkle top w/nutmeg.

*I don't recommend the store bought graham crusts.  They're hard, and
don't taste very good.  Here's an easy way to make it yourself......

1 pkg. graham crackers (or guesstimate same amt. of Nilla Vanilla
Wafer Cookies)
1/4 c. butter/margarine softened
1/3 c. sugar

Crunch up crackers in their package, dump into blender, blend until
fine crumbs, pour into bowl, add sugar and butter, mix well, press
into 9" pie plate, chill until ready to use.