Oct 5

Oct 5 Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

What is it about the first week of October that just feels like fall?! Is it the pumpkin patches popping up on every major street corner? Or the pumpkin-spice everything, everywhere? Maybe it's because we brought out the Halloween decorations and the front porch is looking a little spooky (or as Finley says "pooky")?! Whatever it is, I like it! And is it just me or have pumpkin patches been on steroids the last few years?! Remember when you went as a kid and just ran around looking for an actual pumpkin to buy? I feel like people don't even go to a pumpkin patch for pumpkins anymore- that's so '90s, pick out your pumpkins at the grocery store like millennial moms do.

I've also noticed there's two different types of pumpkin patch experiences: the park (aka daytime) pumpkin patches and street corner (aka nighttime) ones. Daytime pumpkin patches seem to draw the stay-at-home-mom with a toddler and/or baby. These moms are usually outfitted head-to-toe in Lululemon, sipping their pumpkin spice lattes while enjoying a picnic under the oak trees trying to get the best pics to post to Instagram. And then you have the nighttime pumpkin patch...these seem to draw the working mom who takes her kids on a school night to let them run wild, jump in a huge bounce house shaped like a jack-o-lantern, get filthy dirty and (possibly) catch a cold all so she can drink a glass of wine out of a Starbucks cup in peace while sitting on a haystack eating kettle corn for dinner. No matter your pumpkin patch style, they all rock! I just love how festive they are and how happy the kids seem to be there.

My mom took Finley to Irvine Park the other day while I was working, which is so much fun during the fall! So when I got done at the office early, I headed over there to meet up with them- definitely the daytime pumpkin patch vibe. They do such a great job with all the decorations and activities for the kids, it made me feel like it was fall! So naturally, I started craving my mom's pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting. The best, most festive fall treat EVER!! Finley and I whipped up a batch that afternoon and they are so delicious...can't. stop. eating. them. Seriously, I need to have a bake sale or something to get these out of the house because I will eat them all if they are around. I want you to experience the greatness that is these pumpkin bars so please make these ASAP and tell me what you think! Also, can we go pumpkin patch hopping?

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
4 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 15x10 in pan. Using a mixer, combine all ingredients at low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Frost. (We use the cream cheese frosting recipe from Sprinkles Cupcakes, below.)

Frosting: