need help with menu

[~yogamom~]

we are having some people over from my dh's work for dinner on friday. their kids like pasta, so we are making baked penne with sausage, peas and mushrooms. any recommendations for what to serve on the salad (or other vegetable that goes with penne) and for dessert? thanks!!!

[RealLifeMama]

I have been making a salad with mixed greens (The kind in the clamshell package- I like spinach better but that isn't available yet)
Then I cut up slivers of peeled green pear, some red grapes in half, and either almonds or walnuts, and then with a peeler I make asiago cheese (or parmesean, or romano, whatever you like) slivers/curls. I have added plums before, too.
For dressing you can do a raspberry vinaigrette or I usually make a poppyseed dressing with a light vinegar ( rice wine or white wine) canola or safflower oil (olive is a bit strong) and honey and a pinch of dry mustard and some poppyseeds. (unless they are in a line of work that they have to take drug tests. I served that to guests once and she had a drug test coming up and she couldn't eat the dressing!)
If you keep the dressing on the side, then the children can eat the fruit plain if they want.

Dessert, it is fall and I always like pumpkin anything. Maybe some pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes with cream cheese icing, or I was actually at a dessert party tonight and had a wonderful and stunning but apparently very easy pumpkin cake that was from the kraft foods website. Another good thing is an upside down pumpkin pie type thing, with the pie filling topped with a yellow cake crumb topping , like a pumpkin "dump cake" type thing, I can look up the recipe if you want.
Also, apple crisp might be nice.

ETA: Here (http://kraftfoods.com/main.aspx?s=recipe&m=recipe/knet_recipe_display&u1=keyword&u2=four%20layer%20pumpkin%20cake&u3=**1*1&wf=9&recipe_id=65930) is the 4 layer pumpkin cake
Here is a recipe for a crumb topping pumpkin dessert (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Dessert/Detail.aspx) I have not tried that recipe but have made one similar.

[~yogamom~]

thanks for the suggestions!!!

pumpkin crumble cake sounds excellent!

[herbalwriter]

Good heavens, I can't improve on what she said!!! :mrgreen

[RealLifeMama]

How'd it go?
I am so looking for a chance to make the pumpkin crumble dessert this year!