One of my favorite things about fall is cooking fall recipes. And what better way to enjoy fall recipes than to cook with pumpkin! Not canned pumpkin, though! This year I tried my hand at cooking with the pie pumpkins we got at the pumpkin patch, and I will never go back to canned pumpkin! Never cooked pumpkin before? Good news...it's easy, healthy, and so delicious! I recommend using pie pumpkins instead of the big pumpkins you carve into jack-o-lanterns.
1. Cut the top out of your pumpkin, cut the pumpkin in half, and remove the seeds and stringy pulp.
2. Cut the pumpkin into large pieces, about the size of your hand.
3. Lay the pumpkin pieces flesh down in a roasting pan and add 1 inch of water.
4. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. When the pumpkin is easily pierced with a fork, it is done.
5. After the pumpkin has cooled, peel away the skin.
6. Puree the pumpkin until smooth.
A 5-pound pumpkin will yield 2-3 cups of pumpkin puree. Refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for up to 6 months.
Here are some favorite pumpkin recipes that we have already enjoyed together this fall.
Pumpkin Surprise
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Combine in a bowl:
2 cups pumpkin puree (or one 15-ounce can of pumpkin)
A 12-can unsweetened, evaporated milk
3. eggs
1 cup sugar
4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3. Mix well and pour into the pan
4. Sprinkle one package dry spice cake mix over the pumpkin
5. Drizzle the top with 3/4cup melted butter
6. (optional) Top with chopped walnuts or pecans
7. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, or until a knife inserted into the center of the dessert comes out clean.
Pumpkin Pancakes
1. In a bowl, mix together:
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
2. In another bowl, combine and mix well:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground allspice
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
3. Add flour mixture to pumkin mixture, and stir just enough to combine
4. Cook on a lightly oiled, hot griddle, just as you would cook regular pancakes
5. Serve with real maple syrup and whipped cream
Pumpkin Bread
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together:
3 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 cups white sugar
6 eggs
3. In a separate bowl, combine:
4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
4. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the loaf should spring back when lightly pressed.
And here's another fall favorite recipe that I must share, even though it does not contain pumpkin. Taya, this one's for you!
Old Fashioned Crock Pot Beef Stew
1. Place 1/4 cup flour in a ziploc bag.
2. Add 1 1/2 pound cubed stew meat, and shake to coat
3. In a large saucepan, heat 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil. Add flour-coated meat, and lightly brown. Place meat in the bottom of a crock pot
4. On top of meat, layer:
2 1/2 cups cubed potatoes, not peeled
1 cup frozen, whole kernel corn
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
5. In a bowl, combine:
6 ounces tomato sauce
12 ounces water
12 ounces beef broth
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
1 tsp. instant beef bouillon granules
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried marjoram
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt
6. Pour over meat and vegetables
7. Cook on low for 10 hours, or on high for 5 hours, until meat and vegetables are tender
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
What I've Learned
Check out Musings of A Housewife for links to some really wonderful bloggers who are all participating in this week's What I've Learned carnival.
MUCH learning for me this week. MUCH learning!
1. It is easy to convert that pumpkin on your front porch into something delicious! I cut up one of our pumpkins, roasted it, pureed it, and made it into the most fabulous pumpkin bread I've ever tasted. I never plan to buy canned pumpkin again!
2. Beef stew made in the crock pot is so much better than beef stew made on the stovetop. Recipe coming soon!
3. 7-year-old girls are prone to panic and melt down when their goggles come off during a race at a swim meet. This tendency to come unglued is multiplied exponentially when the 7-year-od girl is coming down with a fever virus.
4. Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 is worth the investment, just for the ease of editing pictures, and the quality of the final product! I had saved up some giftcards, and was finally able to make my purchase! I love Photoshop!
5. I never fully realize how much I miss all my family in California until the holidays start drawing near. Then I miss them like crazy, and dread facing Thanksgiving and December and Christmas without all the beloved traditions and people of "back home." This will be our 4th round of holidays away from California, and I miss my family more than ever.
6. Not much else tops being told that your company is sending you on a business trip with your husband TO YOUR HOME TOWN...and that the business trip falls Thanksgiving week...and that airfares are low enough to allow you to take the kids, too! Oh, and some sweet friends will buy those kid tickets! Yes, that happened to us today!!!!! We're going Home for 10 days in November! I Can Not Wait!
7. Oh wait, something can top that! How about this:
We are missionaries. We are 100% funded by donations from individuals and churches who share our passion for seeing others reached for Christ. It has been normal that donations drop off in August-October, leaving us without full pay. On Wednesday I received notice that our paycheck for the 25th was going to be $850 short. That left us with a paycheck for less than the amount just of our bills. I resolutely looked back at how God has faithfully provided for us every time this has happened, and I chose to trust Him to provide again. I let it go, and was at peace all day, waiting expectantly to see what He would do. That very night at church, an anonymous church member left us a check for $550 and two $100 Walmart gift cards! The church treasurer was all grins when she gave us the envelope. I, of course, started bawling. Matt and I prayed and thanked God for His provision of $750. Two minutes later, another church member came to me and said, "Not a word from you now. God told me to give this to you." He gave me a hug and pressed a $100 bill into my hand. $850. The exact amount our paycheck was short. In our hands two days before the paycheck every hit our bank account!
This is not new to me, but I learned yet again that God is trustworthy. He says He will care for us. He is true to His Word, and I thank Him for it!
MUCH learning for me this week. MUCH learning!
1. It is easy to convert that pumpkin on your front porch into something delicious! I cut up one of our pumpkins, roasted it, pureed it, and made it into the most fabulous pumpkin bread I've ever tasted. I never plan to buy canned pumpkin again!
2. Beef stew made in the crock pot is so much better than beef stew made on the stovetop. Recipe coming soon!
3. 7-year-old girls are prone to panic and melt down when their goggles come off during a race at a swim meet. This tendency to come unglued is multiplied exponentially when the 7-year-od girl is coming down with a fever virus.
4. Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 is worth the investment, just for the ease of editing pictures, and the quality of the final product! I had saved up some giftcards, and was finally able to make my purchase! I love Photoshop!
5. I never fully realize how much I miss all my family in California until the holidays start drawing near. Then I miss them like crazy, and dread facing Thanksgiving and December and Christmas without all the beloved traditions and people of "back home." This will be our 4th round of holidays away from California, and I miss my family more than ever.
6. Not much else tops being told that your company is sending you on a business trip with your husband TO YOUR HOME TOWN...and that the business trip falls Thanksgiving week...and that airfares are low enough to allow you to take the kids, too! Oh, and some sweet friends will buy those kid tickets! Yes, that happened to us today!!!!! We're going Home for 10 days in November! I Can Not Wait!
7. Oh wait, something can top that! How about this:
We are missionaries. We are 100% funded by donations from individuals and churches who share our passion for seeing others reached for Christ. It has been normal that donations drop off in August-October, leaving us without full pay. On Wednesday I received notice that our paycheck for the 25th was going to be $850 short. That left us with a paycheck for less than the amount just of our bills. I resolutely looked back at how God has faithfully provided for us every time this has happened, and I chose to trust Him to provide again. I let it go, and was at peace all day, waiting expectantly to see what He would do. That very night at church, an anonymous church member left us a check for $550 and two $100 Walmart gift cards! The church treasurer was all grins when she gave us the envelope. I, of course, started bawling. Matt and I prayed and thanked God for His provision of $750. Two minutes later, another church member came to me and said, "Not a word from you now. God told me to give this to you." He gave me a hug and pressed a $100 bill into my hand. $850. The exact amount our paycheck was short. In our hands two days before the paycheck every hit our bank account!
This is not new to me, but I learned yet again that God is trustworthy. He says He will care for us. He is true to His Word, and I thank Him for it!
Monday, March 30, 2009
French Toast Resapy
All throughout this school year, I have had trouble trying to get Snapper to write. She loves spelling, and writes dictated sentences beautifully. But when it comes to trying to get her to write a composition of any sort, she digs in her feet, crosses her arms, and balks. Snapper hates writing. I've tried all sorts of differnt types of writing assignments, ranging from story writing, poetry, reports, letters, and even simple journals about her life. She has not liked any of it. Then today, I decided to have her write her own recipe. Bingo! For the first time this school year, Snapper's eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect of writing. Here is her original, uncorrected "resapy."
French Toast Resapy
First, you put a gallan of milk in a big bowl. Then you put three eggs in the bowl. Then you put one shake of sinamin in the bowl. Then you mix the stuff together. Then you poor the stuff on a lofe of bread. Put a pan on a hot stove and put the bread on the pan. Set the timer for one hour. Serve the toast on a plate with butter and serrup.
Remind me to have dinner plans with friends on the night Snapper is cooking French Toast. Ha ha!
French Toast Resapy
First, you put a gallan of milk in a big bowl. Then you put three eggs in the bowl. Then you put one shake of sinamin in the bowl. Then you mix the stuff together. Then you poor the stuff on a lofe of bread. Put a pan on a hot stove and put the bread on the pan. Set the timer for one hour. Serve the toast on a plate with butter and serrup.
Remind me to have dinner plans with friends on the night Snapper is cooking French Toast. Ha ha!
Friday, November 14, 2008
More to Love
This has been a beautiful fall. I've had the privilege of enjoying the variety of color in three different states. Sadly, while I was hitting the peak in North Carolina, I was missing the peak in Arkansas. When we arrived home on Tuesday night, Matt and I discovered that the huge oak tree in our front yard, and the two oaks and two hickories in our back yard, had dumped all their leaves. There were tons of leaves on those trees when we left! It rained some on Wednesday, so I left the leaves to dry out a bit on Thursday. Today the kids and I dropped Matt off at work, and then broke out our rakes and tackled the front lawn. I don't care how much work it is raking those leaves! The kids and I had a blast! I got out the camera (of course) and took about 200 pictures. Here are my favorites.
So there have been some other things I have enjoyed since coming home. First off, I'll make a disclaimer by saying I rarely go to Starbucks. Not that I don't love it because I do--it's just so expensive for a cup of coffee! This time of year is the exception. Their Gingersnap Latte is just about my favorite thing! It is such a comfort thing for me, almost like drinking a hug. I go get one every time I can dig enough change out of my piggy bank! I had my first Gingersnap Latte of the season day before yesterday, and UMMM!!!!! Love it!
I also love making soup at this time of year. Somehow the shorter daylight hours bring my soup urge to the surface. When I was a kid, my mom used to make Navy Bean Soup. I loved that soup, but somewhere along the way, I lost the recipe. So I hit up my favorite cooking site, www.allrecipes.com, and found another Navy Bean Soup recipe. I was a bit skeptical, because bean soup can be so gross. I didn't think I would ever find a recipe as good as my mom's. Well, this one topped it! My husband HATES beans. But since I was craving this soup, I made it anyway. Mr. Anti-Legume loved it so much he had two bowls! Who would'a thunk it! I also tried out a new beef stew recipe, and it was also fabulous! I think I must share those recipes. So here they are! Happy Fall! Enjoy the last few weeks of it.
Navy Bean Soup
1 (16 ounce) package dried navy beans (small white beans)
water to cover
7 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup margarine
4 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cups diced turkey ham
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp thyme
1. Clean and sort the beans. Place them in a large bowl with water to cover and soak for 3 hours. Drain and rinse.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the beans and the chicken broth and allow to simmer.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots and onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until onion is caramelized. Add this mixture to the pot. Add the ham.
4. Transfer it all to a crockpot. Cook on low for 5 hours, or until beans are tender and soup has thickened.
Serves 8-10
Savory Beef Stew
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
3 pounds cubed beef stew meat
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
4 cups beef broth
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and ground black pepper to taste
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1. Combine garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoon pepper in a resealable plastic bag. Place the beef in the bag and shake to coat.
2. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat; brown the beef in the hot oil and remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Add the onion to the remaining oil and cook until browned. Pour the beef broth into the stockpot. Stir in the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Return the beef to the pot.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil. Transfer to crockpot. Cook on low for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook on low for another 2 hours.
5. Whisk together 1/2 cup flour and cold water in a small bowl and mix into the stew. Cover and simmer 45 minutes more. Serve with biscuits or French bread. Serves 6-8
So there have been some other things I have enjoyed since coming home. First off, I'll make a disclaimer by saying I rarely go to Starbucks. Not that I don't love it because I do--it's just so expensive for a cup of coffee! This time of year is the exception. Their Gingersnap Latte is just about my favorite thing! It is such a comfort thing for me, almost like drinking a hug. I go get one every time I can dig enough change out of my piggy bank! I had my first Gingersnap Latte of the season day before yesterday, and UMMM!!!!! Love it!
I also love making soup at this time of year. Somehow the shorter daylight hours bring my soup urge to the surface. When I was a kid, my mom used to make Navy Bean Soup. I loved that soup, but somewhere along the way, I lost the recipe. So I hit up my favorite cooking site, www.allrecipes.com, and found another Navy Bean Soup recipe. I was a bit skeptical, because bean soup can be so gross. I didn't think I would ever find a recipe as good as my mom's. Well, this one topped it! My husband HATES beans. But since I was craving this soup, I made it anyway. Mr. Anti-Legume loved it so much he had two bowls! Who would'a thunk it! I also tried out a new beef stew recipe, and it was also fabulous! I think I must share those recipes. So here they are! Happy Fall! Enjoy the last few weeks of it.
Navy Bean Soup
1 (16 ounce) package dried navy beans (small white beans)
water to cover
7 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup margarine
4 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cups diced turkey ham
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp thyme
1. Clean and sort the beans. Place them in a large bowl with water to cover and soak for 3 hours. Drain and rinse.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the beans and the chicken broth and allow to simmer.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots and onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until onion is caramelized. Add this mixture to the pot. Add the ham.
4. Transfer it all to a crockpot. Cook on low for 5 hours, or until beans are tender and soup has thickened.
Serves 8-10
Savory Beef Stew
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
3 pounds cubed beef stew meat
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
4 cups beef broth
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and ground black pepper to taste
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1. Combine garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoon pepper in a resealable plastic bag. Place the beef in the bag and shake to coat.
2. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat; brown the beef in the hot oil and remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Add the onion to the remaining oil and cook until browned. Pour the beef broth into the stockpot. Stir in the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Return the beef to the pot.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil. Transfer to crockpot. Cook on low for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook on low for another 2 hours.
5. Whisk together 1/2 cup flour and cold water in a small bowl and mix into the stew. Cover and simmer 45 minutes more. Serve with biscuits or French bread. Serves 6-8
Thursday, August 28, 2008
A Yummy Day!
I love to cook. I'm always game for a new recipe, and I enjoy everything about cooking, from the shopping, to the prep work, to the actual cooking process. The best part, of course, is the eating. The only thing I really don't like is handling raw chicken. Ugh! I shudder at even the thought of fat (gag!), skin (wretch!), and tendon (harf!). Yuck! But when raw chicken is not involved, I really do love to cook. However, homeschooling has complicated my routine significantly. By the time school is done and I've done the necessary housework, my energy is gone. Who wants to think about putting together a meal when you can barely muster enough energy to play Candyland with your 6-year-old? So I have created a plan. And it works. And I love it.
Before I do my bi-monthly shopping trips, I sit down and make a meal plan. I factor in all three daily meals, and make my shopping list accordingly. I go to the store in the evening when the kids are in bed so I can shop without feeling hurried or stressed. When I'm relaxed and have a fully tummy, I'm much less likely to impulse buy. I stick religiously to my list, and shop for the best deals. It's amazing how much can be purchased at the Dollar Store! I got canned corn 3 for $1 day before yesterday, and a huge bottle of pancake syrup for $1. For you future moms out there, you can even get pregnancy tests at the Dollar Store. But I digress. Planning ahead allows me to justify buying meat in bulk. I always know I'll use it. Shopping this way has saved us so much money! I can feed our family of five for around $400 per month. That includes diapers, cat food and litter, laundry soap, Ziploc bags, shampoo, etc. Also, every time I shop, I pick up a Stouffer's lasagna, too (but not at the Dollar Store).
The day after my shopping trip, I spend an afternoon cooking. My meal plan always includes 4 casseroles that can be prepared in advance and frozen. That way I'm guaranteed two nights a week that I don't have to cook. I try to reserve those casseroles for days when I'm feeling even more fatigued than usual. I also make a soup that I freeze in portion-sized containers to pull out for lunch. I can only take so many sandwiches, you know? And taco or lentil soup is a great, healthy alternative to the other things I may be tempted to eat for lunch when a sandwich doesn't appeal to me. My family loves this plan. I'm a happier, less stressed mommy, and the food is so good, too!
Today was my cooking day. We did school first thing this morning, and then I tidied up and ran the vacuum in the living room, and did a load of dishes. I wiped down all the counters and swept the floor, because I like a neat work space. I put out a fresh trash bag and filled the sink with soapy water. Then I was ready to go. I cooked for 2 1/2 hours this afternoon, and here's what I have to show for it.
Taco Soup (8 lunch portions)
Chicken Supreme
Fiesta Tamale Pie
Spaghetti Bake
Hash Brown Casserole
2 loaves of homemade whole wheat bread
Guess what we're having for dinner tonight? Stouffer's lasagna!
Before I do my bi-monthly shopping trips, I sit down and make a meal plan. I factor in all three daily meals, and make my shopping list accordingly. I go to the store in the evening when the kids are in bed so I can shop without feeling hurried or stressed. When I'm relaxed and have a fully tummy, I'm much less likely to impulse buy. I stick religiously to my list, and shop for the best deals. It's amazing how much can be purchased at the Dollar Store! I got canned corn 3 for $1 day before yesterday, and a huge bottle of pancake syrup for $1. For you future moms out there, you can even get pregnancy tests at the Dollar Store. But I digress. Planning ahead allows me to justify buying meat in bulk. I always know I'll use it. Shopping this way has saved us so much money! I can feed our family of five for around $400 per month. That includes diapers, cat food and litter, laundry soap, Ziploc bags, shampoo, etc. Also, every time I shop, I pick up a Stouffer's lasagna, too (but not at the Dollar Store).
The day after my shopping trip, I spend an afternoon cooking. My meal plan always includes 4 casseroles that can be prepared in advance and frozen. That way I'm guaranteed two nights a week that I don't have to cook. I try to reserve those casseroles for days when I'm feeling even more fatigued than usual. I also make a soup that I freeze in portion-sized containers to pull out for lunch. I can only take so many sandwiches, you know? And taco or lentil soup is a great, healthy alternative to the other things I may be tempted to eat for lunch when a sandwich doesn't appeal to me. My family loves this plan. I'm a happier, less stressed mommy, and the food is so good, too!
Today was my cooking day. We did school first thing this morning, and then I tidied up and ran the vacuum in the living room, and did a load of dishes. I wiped down all the counters and swept the floor, because I like a neat work space. I put out a fresh trash bag and filled the sink with soapy water. Then I was ready to go. I cooked for 2 1/2 hours this afternoon, and here's what I have to show for it.
Taco Soup (8 lunch portions)
Chicken Supreme
Fiesta Tamale Pie
Spaghetti Bake
Hash Brown Casserole
2 loaves of homemade whole wheat bread
Guess what we're having for dinner tonight? Stouffer's lasagna!
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