Pumpkin Butter

So who doesn't love apple butter? Oh, I know that I do! I remember the days when my mom and dad would make apple butter and the smell was my favorite part of the whole process. Well, along with eating some tasty apple butter on some tasty biscuits. Then, one day I was traveling through the mountains and I ran across a store that sold pumpkin butter. I tried it and I was hooked. I just had to have this recipe. So, I went home and did some research and viola! I made my own pumpkin butter using fresh pumpkin from my garden.

You will need 3.5 cups of fresh pumpkin puree or one 29 ounce can of pumpkin puree

3/4 cup of apple juice

1.5 cups of white sugar

2 tsp ground sugar, 1.5 tsp ground cloves, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground nutmeg

Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large sauce pan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently. 

Transfer to sterile containers and store in the refrigerator until serving. If you make a large batch, you can water bath can to preserve your excess pumpkin butter. 

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 cups of fresh pumpkin puree or one 29 oz of canned pumpkin puree

3/4 cup apple juice

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

INSTRUCTION

-Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large sauce pan; stir well. 

-Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. 

-Stir frequently. 

-Transfer to sterile containers and store in the refrigerator until serving. 

-Makes 5 half pint jars

How to Bake a Fresh Pumpkin

This year we decided to grow pumpkins in our garden and they turned out great! There is nothing better than fresh pumpkin....WAIT!!! Yes there is! Fresh pumpkin pie! OHHHHHHHHH SO YUMMY! So this is for those of you who would love to know how to bake a fresh pumpkin to use in many many recipes.

Step 1: Pick your pumpkin!

Step 2: Use a carving knife to cut a square into the top and the bottom of the pumpkin

Step 3: Use a sawing motion with your carving knife to carefully cut the pumpkin in half

Step 4: Use a metal spoon and scrape out the pulp and seeds

Step 5: Place the two halves face down into a baking dish (lined with tin foil) with a 1/2 inch of water

Step 6: Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour 1/2 up to two hours. Notice the skin...it should start to shrivel 

Step 7: Separate the pumpkin flesh from the skin and place into a bowl

Step 8: Blend the pumpkin with any method you choose

Step 9: Blend until creamy

Step 10: Scoop out one cup at a time

Step 11: Store in any way you choose

Squash Pie

This recipe is the reason that I will be growing squash all year round for the rest of my life. It is a taste of pumpkin pie except it is made with squash. Who knew?!?! This is one way to get little ones and adults to eat their veggies! Although, it is more of a dessert :) Try it out and you won't be disappointed. Especially if you love pumpkin pie.

You will need about six squash from your garden or the store. 

Cut the ends off of your squash and discard. Cut into 1/4 inch slices

Add just enough water to cover squash and cook until tender.

Drain and set squash aside to cool.

Add pie crust to a 9 inch pie dish. Ignore my silly crust. I am still learning that part!

 Now, add 1 cup of sweetened condensed milk (1 can), 2 eggs, 3/4 cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon into a food processor or blender and blend for 5 seconds.

Add squash to food processor or blender and blend for 2 minutes.

Pour into pie crust and cover rim with tin foil or a pie rim.

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes and then 350 for 35 minutes or until the pie does not jiggle! Let cool and refrigerate! 

INGREDIENTS:

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon of cinnamon 

6 yellow squash

1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

DIRECTIONS:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees

-Cut off the ends of the squash and discard

-Cut squash into 1/4 inch thick pieces

-Add squash to pot and cover with  just enough water to cook until tender

-Drain and set squash aside to cool

-Add sweetened condensed milk, eggs, brown sugar, and cinnamon to food processor/blender

-Blend for 5 seconds

-Add squash to food processor/blender and blend for 2 minutes

-Pour into unbaked pie shell

-Cover edges with foil or a pie rim

-Bake at 400 degrees in oven for 10 minutes

-Turn down heat to 350 degrees and bake for 35 minutes or until pie does not jiggle much

-Remove for heat, let cool, and then refrigerate! 

-Can be served with cool whip for extra yumminess!

Cream of Spinach Soup

Hey guys! So our garden decided to produce tons of spinach at the same time. I was overwhelmed looking at all of the leaves thinking, "What am I going to do with all of this?" I can only eat salad so many days in a row before I get the urge to never look at lettuce again! I had a few recipes already picked out but nothing sounded good. Then it dawned on me! CREAM OF SPINACH SOUP! So I threw some ingredients together and away I went. Little did I know that I would end up sauteing 36 cups of spinach that day to keep in the freezer because this soup was so quick and easy to make. On a side note, if you are on a diet this soup is not for you. You are more than welcome to make it diet friendly but I don't believe in diet friendly when it comes to cooking things that taste oh so wonderful with heavy cream! :)

Take 6 1/2 cups of large spinach leaves and wash thoroughly. Add spinach to large pan and cover with enough chicken broth to saute. When broth has heated thoroughly, saute for 2 minutes and then remove from heat. Place on cutting board and chop spinach. Set aside.

Mince 1/4 cup of onions.

Add 3 tablespoons of butter and the onions to a medium sauce pan. Saute onions in butter until butter is melted on medium heat.  

Add 1/4 cup of flour and mix with onions and butter until a thick roux forms. Stir constantly and do not burn the flour. I usually do this for about 2 minutes.

Add one cup of whole milk slowly. Stir constantly each time you add more milk to the roux.

After the milk is added, your roux should look like this 

Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the bottom of your measuring cup.

Add 2 cups of heavy cream. Blend together until the cornstarch has dissolved. If soup is not thick enough for your liking, add another tablespoon of cornstarch and blend until your desired consistency is reached.

When soup has reached desired consistency, add in spinach and blend into mixture. Cook until heated through thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Add into a bowl and serve!!!!

INGREDIENTS

Chicken broth

6 1/2 cups of spinach or 10 oz of frozen spinach

1/4 cup minced onion

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 cups heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

*Wash and dry spinach

* If using frozen spinach, thaw, and strain out water

*Place spinach in large pan

*Pour chicken broth over spinach just enough to cover 

*When broth is heated, saute spinach for two minutes

*Remove from heat and place on cutting board

*Chop spinach and set aside

*Mince 1/4 cup onion

*Place 3 tablespoons of butter and onions into a medium sauce pan

*When butter has melted add in 1/4 cup flour

*Whisk about two minutes. Do not burn the roux. The mixture will be thick

*Slowly add in 1 cup milk, constantly stirring

*Place 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in bottom of bowl

*Add 2 cups of heavy cream and whisk until cornstarch has be thoroughly mixed

*Slowly add in the 2 cups of heavy cream/cornstarch mixture. Stir constantly

*When desired consistency is reached, add in spinach

*Stir and continue cooking until the soup is heated through 

*Add in salt and pepper to taste

*Serve in a happy bowl!

**This will taste 'creamy' until you add in the salt and pepper. There are no exact measurements. Some may like the taste of "creamy" but I prefer to taste the salt and pepper.

Tatonka Chili

This is a yummy chili recipe made with buffalo. The flavor of buffalo gives this chili a very unique flavor. Give it a try and you may just start using buffalo meat for all of your ground beef recipes! EXCEPT for meatloaf....not enough fat in the buffalo. I learned that the hard way! lol

You will need ground buffalo, onions, garlic, chili powder, salt, dried oregano, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and kidney beans.

Chop onions

Mince garlic

Combine ground buffalo, onion, and garlic in a large stock pot. Cook and stir over medium heat until beef is brown; drain.

Stir in chili powder, salt, and oregano.

Stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Break up the tomatoes while stirring. Cook covered for 1 hour.

Remove lid and add kidney beans. Cook for 20 minutes

Serve in a bowl with your favorite fixins!!! I like sour cream, cheese, and Fritos ;)

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs ground buffalo

2 onions chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp salt

2 tsp dried oregano

4 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans with liquid

DIRECTIONS

*Chop onions and mince your garlic. I buy mine already minced

*Combine ground buffalo, onion, and garlic in a large stock pot

*Stir in chili powder, salt, oregano, tomatoes, and tomato sauce

*Break up tomatoes while stirring

*Heat to boiling, reduce heat to simmer, and cover

*Cook, stirring occasionally for one hour

*Stir in beans

*Simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes

**For those of you that like to stew and can your own tomatoes: this recipe is so much better when you use your own homegrown ingredients. I just did not have anything left over from last years garden. I planted more this year to make sure that wouldn't happen again! :)

Pineapple Chicken

This is a very simple recipe that is good and easy to make on a night when ya need something quick to eat. 

You will need chicken, flour, pepper, pineapple chunks, vegetable oil, pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch.

Cut chicken into cubes.

Take flour and add pepper. Dredge chicken through the four and pepper mixture. You can do this by using a bowl or I like to use a large plastic bag. I seal it and then I shake it until the chicken is coated. 

Heat the oil in a pan and add chicken.

Cook chicken until it is a golden brown.

Add pineapple and heat through for 5 minutes.

In a mixing bowl stir together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch.

Add sauce to pan and simmer for 5 more minutes. 

Serve over rice and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 large chicken breasts

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp pepper

1 can of pineapple chunks in sweetend juice (15 oz can)

2 tbs. vegetable oil

1/2 cup pineapple juice from can

3 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp vinegar

1 tbs cornstarch

Rice (any amount you like.)

DIRECTIONS

*Take chicken and cut into cubes

*Pour flour and pepper into a bowl and dredge chicken through it until covered

*Place chicken and oil into a pan and cook until golden brown

*Add pineapple and heat through for 5 minutes

*In a mixing bowl, stir together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch

*Add sauce to pan and simmer for 5 minutes