An Apple A Day

 I am still working my way through the basket of apples that Daddy-O and Little Sister picked. I only have a couple of days left to use them before they thrown out in the field. This apple crisp is my most used apple recipe in the last 30 years. I have made it so many, many times. I usually think of it as a fall or winter dessert but these apples were ready to be picked in the heat of summer.

Many of the apples from our trees and tomatotes from the garden would not win any beauty contest, but if you have the patience to peel and cut around the spots, they are delicious. In fact, there is a huge marketing campaign by a large supermarket in France to sell ugly fruit and vegetables at much cheaper prices than their beautiful fruit and veggie siblings. The ugly fruit is normally thrown away, often as it's picked. Because we have been conditioned to want the perfect fruit. All that food thrown away while people are hungry. Or, they are struggling with their food budget. That's just sad.

The marketing campaign is called "Inglorious Fruits & Vegetables." You can google it to read about it. Or, for one short article that quickly explains the basics, click the link below. Take a couple of minutes to watch the video. These folks are geniuses!

http://theoptimist.com/inglorious-fruits-vegetables-big-hit-france/

This recipe is a healthier choice than apple pie. (Especially if you leave off the ice cream.) Not much sugar. Not much butter. And it has whole grains in the oatmeal. Next time I think I'll use white whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose.

APPLE CRISP

Topping:
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons cold butter

Filling:
5 cups peeled & sliced apples
1/4 to 1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a small bowl, combine all topping ingredients, except butter. With a pastry cutter or fork, cut butter into other ingredients until mixture is crumbly. (This can be done ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake.)

Spray and 8-inch baking pan with PAM. Mix apples, brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour into pan. Sprinkle topping mix over apples.

Bake in preheated oven, 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Can top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

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The Week That Wasn't

I'm back. Maybe you missed me here. Maybe you thought I was on vacation or doing something fun, which had been the original plan. (I missed the annual "beach girls" weekend.) The week before last, I was at Mommy's helping with all of their sick ones. As I drove down there, I had a quick phone chat with Jessica and told her I was heading into the "hot zone."

After a week they were all better and I headed home. I walked into the house from the three hour drive home and parked my suitcase and crawled into bed. One of those nasty bugs had come home with me. So for the next 10 days, I did nothing but hang out on the sofa, snuggled under a blanket. I didn't cook a thing. I didn't touch any knitting. For the most part, I didn't even get dressed. I slept through most of the TV shows I thought I'd watch.

The doctor that I saw agreed with the pediatricians that treated the granddaughters (they made several trips)—this winter was an unusually rough one for sicknesses like flu, pneumonia, bronchitis, and such. If you escaped all of that, be thankful.

Well, things are getting back to normal. One of the first chores I did yesterday was to clean out the refrigerator and take stock of what was left. I had not been grocery shopping in over two weeks. What was left was milk, sour cream, a red pepper, and a lot of apples. A LOT of apples.

So last night I made a treat for Daddy-O. Meals here for the last week were whatever he could find here or something picked up in town. And our choices for takeout are slim. But he did keep us from staving. He deserved a treat.

I have an apple crisp recipe (a healthier version) that I've used for years and we love it. But I found a different recipe online that was even easier. Don't laugh, but cutting cold butter into flour and oatmeal makes me tired. This new recipe used melted butter stirred into the dry ingredients. And I only had to peel three apples and not five or six. This newer recipe is one I probably will tinker around with later. But I'm giving you just what I did last night (including the modifications I made to the online recipe.) It was delicious.

APPLE CRISP

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup melted butter
3 cups chopped apples
1/4 cup white sugar (or more, depending on apple tartness)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or, to taste)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease and 8x8-inch baking pan.

In a bowl, stir together oatmeal, flour, brown sugar and salt. Stir in melted butter and mix until crumbly. Put half of oatmeal mix in the bottom of baking pan. Spread chopped apples evenly over the the oatmeal mix. Sprinkle apples with sugar and cinnamon. Top with remaining oatmeal mix.

Bake, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm. Ice cream is a nice topping.


This was so good. Not like our old favorite recipe. Daddy-O said, "This is different. The topping is more chewy." Yes, this melted butter version was easier to mix than cutting in cold butter. But I didn't end up with true crumbs like I do when I cut the butter in. The butter and oatmeal mix was more solid. So I just spread the bottom part as best I could. Interestingly, by the time I had peeled the three large apples, the crumb mixture had cooled some and I could crumble it (somewhat) over the top. I'm wondering if I didn't melt the butter quite all the way, would that make it more crumbly? And I might even try using less butter next time. And yes, there will be a next time.

Should you find yourself with a refrigerator full of apples, keep this recipe in mind. If I do other interesting things with my excess of apples, I'll let you know. Top of my to-do list today is grocery shopping. I really have to feed Daddy-O something this week besides apples.

Heart Healthy Foods

I don't get home until 7:30 on Wednesday nights. That means I need a supper that can be table ready in a flash. Sometimes it's a slow cooker meal. Other times it just means leftovers. But last night it was salad. I turned a simple side salad recipe into a main dish salad and added a toasted slice of the artisan bread to the meal. Yum!

A salad was also a healthy choice. Several times this week on assorted news outlets, I saw reports about a new study on the ten foods that significantly affect your heart health—6 foods to include, 4 foods to avoid.

This was reported, on our local news and again on morning national news:

Just 10 foods —eating too much of them or too little — account for nearly half of all heart disease deaths in the U.S., researchers reported Tuesday.
If people ate less salt and meat and ate more nuts, fruits and vegetables, they could greatly lower their own risk of heart disease, the researchers at Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy found.

For the most part, we already know these are choices we should make, but the new study added weight to the importance of those choices. In your diet, include more (1) fruits, (2) vegetables, (3) tree nuts, (4) healthy oils, (5) omega-3 rich seafood and (6) whole grains. Avoid (1) salt, (2) sugar-sweetened beverages, (3) processed meats and (4) red meat.  

Hello...we are beef cattle producers here. Let me say that the television report did say that red meat was at the bottom of the harmful list. The least harmful of the "harmful" foods. Red meat does make some good nutritional contributions to our diets. And we know that research also shows some benefits from eating lean red meat.. So we will still include beef in our meals—but in smaller portions and certainly not every day.

If nothing else, this list of 10 foods is a reminder that what we eat affects our health. Some illnesses and health problems are simply beyond our control, but why not choose good foods if they might help us live healthier lives?

You see much of what I cook here at the farm. Our food choices could be worse, but there is certainly room for improvement in the "healthy" department. Last night, a big portion of dark leafy greens—one of the best vegetable choices—was on the menu. I loved this easy recipe.

To turn this salad into a dinner salad, I added feta cheese and sliced roasted chicken on top. The flavor combination was a winner. (A dinner winner. Ha! Sometimes I amuse myself.)

I mixed the dressing ahead of time. I had put two chicken breasts in the oven in the afternoon (sprinkle with rotisserie seasoning-bake at 350 for 1 hour, uncovered) and refrigerated it until dinner time. If you work all day, cook the chicken the night before. Or, use a rotisserie chicken from the store.

APPLE KALE SALAD

4 to 6 cups chopped kale, or assorted salad greens
1 large apple, diced (I used a Honey Crisp)

Dressing:
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoons honey

Put greens and diced apple in a large bowl. In a small bowl (I love to use a custard cup for this) mix the dressing ingredients until blended. Drizzle over the kale and apples. Toss to coat.

This made two large dinner salads. It would serve 4-6 as a side salad.

I will admit that when I see a salad recipe call for kale, I usually choose this baby blend that is more tender and is milder. If you are new to kale, this is a good place to start.

Book Club On The Porch (No Book Involved)

Old friends are the best friends. We had so much fun yesterday. My book club girls came to the lake for an afternoon visit and supper. We take turns doing supper for our regular gatherings and usually a couple of us share duties.  But I told them that for this one time, I'd do it all. They just needed to drive down. Luckily our lake house is only about 25 minutes away from town.

If you've been here long, you know that at this point in my life, I cook easy meals. I like home cooked food, but I am not looking for complicated recipes. This supper was so easy to make. But it would have been harder to transport to Linda's house because it involved two slow cookers and seven pints of ice cream. It was a good choice for a night they were coming to me.

I thought of all sorts of desserts I could make for us. But homemade dessert didn't happen. I bought seven pints of Jeni's ice cream. I had picked up a little box of tasting spoons at the grocery store a few weeks ago. And after supper we had an ice cream tasting. These good ladies had never heard of Jeni's ice cream. It's a special treat. And a major indulgence! It's not available everywhere, but I can find it at Publix and Whole Foods. That makes me happy because years ago it was nearly impossible to buy. Unless you lived in Columbus, OH.

My original thought for supper was to make these same fillings and use soft tortillas. My brilliant daughter Jessica pointed out that it would be less messy if we made "bowls." Of course, she was right. 

Miss Doris asked if I would put all of our supper recipes here in one post. They have all been on the blog before but she said she would like to have them together. Here is our menu:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the ladies got here, I knew we would be visiting on the porch for a while, so I fixed a tray of nibbles. Apple and pear slices, bought cheese crisps and I made a double batch of these nuts. The nuts are the easiest thing ever.

TOASTED MAPLE PECANS

1 cup pecan halves

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Salt

Pepper, optional

Preheat oven to 375º. Line a sheet pan (I used a quarter sheet pan) with parchment paper. 

Pour maple syrup over nuts in a small bowl and stir to coat. Spread in a single layer on a sheet pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper if using.

Toast nuts for 10 minutes then stir. Toast for another 2 minutes and taste them. Toast for another 2 minutes if needed. (Mine took the whole 14 minutes.) Let them cool before serving. Store in an airtight container.

Toasting pecans is a judgement call—they need to come out of the oven just before they are crisp because they will crisp up as they cool. 

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We have been making this recipes for years. I've used plain salsa. Salsa with corn and beans. It's your choice. But do choose a salsa you like. Different brands have different flavors.

SALSA CHICKEN (slow cooker)

3 or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 jar salsa (I used a 24-oz jar of black bean & corn salsa)
2 teaspoons (I just sprinkled some over) homemade fajita seasoning 
          OR 1 packet taco seasoning

Put a thin layer of salsa into bottom of crockpot. Place chicken breasts in a plastic bag, add fajita (taco) seasoning and shake to coat breasts. Put chicken into crockpot and cover with remaining salsa. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Put shredded chicken back into crockpot and mix with salsa.

~~~~~

Another easy, much used recipe. I made this on the stovetop, then put it in a smaller crockpot to keep warn until we ate. I quibbled about how much to make for six of us and ended up doubling the recipe. Needless to say, I'll be eating beans and rice the rest of the week. I think I could have used 3 cans of beans and the appropriate amounts of everything else and it would have been just right.

CUBAN BLACK BEANS

2 teaspoons olive oil
1-1/2  cup chopped red onion
1 red bell pepper, diced
1-1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 (15-oz) cans black beans
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped red onion for serving
I lime, cut into wedges
cooked brown rice

Heat oil in a large nonstick skilled over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6-7 minutes. Add garlic, cumin and oregano, stirring to mix. Cook another 30 seconds. Stir in beans (with their liquid) and water. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to let flavors blend. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.

To serve, spoon beans over brown rice and sprinkle with chopped onion. Squeeze a lime wedge over each serving.

~~~~~

I will be forever grateful to Al Roker from The Today Show. I started following him on Instagram during the pandemic and discovered he posts what he cooks for dinner most days. And those meals very often include "pasta cooked brown rice." Just a hash tag. I finally thought I'd see if I could find out what he meant. Google was all I needed. And I have not cooked brown rice another way since then.

PASTA COOKED BROWN RICE

brown rice (amount isn't critical, but I typically use 1-1/2 cups)

water

Bring a big pot of water to a boil.

Rinse uncooked brown rice. 

Stir rice into boiling water. 

Let boil 30-35 minutes. Drain into colander. (Make sure the holes are small enough to not lose the rice.) Put the rice back into the empty hot pot. Put a lid on it, pull off the heat, and let it stand for 10 minutes to steam. 

To finish the menu, I had chopped red onion, diced tomatoes, sliced avocado, and lime wedges for toppings. And we opened a bag of blue corn chips. If you count WW points (purple plan,) that is nearly a 0 point meal if you skip the avocado. And I am certainly not talking about the Jeni's ice cream!!!

If anyone is curious, our seven ice cream flavors were 

• Lemon & Blueberries Parfait
• Boston Cream Pie
• Blackout Chocolate
• Savannah Buttercream Mint
• Gooey Butter Cake
• Brambleberry Crisp
• Sweet Cream Biscuits & Peach Jam

Which was the favorite? Hands down, it was which ever one we were had in our mouth. They are all that good.

FYI, you can order Jeni's and have it shipped to you. Mommy and J-Daddy have done this and she says it arrived frozen. But it's way cheaper to buy it at the store!

 

Crazy In The Kitchen

Today, like so many others, we will be busy in the kitchen. I'll be making most of the foods I'll take tomorrow to our family Thanksgiving gathering. We all pretty much take the same things every year so that all of the favorites are on the table. It would be so sad if I decided to mix it up one year and there was no macaroni and cheese!

Here are links to the recipes I'm making:

Mimi Bread—otherwise known as Sourdough Bread
I've been taking homemade bread since before I was married. It's too late for you to make this for tomorrow because the starter takes several days to make, but you can start now for Christmas. It also makes a great gift.

Sweet Potato Biscuits
Delicious! I'll take these in addition to a few loaves of bread. These can also be frozen for baking later, if you have a party coming up. Or, have them ready for Christmas Day breakfast.

Macaroni & Cheese
In most other parts of the country, this dish involves a cheese sauce and maybe it is baked after the sauce is stirred in. But this recipe is how we do it in the upstate. This is how my grandfather made it. And we still do it the same way.

Cranberry Apple Crunch
Jessica makes this recipe every year. It's good as a side dish. We enjoy the leftovers as dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Pecan Toffee Tarts
If time permits, I'll make these, too. When a whole slice of pie is too much, these bite-size treats are just right. (I will tell you I learned that these do not freeze well. The crust isn't crisp after freezing. You can make them the day before, though.)

Turkey in the Slow Cooker
While we aren't responsible for the Thanksgiving turkey, I'll probably do this one for us to enjoy over the weekend. Doesn't make the presentation that an oven roasted turkey does, but it tastes great. We just want this to pretend we have leftovers!

While we are busy stirring, peeling, chopping, and baking today and tomorrow, let us be sure to give thanks for the abundance that we enjoy. And then let us do something to share some of our bounty with others. Drop something in a red kettle in front of a store. Take a name from an angel tree. Even take a plate of dinner to a neighbor. But always, always share.


Afternoon Update:  Bread's done!

A Day At Pie Shop

I love living in the country but a trip to the city is exciting, too. As long as I know I'm coming home when the traffic has overwhelmed me. I went to Atlanta over the weekend for a visit with Jessica. We were attending a pie making class first thing on Saturday morning. 

The temperature was crisp and cool when we arrived at Pie Shop in Buckhead. Mims, the owner and instructor, had everything set out and ready for us to begin. (I think I like cooking where someone else does all the before and after parts.)

The pie of the day was apple pie. A perfect choice for a fall day.  We each found a place at the work table, ready to get to work.

As we worked, we learned about pie-making basics. For the pie crust (understandably, she didn't give us her signature recipe,) choose a flour with a lower gluten flour, such as White Lily. Makes better crust than flours like King Arthur with a higher gluten content. Those flours are better for baking yeast breads. Her choice for a fat was unsalted butter.

We learned about rolling out the crust—flip it over each time as you rotate it. And be sure to lift the pin off the dough just before you get to the edge. If you roll all the way to the edge, that part will be too thin.

Getting the crust into the pan is simple if you fold it over a couple of times before you move it. When you place the bottom crust in the pan, don't press it in—just drop the pan onto the countertop a couple of times and let it settle in.

Then we tacked that big basket of apples. About seven or eight apples peeled and sliced was enough to fill a pie. Slice them thin.

Our apples were sliced about 1/4-inch thick and mixed with only 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of allspice and cloves. Mims told us that she liked the fruit to shine through in the filling, not the sugar.

Tucking the top crust under the bottom crust and crimping the edges were the last step in our process. And don't forget to cut a vent! Any design you want. I went for the traditional, but others were more creative. 

When the pies went into the oven to bake, we got to sit down. She asked if we would like to try some of her pie. Of course! We all chose a different kind—pumpkin, sweet potato, honey chess, coconut cream, and bacon/tomato quiche. It would be hard to choose a favorite.

And before we knew it, the pies were done. What a souvenir to take home to Daddy-O!     I should have alerted him to buy ice cream.

How much fun it was to spend time with daughter Jessica and her friends. Who are now my friends. If you find yourself in Atlanta in the Buckhead area, stop by Pie Shop for a slice or even a whole pie. There is even an option for ordering online. Thank you, Mims, for a real Saturday treat.

Garden Glory

Long hot summer days are here. There isn't a much better way to cool off than the way Little Sister does it—playing in the "sprinkles." Daddy-O said he knew he had put in the irrigation system for a reason. This may be the best use ever.

Our garden this year is a small one and much of it is wilting in the dry heat. Except for the herbs. I've always figured they are cousins to weeds. Since I have a brown thumb instead of a green one, I limit my gardening to the herbs.

But even with the lack of rain, our garden has yielded enough zucchini and squash and cucumbers to keep us in summer vegetables. And the garden next door has provided potatoes and onions. Publix and Bilo have filled in the gaps.

A side dish at a favorite restaurant we enjoyed while I was doing my grandmother tour of duty in the midwest gave me an idea for a new way to cook the ever-abundant squash and zucchini. They served just zucchini cut into a large dice and cooked with a quick saute. I've done my version twice in the last four days.  If I didn't have to feed the other people in this house, I'd have eaten it all myself. It's not really a recipe, but here is what I did:

FRESH MIXED VEGETABLES

Cut assorted vegetables into 1/2-inch cubes. (I quartered the squash and zucchini lengthwise, then cut 1/2-inch slices.) Heat 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add vegetables to hot skillet. Season with House Seasoning (or salt, pepper & garlic powder.) Let vegetables cook until the bottom begins to get a little color, then turn with a spatula. Continue browning, then turning until everything is tender crisp. The really good flavor comes from the golden brown color. 

The top photo I made with zucchini, squash, onion, carrot, celery, corn, green peppers, and grape tomatoes (halved.)

The bottom photo has new potatoes (let these cook about 5 minutes before adding the rest,) zucchini, squash, red pepper, celery, onion, and corn.

And the cucumbers are ready, too. If I could only have two garden vegetables, I would choose cucumbers and tomatoes. I'm a little sad for those folks who can't just go pick these in the back yard. 

Here is our favorite way to enjoy the cucumbers. This is as quick and easy as it is delicious. 

CUCUMBER SALAD

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

3 slightly-rounded tablespoons sugar

sprinkle of salt 

cucumbers, peeled & thinly sliced

sweet onion, thinly sliced & separated into rings

Mix vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Stir until sugar dissolves. Pour over cucumbers and onion. Place in refrigerator for an hour or longer before serving.

We didn't have an hour before lunch today, so I can tell you that 30 minutes in the vinegar mixture was pretty good. We'll enjoy the rest at supper tonight. 

I always do these in a glass bowl because I think the vinegar mix is better that way. Today I got to use my new favorite kitchen storage containers--the glass bowls with Easy-Find lids from Rubbermaid. I am remembering how much better things keep in glass instead of plastic. I found some at Target and another little set of small ones at the grocery store. 

Now we are waiting on the tomatoes. 

Stuff Happens

Ever have one of those days? Early this morning the Fedex man rang the doorbell. It was a drop-and-dash kind of delivery. Daddy-O brought the big box inside. I wasn't expecting anything, but thought maybe it was a surprise!

It was a surprise all right. It wasn't mine. The box had been delivered to the wrong address—wrong as in wrong town and wrong zip code. So I spent the next part of the morning calling to get that reported and a pick up arranged—voice-activated system, then a real person, and lots of reading off long numbers to the nice man. There's a poor lady somewhere wondering why she doesn't have her order when the tracking shows "left at the door."

After lunch, we stopped to get gas and the credit card didn't work. Got home to find a message on the answering machine to call the credit card company. They had locked the card because of a "potential fraud use." The only charge in question was the attempt at the gas station---the same gas station we use once a week with the same card we always use. I made another round of the "please press 2 if..." kind of maze to get the card unlocked. All is fine now.

So I'm not cooking supper. Something from the freezer will do. At the rate I'm going, the oven would not heat. Or it would blow up. I really don't want to work through another set of phone button-pressing menus to call a repair man.

That means it's a good time to share another recipe from our Saturday night feast. Nothing that Jessica cooked was particularly difficult or time consuming, but we stayed in the kitchen all afternoon because she cooked so many things at one time!

Try this chicken with a couple of easy sides and your family will love you. Your house will smell divine. The combination of the glaze and the dry rub and the fresh sage creates an aroma that is incredible. Really.

ROASTED BOURBON GLAZED CHICKEN

4 large, bone-in split chicken breasts (about 4.5-5 lbs.)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoon olive oil

Glaze:

1-1/2 cups bourbon*

1-1/4 cups brown sugar**

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon ground mustard (dry)

fresh sage leaves, if desired (Don't skip this! It's a big part of why it's so good.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.*** (see notes at bottom of recipe!!!)

Combine the bourbon, sugar, mustard, garlic, honey, vinegar and worcestershire in a small saucepan and whisk. Heat over high heat and allow it to come to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until mixture reduces by about half. Set aside and let sit at room temperature while you prepare the chicken. The glaze will thicken a bit at this time.

In a bowl, combine salt, pepper, paprika, onion and garlic powder. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Season chicken breasts on both sides with mixture, then place skin-side down in the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown, then flip and repeat on the other side. 

When finished, add chicken to a 9x13-inch baking pan. Pour half of the glaze over the top of the chicken, add sage leaves on top if desired, then bake for 30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Halfway through cooking, brush with a little more glaze. 

Serve with additional glaze. (And eating the crispy sage was a treat. Don't pick it off and lay it aside.)

Jessica's notes:

*I used the black cherry bourbon my parents had on hand—it’s extra sweet and they’ve been trying to use it up when a recipe calls for bourbon.

**Since the bourbon was extra sweet, I only added half a cup of brown sugar.

***The chicken breasts were so large, I was skeptical of the cooking temperature and time. I baked mine at 350 for an hour (or until the internal temp is around 170). We cranked the oven up to 425 for the last 5-10 minutes to crisp up the sage and skin.

The recipe above is as Jessica found it online. And then she included her notes of how she cooked it. If I did it again (and I will) I'll do it the way she did it. Sometimes you just need to trust your own instincts.

I want to end this blog post on a positive note, so let me say that voice-recognition systems work better than they used to. The real person I talked to at FedEx was really nice and helpful. And when today's mail came, I had two hand-written thank you notes in the stack. Good stuff happens, too.

The Frost Is (Almost) On The Pumpkin

It's that time of year. Pumpkin spice lattes are back at Starbucks. Look for pumpkin ice cream at Trader Joe's. It's time to make pumpkin pies, pumpkin cake, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin anything. I like it all.

I made these two loaves last night to take to church this morning for the before-Sunday School coffee time. Both daughters have made this recipe many times. When Mommy taught kindergarten, she took it for snack time when they were talking about "fall things" and all the five-year-olds loved it.

If you make it in 8-inch foil pans, you can get three loaves from one recipe--one for you and two for giving. And it freezes well.

Pumpkin Bread

3-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 large eggs
1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin

Stir together flour and remaining ingredients in a large blow until smooth. Divide batter evenly between 2 greased and floured 9-inch loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted into center of each loaf comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

OR you can divide between three 8-inch foil loaf pans and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until done.


And because I like autumn and pumpkins so much, I'll share another favorite recipe. No photo of this one, because I haven't made it yet this year. But trust me, it is a wonderful dessert. We had it first when a friend served it at a bridal luncheon for Mommy. Even people who say they don't like pumpkin, like this one. Just don't tell them what it is until they have tasted it!

Pumpkin Crunch

(15-oz) can pumpkin
(12-oz) can evaporated milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Lightly grease the bottom of a 9x13-inch dish. Mix the above ingredients and pour into dish.
Sprinkle 1 box Duncan Hines Yellow cake mix (dry, right out of box) over pumpkin mixture.
Melt 1-1/2 sticks butter and pour over cake mix.
Sprinkle 1-1/2 cups chopped nuts over the butter.

Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Let cool completely.

Topping:
1 box powdered sugar
8-oz. cream cheese, softened
8-oz. Cool Whip
Mix cream cheese and sugar. Then fold in Cool Whip and spread over top of dessert. Refrigerate until serving time. Cut into squares to serve. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon or chopped nuts to garnish.


Take this to your next church dinner and let people try to figure out what it is. Besides good! And how could I talk about fall and pumpkins and not think about this poem. Remember this?

When The Frost is On The Punkin  by James Whitcomb Riley, 1853-1916 When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock, And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin’ turkey-cock, And the clackin’ of the guineys, and the cluckin’ of the hens, And the rooster’s hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence; O, it’s then’s the times a feller is a-feelin’ at his best, With the risin’ sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest, As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock, When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock. They’s something kindo’ harty-like about the atmusfere When the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’ fall is here— Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees, And the mumble of the hummin’-birds and buzzin’ of the bees; But the air’s so appetizin’; and the landscape through the haze Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days Is a pictur’ that no painter has the colorin’ to mock— When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock. The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn, And the raspin’ of the tangled leaves, as golden as the morn; The stubble in the furries—kindo’ lonesome-like, but still A-preachin’ sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill; The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed; The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover over-head!— O, it sets my hart a-clickin’ like the tickin’ of a clock, When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock! Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps Is poured around the celler-floor in red and yeller heaps; And your cider-makin’ ’s over, and your wimmern-folks is through With their mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and saussage, too! ... I don’t know how to tell it—but ef sich a thing could be As the Angels wantin’ boardin’, and they’d call around on me— I’d want to ’commodate ’em—all the whole-indurin’ flock— When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock!

The Grandmother Gig Greatest Hits

 Yes, I'm still here. Just staying busy. Or moving slower as I get older, therefore not getting as much done. Both poor excuses for not posting. But this morning as I was looking in the recipe index here I realized I need to keep up with sharing new recipes. It is easier for me to find them again here than it is to remember where I found the recipe originally.

But before I actually share a NEW recipe, I'm going to repost a blog from over a decade ago. Tomorrow is the first day of fall. The pumpkin farm down the road from us opens today. Mommy's family arrived here last night (fall break for them) and she was telling me she took pumpkin bread to her new neighbors. 

So here are some of my favorite pumpkin recipes. There are others on the blog that are also good. Pumpkin Pie Twists. Pumpkin Angel Food Cake. Pumpkin Ring Cake. Turkey Pumpkin Chili. I like them all, but you can't go wrong with these that I've been making for many years. The post below is also a reminder of how long I've been doing this blog!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

The Frost Is (Almost) On The Pumpkin

It's that time of year. Pumpkin spice lattes are back at Starbucks. Look for pumpkin ice cream at Trader Joe's. It's time to make pumpkin pies, pumpkin cake, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin anything. I like it all.

I made these two loaves last night to take to church this morning for the before-Sunday School coffee time. Both daughters have made this recipe many times. When Mommy taught kindergarten, she took it for snack time when they were talking about "fall things" and all the five-year-olds loved it.

If you make it in 8-inch foil pans, you can get three loaves from one recipe--one for you and two for giving. And it freezes well.

Pumpkin Bread

3-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 large eggs
1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin

Stir together flour and remaining ingredients in a large blow until smooth. Divide batter evenly between 2 greased and floured 9-inch loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted into center of each loaf comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

OR you can divide between three 8-inch foil loaf pans and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until done.


And because I like autumn and pumpkins so much, I'll share another favorite recipe. No photo of this one, because I haven't made it yet this year. But trust me, it is a wonderful dessert. We had it first when a friend served it at a bridal luncheon for Mommy. Even people who say they don't like pumpkin, like this one. Just don't tell them what it is until they have tasted it!

Pumpkin Crunch

(15-oz) can pumpkin
(12-oz) can evaporated milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Lightly grease the bottom of a 9x13-inch dish. Mix the above ingredients and pour into dish.
Sprinkle 1 box Duncan Hines Yellow cake mix (dry, right out of box) over pumpkin mixture.
Melt 1-1/2 sticks butter and pour over cake mix.
Sprinkle 1-1/2 cups chopped nuts over the butter.

Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Let cool completely.

Topping:
1 box powdered sugar
8-oz. cream cheese, softened
8-oz. Cool Whip
Mix cream cheese and sugar. Then fold in Cool Whip and spread over top of dessert. Refrigerate until serving time. Cut into squares to serve. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon or chopped nuts to garnish.


Take this to your next church dinner and let people try to figure out what it is. Besides good! And how could I talk about fall and pumpkins and not think about this poem. Remember this?

When The Frost is On The Punkin  by James Whitcomb Riley, 1853-1916 When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock, And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin’ turkey-cock, And the clackin’ of the guineys, and the cluckin’ of the hens, And the rooster’s hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence; O, it’s then’s the times a feller is a-feelin’ at his best, With the risin’ sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest, As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock, When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock. They’s something kindo’ harty-like about the atmusfere When the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’ fall is here— Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees, And the mumble of the hummin’-birds and buzzin’ of the bees; But the air’s so appetizin’; and the landscape through the haze Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days Is a pictur’ that no painter has the colorin’ to mock— When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock. The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn, And the raspin’ of the tangled leaves, as golden as the morn; The stubble in the furries—kindo’ lonesome-like, but still A-preachin’ sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill; The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed; The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover over-head!— O, it sets my hart a-clickin’ like the tickin’ of a clock, When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock! Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps Is poured around the celler-floor in red and yeller heaps; And your cider-makin’ ’s over, and your wimmern-folks is through With their mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and saussage, too! ... I don’t know how to tell it—but ef sich a thing could be As the Angels wantin’ boardin’, and they’d call around on me— I’d want to ’commodate ’em—all the whole-indurin’ flock— When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock!