Finally, a better night's sleep (I cheated and took a melatonin tablet!). 5 AM and 28°.
I let our nice weather pass and never did get any outside yard work done.....somehow when winter hits and the trees loose their leaves, I am done outside and it is very hard for me to get motivated to garden again.
I will milk this morning.
Yesterday I made pumpkin bread using my frozen butternut squash from a few years ago. I put raisins and nuts in two loaves and left one plain. My family never wants anything added. This is a recipe I have been using for a very long time and makes three loaves.
Pumpkin Bread
Preheat Over to 350°
(I originally got this recipe from MIL)
3-1/3 cup flour
2 teas. baking soda
1-1/2 teas. salt
1 teas. cinnamon
1 teas. nutmeg
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
1 can pumpkin
3 cups sugar
1 cup nuts, optional
Sift dry ingredients together, including sugar into mixing bowl. Make a well in center and add other ingredients. Mix well. Add nuts if desired.
Pour into three medium sized, greased and floured loaf pans or two large ones or 5 very small foil pans (for the holidays as gifts).
Bake for l hour or until done. Check with straw or bamboo skewers ( I love these). For the smaller pans I figure about 45 minutes.
Remove from pans and cool on rack.
Note: I rarely sift anything. I just fluff it with a wire whisk and then measure.
I just put all this into the mixing bowl and blend the dry ingredients first then add everything else and just mix until blended....don’t overdo it.
We will be butchering in about a month so I am trying to empty out the meat freezer. I found two very large bread bags filled with Jonathon apple cores and peelings and brought them down to the house. I dumped all in my maslin pan (it filled it to the top and I had to press down to get the lid one) added some water and apple juice (I keep in the freezer for adding to various apple things for extra flavor) and cooked it until soft. I then strained it into a bowl for apple jelly and then ran the rest through my Foley Food Mill and got enough pulp to make 2- 1/2 pints of apple butter. I have a quart of juice for making jelly which I hope to get done today.
Just a note about the maslin pan. If you do a lot of food processing, you will love this pan! I don't know how I got by without it all these years. They are expensive but worth it. I have used it for apples, for cheese making, boiling large amounts of sweet corn, canning tomatoes, cooking down anything. The bottom is very thick and heavy and if I place the pan on my lowest burner, I can simmer all day without anything scorching. I did have to stir the apple butter often because of the sugar content.....it never scorched though.
I hope the Kindle comes today.....I have been using my Kindle PC app and reading at my desk. My sis and daughter have 'loaned' me 3 or 4 books and I have purchased two .99 ones from Amazon. This technology just amazes me!
Note: I had a question about tallow making the soap 'greasy'. No, it does not. I run all ingredients through Soapcalc9 before making.
I let our nice weather pass and never did get any outside yard work done.....somehow when winter hits and the trees loose their leaves, I am done outside and it is very hard for me to get motivated to garden again.
I will milk this morning.
Yesterday I made pumpkin bread using my frozen butternut squash from a few years ago. I put raisins and nuts in two loaves and left one plain. My family never wants anything added. This is a recipe I have been using for a very long time and makes three loaves.
Pumpkin Bread
Preheat Over to 350°
(I originally got this recipe from MIL)
3-1/3 cup flour
2 teas. baking soda
1-1/2 teas. salt
1 teas. cinnamon
1 teas. nutmeg
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
1 can pumpkin
3 cups sugar
1 cup nuts, optional
Sift dry ingredients together, including sugar into mixing bowl. Make a well in center and add other ingredients. Mix well. Add nuts if desired.
Pour into three medium sized, greased and floured loaf pans or two large ones or 5 very small foil pans (for the holidays as gifts).
Bake for l hour or until done. Check with straw or bamboo skewers ( I love these). For the smaller pans I figure about 45 minutes.
Remove from pans and cool on rack.
Note: I rarely sift anything. I just fluff it with a wire whisk and then measure.
I just put all this into the mixing bowl and blend the dry ingredients first then add everything else and just mix until blended....don’t overdo it.
We will be butchering in about a month so I am trying to empty out the meat freezer. I found two very large bread bags filled with Jonathon apple cores and peelings and brought them down to the house. I dumped all in my maslin pan (it filled it to the top and I had to press down to get the lid one) added some water and apple juice (I keep in the freezer for adding to various apple things for extra flavor) and cooked it until soft. I then strained it into a bowl for apple jelly and then ran the rest through my Foley Food Mill and got enough pulp to make 2- 1/2 pints of apple butter. I have a quart of juice for making jelly which I hope to get done today.
Just a note about the maslin pan. If you do a lot of food processing, you will love this pan! I don't know how I got by without it all these years. They are expensive but worth it. I have used it for apples, for cheese making, boiling large amounts of sweet corn, canning tomatoes, cooking down anything. The bottom is very thick and heavy and if I place the pan on my lowest burner, I can simmer all day without anything scorching. I did have to stir the apple butter often because of the sugar content.....it never scorched though.
I hope the Kindle comes today.....I have been using my Kindle PC app and reading at my desk. My sis and daughter have 'loaned' me 3 or 4 books and I have purchased two .99 ones from Amazon. This technology just amazes me!
Note: I had a question about tallow making the soap 'greasy'. No, it does not. I run all ingredients through Soapcalc9 before making.
Glenda - a question on the pumpkin bread. What size "1 can of pumpkin" and if you substitute mashed squash, how many cups of squash? Bread looks good and I'm thinking of my closet bin of butternuts...
ReplyDeleteGlenda ~ You are so productive. Your posts are always inspiring no matter what you are doing. I'm so glad you are enjoying your pan so much. There is nothing like having wonderful tools you enjoy using.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week ~ FlowerLady
Kris, a normal size,I think 16 oz or about 2 cups of squash. I try to freeze mine in 2 cup increments so I have the right amount for pies or breads. This bread freezes beautifully. Happy baking.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll try your recipe with some sweet potatoes I have mashed and frozen. I can smell it now. yum yum!
ReplyDeleteYou are queen of "Waste not, want not!" That's a very good thing these days. I hole up once it gets cold and yard work waits for spring. Looks like cold weather is headed our way later this week. Pumpkin bread sounds really good, I think I have a can in the pantry...thanks for the recipe sweetie!
ReplyDeleteI have kabocha puree to get through...we're going to try this recipe later today. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOh Yummmmmmm,
ReplyDeleteI have to try this, but unfortunatly, not today. Its Monday, and have lots piled up for today and the next few days.
I will let you know how I come out with the bread.
You need to bottle your getting things done and let some of us have it, I sure need it!
Have a wonderful week, Glenda
Bread looks good. I made some in mini loaf pans for Christmas-along with some others. Gave several as gifts so all gone now!
ReplyDeleteIs your Kindle the Fire? I think I would like one of those. I agree on the technology.
The bread looks and sounds good. I have some bananas I need to use up, thinking of making banana bread. Have a good week!
ReplyDeleteYou're on my hero list again! Will definitely be trying your pumpkin bread recipe tonight or tomorrow. My experiments with drying pumpkins/squash haven't been as wonderful as I thought(ugh... an hour of peeling, seeding and slicing to make a jam-packed full Excalibur 9-tray dehydrator, running two solid days and nights to dry down enough to grind into flour and I have 2 cups. TWO CUPS! It'll have to make some kind of dreamy recipe to ever go through that again). SO it's back to finding reliable ways to use puree from the freezer. Funny your family wants "no additives" -- I bet my daughter talks me into adding a big hit of orange zest to mine along with the spices and walnuts.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I make pies with my frozen puree too. We can see no difference. I will never can it again, faded color and I think it cooks the fresh flavor out!
ReplyDeleteI wish I had thought of orange zest! Coconut is a good addition too.
I use sweet potato puree, squash and pumpkin purees interchangeably.