Pumpkin Cake

Oven 350°F

Cream together 1/3 cup softened butter and 2/3 cup honey

Mix in 3 eggs, 1 cup canned pumpkin, 1/2 cup applesauce and 2 tsp vanilla

In separate bowl mix together:
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp allspice
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Mix dry ingredients into liquid ingredients. Pour into buttered 9" x 13"x 2" baking pan.

Bake for about 25-35 minutes until tests done with toothpick or cake tester.

Cool on rack. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Chopped pecans would be yummy in this cake too.

Recipe adapted from Sue Gregg's Eating Better Dessert Cookbook

Vanilla Ricotta Pie

This is nice for breakfast or brunch. Plan to make it ahead as it needs to cool and then sit in the refrigerator at least overnight. Plan to double it for 12 to 14 servings and cook it in a large spring-form pan.

Oven 350°F

Crust:

Mix in medium bowl:
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
Cut in 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter

Mix together in a measuring cup with spout:
1 slightly beaten egg
2 Tbsp whole milk
1/4 tsp vanilla

Stir into flour mixture. Work dough into a smooth ball. Roll out to about 1/8" thick between two sheets of wax paper or parchment paper. Fit into a small spring-form pan or a 8"-9" layer cake pan. Place in refrigerator to chill while mixing filling.

Filling:

With electric mixer or egg beater mix until smooth and creamy:
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb ricotta cheese-if using whey ricotta I add about 1 Tbsp cream also
1 Tbsp vanilla

Ladle filling into pan. Bake for almost 60 minutes. (If doubling it will take about 10 minutes longer.) Filling should be firm on the edges and pliant in the center. Completely cool on rack at room temperature. Center of pie will sink slightly. Refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving. Serves 6-8.

Using your Kitchen-Aid to make Applesauce

If you have the fruit/vegetable strainer attachment for your Kitchen-Aid mixer it is a breeze to make delicious applesauce.

All you need for ingredients are apples-I like to use a variety for better flavor and water!

1. Wash your apples in a produce wash if you think they have any sprays or contamination. If they are just dirty/dusty wash in warm water with a bit of soap. Rinse well

2. Chop apples in quarters. Remove stems. If apples are very large, cut in smaller pieces. They must fit through the shoot on the strainer.

3. In a large pan with a tight lid, put enough water to just about cover the bottom. Fill with your apples. Bring to a boil. It takes about 10-20 minutes depending on the apple type. The apples will get soft and puffy. Dump this pan in a large bowl and start your next pan.

4. I let my apples cool a bit before processing through the fruit/vegetable strainer. The strainer will remove all the peel, seeds and hard bits. This is great for your compost pile. Have a bucket at the end of the strainer to catch the refuse. The applesauce will slide down from the strainer and you will need a bowl underneath to catch it.

5. Put applesauce on stove to get hot again if you are going to can it. If freezing go ahead and put into your containers.

6. Fill clean hot jars with hot applesauce and place hot lids on. Process for your altitude.

Quick, Easy, Elegant Strawberries

Would you like a bite?

Wash some strawberries, shake off water, put in bowl.

Fill another small bowl with a bit of sugar–we used powdered sugar.

Get out some pretty napkins and enjoy!

Poppers (Snakebites take-off)

We have enjoyed "Snakebites" at a certain steak restaurant. This is a take-off from a regular popper recipe and the "Snakebites." I used mozzarella cheese because it softens nicely when warmed/cooked and lets the jalapeño flavor come through. These were a big hit with the guys.


Half and seed at least two large jalapeños. Then dice in pieces about 1/8" by 3/8".

3 oz. softened cream cheese
About 2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (Or use a cheese of your preference. Hard cheeses will not be as soft.) Use a coarse shred, not fine.

Centers bagged  frozen, waiting to be rolled and fried.

Mix cream cheese and shredded cheese together. Then add in diced jalapeño.
Roll cheese mixture in walnut-size balls. Place on plate or tray. Then place in freezer for about 1 hour.

Heat oil to 350°F
Roll each cheese ball in milk, flour, let dry a bit. Re-roll in milk and then bread crumbs.
Fry until lightly browned. Drain on brown paper or paper towels.

Hash Browns for the Freezer

The 8 Yukon Gold potatoes left in storage were starting to grow little sprouts-time to turn them into hash browns.

Wash potatoes. Cut out any spots, sprouts, etc. Slice in half. (Or the size convenient for your shredder.)

Place in large dutch oven with enough water to keep from boiling dry.

Cover and turn on high. Cook on high about 20 minutes. Should come to a boil. Turn off heat and let set a few more minutes. Remove lid and allow potatoes to cool enough to handle.

Run through shredder.

Wrap in plastic wrap in portion size. Here I did approximately 2 cups in plastic wrap. Then bagged the packages to help keep them together in the freezer.

To use: Place frozen or thawed hash browns in hot oil or butter in skillet. Fry. Flip and break up occasionally to ensure cooking thoroughly.

Pumpkin Experiment

Thanksgiving is over and it is time to deal with the pie pumpkins I picked up at Scoresby's Market for 50 cents each.

Having read about "roasting a pumpkin" to prepare the meat. I decided to try it.

Look at these after just one hour. This method is so much easier.

Wash well. Oil. Pop in the oven. Split open. Remove strings and seeds with ice cream scoop.

Then scoop out the meat for your recipe. Ready to use or freeze.