Pumpkin Pies!

Pumpkin blossom in July.

The pumpkins are growing in a bed with my sunflowers and cucumbers.

Josey with his pumpkin weighing in at 42.5 pounds!

Orin with his pumpkin weighing in at 20 pounds!

Evrett and his pumpkin weighing in at 17.5 pounds!

I had to hold his pumpkin while he stopped and picked a few raspberries to munch on.

The boys and their pumpkins!  Now to make pie!

I wanted to make pie and can some pumpkin to make pies for the holidays, but the USDA now warns against canning your own pumpkin.  For more information on why please read Pick Your Own- Pumpkin Precautions.  So I decided to make a few pies.  I used this recipe and set of instructions Pick Your Own- Pumpkin Pie from a Regular Jack O'Lantern Pumkin.

They came out perfect!

I also cooked pumpkin, cubed it, and froze it in ziploc bags to puree and make more pies later.

Mmmm, better have another piece!

Hot Pepper Garlic Jelly

    I just made this recipe and it is SOOOOO good.  We made some baked chicken glazed it with this jelly.  I am also going to use it for pot stickers and teriyaki beef.


http://www.food.com/recipe/hot-pepper-garlic-jelly-95632

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars

http://www.hugsandcookiesxoxo.com/2012/06/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-billionaire.html

Look for these at a bake sale!

Pull Apart Pastry

Petal Pull Aparts!  Yum!

http://www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com/?p=4595

Homemade Seaweed Snacks

Homemade Seaweed Snacks My kids love seaweed snacks and, truthfully, I don't my them because of the packaging and such as the author of this post states.  We will be trying these!

Homestead Survival: Delicious Baked Apple Pies

Homestead Survival: Delicious Baked Apple Pies: http://domesticdilettante.com/2012/01/11/applepie/  I have to try this!  What a great idea!

Basil Cubes!

     My family really likes basil, especially in pesto.  During the late summer months we have more than we know what to do with.  And yet, in the winter months I find myself buying pesto at the store.  So I asked a few friends about how keep basil and one of them shared this trick with me.  Now I blend my basil in the food processor with olive oil and freeze it in ice cube trays.  When the mixture is frozen, I pop them out in a ziplock bag to be used in sauces and yummy dishes year round!

I pick the tops and large leaves of my basil, leaving the smaller shoots to grow bigger for harvesting the next week.  I wash  the basil in water and let it drip dry a while before I begin to process it.

I fill my food processor full of basil, drizzle about 1/4 cup of olive oil on it, and blend.  I keep adding basil until my processor is full of this sauce or I use up all the basil I have.  I like to keep the olive oil to a minimum so that when I throw a few cubes in my spaghetti sauce at a later date, my sauce isn't full of oil.  I have found that it is easier to add olive oil when I am using the basil cubes if I need it.  I sometimes add fresh garlic, salt and pepper to the sauce before freezing.  I do not recommend adding parmesan  cheese before freezing, it has a n odd texture when used later.

When the basil and olive oil sauce is well blended, I pour it into ice cubes trays and freeze them overnight.

To store them, I simply put the cubes in a labeled ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to six months.  I use them in pesto, spaghetti sauces, and add them to some mayonnaise for sandwiches!  Enjoy!