Pumpkin Doesn’t Grow in a Can: Fresh Pumpkin Processing

November 20, 2012 By 3 Comments

Since a reader asked here is a quick version of Fresh Pumpkin Processing!

In case you don’t know, pumpkin doesn’t grow in can and it feels so wrong to admit to that. I grew up eating Libby’s Pumpkin. It was the ONLY pumpkin mom ever bought. It was the best and for pumpkin pie, you had to have the best.

That all changed two years ago when Jo at Miller Farms Market introduced me to fresh pumpkin and how to process it. (THANK YOU, Jo!)

Here are my two current favorite pumpkins … Long Island Cheese Pumpkin and the Peanut Pumpkin …

I have pictures I took that are a step by step process for how to make your own fresh pumpkin that post will take me hours to write. I don’t have hours so here is the quick version.

1. Cut your pumpkin in half (vertical half not horizontal half!)

2. Clean out the seed and strings. (Save the seeds if you have time to roast them.)

3. Place the pumpkin cut side down on a cookie sheet in an oven set 350 degrees for 45 minutes. (This is an average time so might be more or less … you want a fork to go in easily … like a baked potato!)

4. Place a colander over a deep mixing bowl. Lay cheese cloth (you can find at Target or Bed Bath and Beyond) in the bowl (I use two layers.)

5. Let the pumpkin cool for AT LEAST an hour and use your hands to scoop the flesh into the bowl you set-up!

6.  Let sit for 3-4 hours to drain.

7. Process the pumpkin in a food mill to get the stringy part out of the pulp.

8. Place it back on the rinsed out cheese cloth for another 3-4 hours to drain.

9. Use a dry measuring cup to measure out 2 cups of pumpkin and put into FREEZER ziploc bags. (most recipes call for 2 cups of pumpkins because that is what is in a can!) Lay flat and freeze OR use in 2-3 days.

So if you don’t have all day to do this, you can do what I had to do this time which was go through step 5 and put the bowl in the fridge overnight. The next evening take the bowl out of the fridge about 2 hours before you can process it. Food mill the pumpkin and then put it back in the fridge overnight.

It might seem like a lot but it really isn’t that much effort as most of it inactive time. Plus your pumpkin pie or cheesecake will never be the same.

I will get Brian to post his pumpkin cheesecake recipe before Thanksgiving. I make the pumpkin … he makes the cheesecake! ;)

What do you think? Are you ready to head out to get a fresh pumpkin? You have time! Go knock the socks off every this Thanksgiving!

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Plate to Pixel: Digital Food Photography & Styling

October 20, 2012 By 3 Comments

 

Details …

Tips and techniques for making food look good—before it tastes good!

Food photography is on the rise, with the millions of food bloggers around the word as well as foodies who document their meals or small business owners who are interested in cutting costs by styling and photographing their own menu items, and this book should serve as your first course in food photography. Discover how the food stylist exercises unique techniques to make the food look attractive in the finished product. You’ll get a taste of the visual know-how that is required to translate the perceptions of taste, aroma, and appeal into a stunning, lavish finished photograph.

  • Takes you through the art and techniques of appetizing food photography for everyone from foodies to food bloggers to small business owners looking to photograph their food themselves
  • Whets your appetite with delicious advice on food styling, lighting, arrangement, and more
  • Author is a successful food blogger who has become a well-known resource for fellow bloggers who are struggling with capturing appetizing images of their creations

So, have the cheese say, “Cheese!” with this invaluable resource on appetizing food photography.

Our Thoughts …

This book is so full of information that a review here will not really do it justice. I have to say that if take pictures of food … or really anything that is stationary and staged, this book is not only a resource but a great investment to work towards perfecting your art!

My favorite part of the book is the desserts section. I cook more desserts than Brian so that is why I love this section so much. A dessert can being boring or bland so I have loved reading these tips to try to not just get lucky with pictures like I did with my Vegan Chocolate Cupcake picture. I want to be consistent in the dessert pictures I take!

I also loved, loved, loved the tips about props. You feel like you need to get something new a shiny when taking pictures but the big secret is that you can get away with a yard sale find to make a wonderful food picture! I have started to buy Brian plates and bowls when I see them. Two of my favorite plates I found since reading these tips are from the dollar store!

We have placed this book near the reading chair in our bedroom so that we can look at it when we get a chance. I feel like every time I read through the book, I get new ideas on how to capture and share the wonderful creations that come out of humble little kitchen!

This book is available on Amazon for a great price but you can find it at many bookstores and libraries.

Have you tried taking pictures of food? Do you have any favorite tips? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Review Disclaimer

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Powerless Breakfast on the Grill

July 7, 2012 By 7 Comments

So what do you do when you wake up and the power is still out from when it went out at 9pm? You strategically plan on how both you and your spouse can get items out of the fridge at the exact same time. You talk through where everything is and who gets what and then you  open the doors praying to feel coldness.

We did! The milk and the eggs were still cold!!! We grabbed the cheese and bacon too. If it was going bad, we should use it up, right?!

That was us last Saturday morning. After that craziness in the kitchen, Brian went out to the grill …

Boiling eggs in the pot … cooking bacon the cast iron …

Scrambling eggs (using the bacon grease as the fat!) …

And ta-da breakfast was served …

It was so good too! It was great energy to go start working on cutting up THAT tree! As of Thursday night, the tree is all cut up. Some of it went off to age for a family in need for this coming winter. Some it is sitting in the back field waiting to dry out so we can burn it in the fall.

As I said in the post on Wednesday about the derecho storm that came through, we were blessed to only have one grilled breakfast. There are still families in this area that don’t have power (tonight will make a week of no power for them). It is great to hear stories of the community pulling together to help those in need though and a huge thank you to all of the power crews that came to Virginia to help! (I have heard of them coming Texas and even Canada!)

All that being said, what would you whip up for breakfast and you had to use up what was in your fridge fast if the power was out? Leave us a comment and let us know!

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Friday Favorite: Oneida Trigger Cookie Scoop

May 25, 2012 By 4 Comments

 

Details …

The Oneida Trigger Cookie Scoop is an essential tool for anyone who loves to bake. This classic, trigger-style scoop features a brushed stainless steel handle. It’s also dishwasher safe for easy clean-up.
Oneida Trigger Cookie Scoop:

  • Trigger-style cookie scoop
  • Made of stainless steel
  • Brushed handle
  • Dishwasher safe

Our Thoughts …

I thought about this being a Friday Favorite recently but we had a comment in my Cookie Therapy Wordless Wednesday post about how the cookies were so round so I decided to make this post now!

This cookie scoop is a favorite because of the “trigger” design. Most cookie scoops seem to have two handles that you squeeze together. I just don’t have the same success with those that I have with this cookie scoop. You will end up with cookie that are all the same size so they bake evenly which is really great. The chocolate chip cookies don’t get the perfect round edges like these oatmeal raisin ones but the peanut butter cookies get pretty edges too! You will find this is a kitchen gadget that you use all of the time as soon as you have one!

I have no idea where we bought this but the only place I am seeing this Oneida Cookie Scoop online is Walmart.

Do you use a cookie scoop? Do you use this trigger style or the two handle squeeze style? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Filed Under: Friday Favorites, Memes, Simply Food, Tips & Techniques Tagged With: , , , , ,

Friday Favorite: Carnation Lemon Bread Kit

March 2, 2012 By 6 Comments

Friday Favorites is another almost weekly feature here at Simply Budgeted. The whole point of this feature is to share some of our favorite finds. Anything is game. Food. Cleaning supplies. Kid stuff. Garden favorites. Recipes. Anything that I really like and want to randomly post about.

Reminder/Disclaimer/Whatever: Everything in Friday Favorites is something that we use and bought on our own.

Details …

Kit Includes: 1 Carnation Evaporated Milk; 1 bread mix; 1 lemon glaze. Naturally flavored. With lemon zest glaze. Made with real lemon zest. For bread or muffins. Makes 1 loaf or 12 muffins. Just add eggs, oil and water. No preservatives. No artificial flavors. No artificial colors. 0 g trans fat per serving. It’s good to know. Did you know Carnation Evaporated Milk is fresh, nutritious milk from which half the water has been removed. This special concentration of milk helps baked goods retain their tenderness and moistness.

Our Thoughts …

Ta-da!

I bought this kit on a whim one weeknight when I ran into Walmart for cheese on my way home from work for dinner that night. This mix was less than $3 and I was at home the next day with Sophie and Matthew. I knew Sophie would love baking with me and this would make that task easy.

Sophie (4 years old) did love making this. You only need a spoon to stir it so she was all over that. The one note I have is that takes almost an hour to bake so don’t think it is exactly like a cake mix and will be out of the oven in half an hour!  So just plan ahead when you make this treat. It is super yummy and more like a dessert than a sweet bread so maybe you should save it for after dinner like we did.

I hope you can find this at a grocery store near you soon to try.

Have you tried this mix before? Leave me a comment and let me know. Do you have another mix that we should? I would love to hear about it as I love to cheat in the kitchen!

Filed Under: Friday Favorites, Memes, Simply Food, Tips & Techniques Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Gold Teflon Skillet

December 8, 2011 By

We were sent a 10” skillet with Gold Teflon® nonstick coating. It is a special edition that was created in celebration of DuPont’s 50th Anniversary! This is perfect for the holidays as well, because nothing says celebration more than cooking with a little sparkle!

I had the first crack at testing this skillet out. Yes, I am not the family cook and I am fully aware of that. I decided to try my hand at scrambled eggs. We love scrambled eggs at our house. The problem is that I cook them like my family does and Brian well cooks them some other way. I claim to have the “normal” way though so don’t pop my bubble. I add milk and then salt and pepper  …. then wallah … yummy scrambled eggs. Here they are …

 

Notice they did not stick to the pan! Since I am dishes woman around here most of the time. I love cooking items that clean easy. I was excited that this pan cleaned easy! This is my new scrambled egg pan for sure … Brian can keep his hands off it with his non-milky eggs!=P

DuPont Teflon site has great information about the their Teflon!  Follow Teflon on Twitter, @TeflonBrand, and like them on Facebook here.

We are excited to giveaway a 12″ Farberware Restaurant Pro  Open Skillet to one of our readers!

 

Details:
This drawing will end Thursday, December 22nd at 11:59pm EST. The winner will have 48 hours to reply with their address. You must include your email address in the comment form so you can be contacted if you are a winner! You must complete the Mandatory Entry for the additional entries to count.

This giveaway is open to US residents only!

So how do you enter?

Mandatory Entry: Tell me what you want to cook in a Teflon skillet!

Additional Entries:

1) Follow us on Facebook HERE. Worth two entries so leave two comments here! (Psst … we love comments on Facebook so maybe you can leave us one!)
2) Follow BOTH SimplyBudgeted and This_Cookin_Dad on Twitter. Leave a THREE comment with your twitter name.
3) Tweet about this giveaway with this tweet:

RT #Win a 12″ Farberware Restaurant Pro  Open Skillet featuring @TeflonBrand at @simplybudgeted http://bit.ly/vVFl2l ends 12/22 #giveaway #cooking #skillet

Leave a comment with the URL for your tweet. (One Tweet per day until end of giveaway!!)
4) Follow us publicly through the Google Friends Connect in the footer. Leave a comment with your name that you subscribe with.
5) Subscribe to the daily email here at Simply Budgeted. It is at the top of the sidebar!;) Please leave a comment. (worth 5 entries!)

NOTE: We were sent a sample product in support of this review. No other compensation was received. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are our honest opinion.

Filed Under: Promotional, Reviews, Simply Food, Tips & Techniques Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Friday Favorite: Sil-pin Bakers Rolling Pin

December 2, 2011 By 2 Comments

Friday Favorites is another almost weekly feature here at Simply Budgeted. The whole point of this feature is to share some of our favorite finds. Anything is game. Food. Cleaning supplies. Kid stuff. Garden favorites. Recipes. Anything that I really like and want to randomly post about. Reminder/Disclaimer/Whatever: Everything in Friday Favorites is something that we use and bought on our own.

Up this week …

Sil-pin Bakers Rolling Pin – Olive

Details …

Product: Sil-pin Bakers Style
Color(s): Black, Traditional Red and Olive
Material(s): Silicone construction
Description:
The “original” silicone rolling pin – Sil-pin is the future of baking today. Try our “bakers style” pin sans handles. A must for pros and home chefs alike, our critically acclaimed silicone design means no-stick, no-mess. Keep dough from tearing and avoid over flouring…nothing sticks to the Sil-pin. The Sil-pin makes cooking and cleanup in your kitchen fun. Take a Sil-pin for a roll.

  • Roller dimensions: 20″ x 2″
  • Silicone surface for easy clean-up

Our Thoughts …

We bought this several months ago from Head Chefs. We had reviewed a few of their items awhile back and I was excited to find this on their site because we actually didn’t have a baker’s rolling pin. We have a French rolling pin and a handled one but I don’t love either of those (Brian does!) I have used this Sil-pin Bakers Rolling Pin a fair amount since we got it. I loved it for the The Daring Baker’s October 2011 challenge (Povitica). I even loved it again tonight for the kinda pepperoni rolls I made.

But you want know the best part of this rolling pin? It is so easy to clean. Super easy. Just wipe it down and you are done the stuck flour or butter or whatever all comes right off. ahhhh. OK, back to reality … it is a really nice addition to the rolling pins we have and I am thrilled I opted for the silicone style for the bakers rolling pin!

psst … I picked the Olive one pictured above. It is a great funky color to add to our kitchen!

Filed Under: Friday Favorites, Memes, Simply Food, Tips & Techniques Tagged With: , , , ,

Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps-Stampin’ Up!

November 17, 2011 By

Details …

The Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps allow you to create beautiful, hand-stamped cookies in a flash. Just make your favorite shortbread cookie dough (or one of the two included recipes) and stamp away! The stamp images are completely food-safe and child-friendly. Pair the homemade cookies with hand-stamped packaging that you create using Stampin’ Up! product and you have a stunning neighbor gift for the upcoming holidays.

Our Thoughts …

I made the Sugar Cookie Recipe included in the box. Next time I think I will use my favorite sugar cookie recipe though.

Here is a pre-baked cookie and the stamp that made it!

Here the baked and decorated cookies … I loved the heart ones. I wasn’t sure how to decorate the snowflakes though. Any ideas?

Here are the completed boxes. These two boxes went to Grace’s kindergarten teachers!

I have to say I love the stamp and punch that made these boxes. I have been thinking about this punch since I used it. I think I will use it for some gift tags this holiday season!

We received:

•    Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamp (1), $16.95, item number
•    Kraft Gift Box (4), $2.95, item number 124106
•    Homemade stamp set (1), $8.95, item number 116978
•    2-3/8”Scallop Circle punch (1), $16.95, item number 118874
•    12”x12” Smooth Card Stock Very Vanilla(1), $5.95, item number 124301
•    Basic Black Stampin’ Spot (1) (not sold individually)
•    Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine (1), $2.95, item number 123125

We are excited to giveaway the same kit to one of our readers!

Details:
This drawing will end Thursday, December 1st at 11:59pm EST. The winner will have 48 hours to reply with their address. You must include your email address in the comment form so you can be contacted if you are a winner! You must complete the Mandatory Entry for the additional entries to count. This giveaway is open to US residents only !

So how do you enter?

Mandatory Entry: Visit www.stampinup.com/store and tell us your favorite Stampin’ Up! product and provide a link to that product in your comment.

Additional Entries:

1) Follow us on Facebook HERE. Worth two entries so leave two comments here! (Psst … we love comments on Facebook so maybe you can leave us one!)
2) Follow BOTH SimplyBudgeted and This_Cookin_Dad on Twitter. Leave a THREE comment with your twitter name.
3) Tweet about this giveaway with this tweet:

RT #Win a Stampin’ Up! Cookie Stamp kit at @simplybudgeted http://bit.ly/vQ0WH6 ends 12/1 #giveaway #cookies #baking

Leave a comment with the URL for your tweet. (One Tweet per day until end of giveaway!!)
4) Follow us publicly through the Google Friends Connect in the footer. Leave a comment with your name that you subscribe with.
5) Subscribe to the daily email here at Simply Budgeted. It is at the top of the sidebar!;) Please leave a comment. (worth 5 entries!)

NOTE: We were provided with a review kit to provide this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are our own.

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Meatless Monday: Middle East Feast

November 7, 2011 By 1 Comment

Today’s Meatless Monday was a clean out the cupboard meal. We had some Middle East mixes in the cupboard so they became tonight’s feast. We had the Manischewitz Falafel and Hummus mixes and a Near East Taboule.

My father visited the Middle East several times when I was growing up and introduced us to the lovely, simply cuisine of the region.  I have been to Israel a few times and to Iraq with the Army.  Sampling the local food only fueled my love of it.  When I introduced it to my wife, she didn’t really know what to think, but she has grown to appreciate and even seeks out this kind of food from time to time.  Now we are busy introducing this cuisine to our children.

Tonight’s plate has elements that are colorful, crispy, and creamy.  The taboulleh salad has fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers added after chilling the prepared box mix.  Store bought pita were cut into eighths and baked at 350 for 15-20 minutes to make crunchy chips for the hummus.  A couple of squeezes of lemon really brighten up the hummus and falafel, making them feel a little more like home made.  The salad with just a couple of drips of lemon rounds out the plate and adds a little color while upping the veggie ante a bit.

This is a full plate and shows that Meatless Monday doesn’t have to be complicated or super expensive.  The whole plate took about 30 minutes of active prep time.  Prepare everything the night before and dinner can be on the table in about 15 minutes!

Have any favorite Middle Eastern dishes?  How about a super simple meatless plate?  Leave us a comment and let us know!

Filed Under: Meatless Monday, Memes, Simply Food, Tips & Techniques Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Birthday Cake and More Birthday Cake

October 16, 2011 By 3 Comments

I am late getting this up. Really late actually as it has been about one and half months since Grace’s 5th birthday party for her friends. Grace turned five back in August. She had four cakes and one batch of cupcakes. Lucky girl!!! The cupcakes went to school for her birthday and I apparently failed to take a picture of them. Here is her 5th birthday cake collection though …

 

Wegman’s cake bought by Brian’s parents

Strawberry and Cherry cake made by my mom (this was a request by Grace and my mom went with it!)

Princess Castle cake made by me (on her actually birthday)

 

Rainbow cake made by me for her friend partyCheck out my tip on sorting the jelly beans for this cake!

 

Which on is your favorite? Leave a me a comment and let me know!

Filed Under: Kids, Simply Family, Simply Food, Tips & Techniques Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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