Pie Pumpkin Puree ~ New Recipes Tried ~ Medjool Date Treat ~ First Cantaloupe

We finally got one evening of rain here.  I'm not sure how much more we'll get from the cucumbers, but they are almost all dead plants at this point.

The jalapenos are rolling in, so I have plans to bake us a jalapeno cheddar frittata for breakfast soon.  I also have plans to try a new hummus recipe (Jalapeno-Avocado).

I've been trying new tea infusions, and have included some new ones and excluded some we didn't like.  I found that yerba mate iced in the early part of the day is delicous with nothing else in it.

Once again, there are locals stealing, cars getting broke into, and in one small town, a person walked through the woods to break into a house.   

I have discovered something new!  I can substitute pie pumpkin puree for mashed bananas in a zucchini muffin recipe.  I have only made the recipe a few times, as we lacked the zucchini (squash bugs).

I did not know I could swap the pumpkin for the bananas, and I am blown away how good it tastes in the muffins.  I hope to try it in other recipes.

(You can read about pumpkin puree making last fall HERE)

Is there a book that is specific on recipes with either use pie pumpkin puree in recipes or with information on what you can swap pumpkin puree for?  I know you can use it for eggs, oil, and butter in baked recipes too.

I'm curious if other squash can be used in place of pumpkin puree (in case there is a year without a harvest).  For example, sweet potato, butternut squash, or roasted acorn squash.

My husband is not a fan of bananas, so I was thrilled to learn this swap with the pumpkin I froze last year.  By the way, the pie pumpkin we planted has been the best, but I only see about two on the vines this year (again squash bugs galore).

The recipe is online by Real Food Dietitions - Gluten Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins.

I'm not trying to go gluten free, but the oat flour in this worked great.  You can use all-purpose too, but I was trying to make them diabetic friendly for my husband.  I have to tell you, that the pumpkin puree muffins were more moist and we loved them.  I tossed in some chia seeds in both batches too.

Do you like medjool dates?  We love a sweet treat once in a great while, and these will be on the repeat list.  However, dates do not freeze solid, so here is my tip.  First, the filling is frozen in a loaf pan, then sliced, then dipped.  I do recommend cutting smaller pieces than the recipe says, and keeping half of it in the freezer, while you dip the first half.  The "frozen" filling will go too soft to dip.  I keep our finished treats in the freezer.  As you can see, when I attempted to cut one in half, the inside is too soft to do that (even frozen).  They are delicious.  I used a non-gmo dark chocolate.  Recipe is from Clean Food Crush  - Date Caramel Bites (free recipe online if you google it).

Medjool dates are pretty expensive here, so we do have to limit the purchase, but there may be a new cookie recipe tried in the near future.

                                               

August 14th, we enjoyed our first home grown canteloupe.  We have not grown fruit in several years here.

It's still hot and muggy here, which in August is pretty much the typical weather.  There is usually one week or weekend later in the month where it's cooler, but that is about it. 

I hope you enjoy your weekend.  

Pie Pumpkin Puree ~ New Recipes Tried ~ Medjool Date Treat ~ First Cantaloupe  © August 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

New Salad Recipe Tried

 

I tired another new salad recipe, but we really liked this as a meal itself to be honest.  We love the summer orzo salad we found last year, but this one is a keeper too.  It contains kidney, cannellini, and garbanzo beans.  I do suggest you make it ahead of time, so the beans have time to absorb delish dressing flavors.  I added the fresh herbs upon serving time to avoid them wilting.  I used about  a slightly less cup of about 1/4th, of red onion, but will add more next time.  Red onion is so potent, it's easy to over due it in a salad.

To minimize standing time on my feet (for now anyway), I broke out my new box chopper (bought over a month ago).  I can see why there is a mixed review on these gadgets.  I mean, if you love to cook, slicing and dicing is very thearaputic, but this gadget really sped up the time prepering the salad.

The orignial recipe calls for one red and one green bell pepper.  My husband did the shopping, so I wasn't going to complain about getting a red and yellow one ha ha!  

Imagine your summer grown cucumbers, bell peppers, red onion, fresh herbs from the herb garden (parsely, basil and mint), and a homemade vinagarette.  Delicous.

The orginal recipe is online free, with The Mediterranean Dish.

Note:  The only two things I left out, were the capers (didn't have any), and the 1 teaspoon of sugar in the dressing.  

Tip:  You need a half of a cucumber for the salad, so why not buy an extra cucumber and serve homemade chicken salad on cucumber slices?   You'd use up the other half, and get more sustanence with the meal.  

As for a review on my box chopper, it is not from Amazon. I bought it from a kitchen supply store.  It is built rather nicely, and it came with two different size cutting attachments (these easily remove).  The box unit did not have a mandolin option, as some do.  I most likely will use this for summer salads, but not that often.  It will come in handy.  

New Salad Recipe Tried  © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart