Pie Pumpkins ~ Interesting Tidbit ~ Stocking up and Preparedness

(2018 photo, the last time we grew them on the homestead)

There was a point when organic butter at the grocery store became horribly high priced.  It's still high, but I try to stock up when they have coupons or a sale.

However, I learned something new!  I have not tried it yet, but I have pie pumpkins planted this year.  

There are concerns all over this country dealing with certain foods, shortages, price hikes and the like.  

Most people are aware you can substitute unsweetened applesauce for oil when baking, but this next tidbit is new to me.

You can substitute pumpkin puree for oil or butter when baking, using 1 to 1 ratio.  Meaning if your recipe calls for 1 cup oil, use 1 cup pumpkin puree.

At harvest time, I roast the pumpkins (cut in half as shown in the photo), and let them cool down.  I scrape out the pumpkin, puree it in the food processor and freeze it in freezer containers.

Of course there are many other uses for pumpkin puree, and we even make a macaroni dish with pumpkin and sage.  

I hope you enjoyed this tidbit, and I hope to learn of many more as our country attempts to heal all the massive damage that was done to it.

Providing we have a  nice garden year and a nice harvest, we'll have them this year.  

My blogger "featured post" gadget is not working.  I will only pick up most recent posts, so that's frustrating.  I'm trying to update it. 

Garden is almost in. . .

Yesterday was a busy day for me.  Although late this year, I got some things planted in the vegetable garden - green beans, wax beans, zucchini, yellow squash, pie pumpkins, beets, carrots, radishes, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, green bell pepper plants, and mullein.  

I have more to plant.  Popcorn will go in next, and when my grow bags arrive I'll get my swiss chard, collards and kale planted.  We have resorted to putting down layers of cardboard topped with soil filled grow bags in place of building raised beds this year (to avoid high cost of lumber).

However, I have something digging in my grow bags that are already out there, so it'll be interesting to see how this goes.  I may need to put up a scarecrow this year again.

Our resident ground hot almost crossed the road the other day.  Our county pest picker-upper will no longer pick up.  It's up to us to trap and release.  I just may have to, if I can locate a release location.  I have eaten ground hog (at a historical festival roasted over a pit and seasoned), but .....

Our mower guy has been showing up again and taking that all day task off our list.  Thankfully too.  It's freeing up my husband's time to help with the garden and other things still on the long to-do list here.

Tuesday Tidbits

The weekend weather really put a damper on garden work and our motorcycle ride plans.  I however, was back to extreme cleaning in the utility room.  It's a big room - coat storage, school supply, canning supply, DIY supply and other storage.  It's 98% done now.

The weather was awful.  Cold, early mornings in the 40's, windy and rain.  The wind was so bad there was flooding up by the lake shore and the ferry shut down for 2 days.  The wind blew the chicken gate open and they were out happily free ranging for a bit ha ha!

I lost 10 tomato plants to the cold weather too.  Ugh. So far, I am unable to locate any plants to replace them.  I sure hope this is not a sign of how the year will be.

I am happy to see my cherry bomb seeds are sprouting.  They'll be a bit behind the other hot pepper plants, but I'm happy to find the seeds.

Water Glassing Eggs ~ Stocking Up ~ Preparedness

 

Don't mind my reflection in the bowl, ha ha!  I took the picture outside.  I cracked it outside.  Just in case things went bad with this water glassing process. I put them in the solution back in October of 2020.

I followed the instructions from Backyard Poultry.  I took one out to bake something.  The process worked great.  You do need fresh clean eggs and cannot use store bought eggs to do this.

I baked strawberry banana bread with the egg.

Wacky Weather and Planting

Only in our state.  We had very hot temps, followed by a downpour day, and now we are cooling down to nights being in the upper 40's.  Ugh.  Not good for the garden, but I'm still planting.  There is so much to get in the ground and the tiller still needs a new belt.  

Today we woke up to more rain.

The flowers are looking great, and my glady's are starting to come up.

I un-earthed these while cleaning.  They are paper book covers I had moved two times and still had them.  They are going to a family friend for her kids that are still in school.

I apologize, I forgot to post the winner of the Mystery box.  I had one the daughter's pull from a "hat" and that person is Amy.  Send me you info via email (contact email is on my blog).  Or comment here.  Congratulations and I hope you enjoy the mystery box of fun.

Random Tidbits

 

Wednesday was a rainy day work day.  I picked the utility room to purge, deep clean and organize.  I am getting rid of a box of school supplies to a good friend - writing paper, graph paper, pocket folders, a binder, book covers and a locker shelf unit.

I filled a garbage bag too, and gave some colored paper to Daughter T.  I have much more to purge, but we don't have the AC in yet and it was getting too warm to work.  I quit just after noon.

Daughter E got stung by a bee.  It's always a proud moment when I'm asked, "Hey Mom?   You got anything for this?"  Why yes I do, and out the door I go to pick plantain.  If you didn't know this, crushed up plantain is a great way to draw out the poison from a sting or bug bite.  I used it for a wasp sting and after 20 minutes it reduced the redness to zero and no pain.

Question.   Where is the best place to buy a crock with a spigot for kombucha making (best price/quality)?  Also, where is the best place to buy a wooden stand for it like this?

I found this one on Amazon, but it's $17.60.  I searched the website I used to buy my cheese starter items from, and found nothing oddly.

I have noticed the blogs I follow haven't been posting much lately.  Are you all out working in the garden?  Possibly on vacation?  I do miss you all, and I hope you are all doing well.

New Recipe ~ Garden is getting planted

 

We cooked up of what may be the last of of this year's harvest of asparagus.  My favorite way to prepare this for a dinner side is to bake it 20 minutes with olive oil, crushed rosemary, salt and pepper at 400°F.

Tried another new recipe.  Daughter K had bought some pasta shells that needed used up.  It takes beef stock, tomato sauce and other ingredients.  I adjusted it with homemade and organic ingredients and the family loved it.  I used the recipe at Damn Delicious called Creamy Beef and Shells. I will be adding more garlic next time.

Tomatoes finally made it in the ground.  I was done by 10am, as it was already very hot (90°F day).  I planted way less than normal, so it will be interesting.  I planted 35 Amish Paste (not my usual San Marzano), 1 Big boy and 1 cherry tomato.  The planting resumes after the rain stops.  I'm tickled pink for the rain today though.  We needed it and the tomatoes love it.

I'm getting more crocheted water balloons made for the grandkids.  I may get more done today as well.  It will be a less stressed day for sure with the rain.

The chickens are doing well, although I still need to muck the coop.  I boiled more eggs for egg salad (for those hot evenings we want cold food).  Last night was one of them.