Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Last year for Thanksgiving we made our first "from scratch" pumpkin pie. It was a fun experience. We purchased a special "pie" pumpkin. With no clue how to proceed, we just quartered the pumpkin, cleaned out the seeds and other "pumpkin guts" (to quote Connor) placed cut side down on a cookie sheet, and baked until soft. Once cooked, I scraped the meat into the food processor bowl and pureed until smooth. Not happy with the not-orange-enough color of the puree, I added a cooked carrot to the mixture. It didn't change the flavor, but made the color more appetizing. I actually ended up with more than I needed, so I froze the remained to use in future pies or pumpkin bread.

My plan was to use the puree in place of canned pumpkin in my favorite pie recipe, but thought it deserved a homemade crust. Since I rely on frozen pie crust, I called on my son James, the chef, to make the pastry. He made a rustic, French style crust, rich with butter and sugar. It was delicious. We will definitely be doing this again.

This is my old "go to" recipe. Adjust accordingly if you bake your own pumpkin.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Heat oven to 425°

2 Crusts for 9" deep dish pie

16 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 ½  cup firmly packed brown sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 can pumpkin (29oz.)

Whipped cream for garnish

.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Place on cookie sheet in preheated, hot oven.

.

Immediately lower temperature to 350°.

.

Bake 35 - 45 minutes or until center is almost set

Cool completely on wire rack. Serve topped with whipped cream

 

Pumpkin Patches, Pumpkin Pies

One of my favorite fall activities is going to the pumpkin patch with the grandkids, and my favorite patch is at Baggenstos Farms. Connor's preschool class went there last year, and Jordan's Brownie troop had their event there in October. The farm is awesome. In addition to the pumpkin patch, they have a farm store, rabbits and goats to pet, and various fun activities for the kids, like pumpkin bowling. Currently closed temporarily, they re-open for Christmas trees at the end of this month. 

Last year for Thanksgiving we made our first "from scratch" pumpkin pie. It was a fun experience. We purchased a special "pie" pumpkin. With no clue how to proceed, we just quartered the pumpkin, cleaned out the seeds and other "pumpkin guts" (to quote Connor) placed cut side down on a cookie sheet, and baked until soft. Once cooked, I scraped the meat into the food processor bowl and pureed until smooth. Not happy with the not-orange-enough color of the puree, I added a cooked carrot to the mixture. It didn't change the flavor, but made the color more appetizing. I actually ended up with more than I needed, so I froze the remained to use in future pies or pumpkin bread.

My plan was to use the puree in place of canned pumpkin in my favorite pie recipe, but thought it deserved a homemade crust. Since I rely on frozen pie crust, I called on my son James, the chef, to make the pastry. He made a rustic, French style crust, rich with butter and sugar. It was delicious. We will definitely be doing this again this year.

This is my old "go to" recipe. Adjust accordingly if you bake your own pumpkin.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Heat oven to 425°

2 Crusts for 9" deep dish pie

16 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 ½  cup firmly packed brown sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 can pumpkin (29oz.)

Whipped cream for garnish

.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Place on cookie sheet in preheated, hot oven.

.

Immediately lower temperature to 350°.

.

Bake 35 - 45 minutes or until center is almost set

Cool completely on wire rack. Serve topped with whipped cream

 

After the Storm

         It's always interesting to me how quickly late summer heat turns to fall rain in this part of the country. It can be in the high eighties one day, and near freezing the next. The storm that signaled the end of September dumped record amounts of rain, took out the air-conditioner at work, and flattened what was left of the garden. When the rain slowed, and the flooding receded, Laura and I surveyed the mess. There were still plenty of tomatoes on the bush, mostly green, but enough were pinkish-orange and worthy of salvage. A good sized cucumber, and a partly red bell pepper rounded out the last harvest. We picked what was there and retreated to the warmth of the house, and a pot of veggie soup.
        Today I finally got around to clearing up the rest of the garden. I pulled up spent plants and retired them to the yard debris bin to be picked up later this week. The wire tomato cages were in better shape than I'd hoped, considering the way they looked. Only the legs were bent at a near 45 degree angle, easily fixed. It only took a little time to have the plot back to pre-garden condition. Standing back to look at the bare patch of earth made me a bit sad. Only six months until next garden season.
         The day of the rainstorm I was lucky enough to experience a new zucchini dish. Tasty little morsels baked in mini muffin tins...zucchini tots! I haven't had the chance to try making them myself, since we've had no more fruit on the squished plant. I might actually have to BUY a zuke or two, just so I could make these at home. I think the grandkids will love them!

Zucchini Tots
Makes about 2 dozen

Preheat oven to 400f

4 cups grated zucchini
3 large eggs
1/4 cup finely diced onion
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

Spray mini muffin tins with oil. Grate the zucchini onto a clean dish towel. Roll up and wring out all the excess water. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Fill each muffin cup to the top, pressing down firmly. Bake at 400f for 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Use a plastic spatula to loosen tots from pan.

 

Feeding Vikings

Watching the Oregon Ducks beat the tar out of the Tennessee Volunteers this afternoon made me a bit homesick for the days when my boys played high school football. 
 In a small town, everybody shows up for games, whether they have kids on the team or not. When the team made it to state, the Tacoma Dome had more Orcas people in the stands then fans from the more local opponent.
          For several years, we spent most Saturdays in the stands or on the sidelines at Buck Park, cheering for our Vikings. Often, eagles soared overhead. My husband, like most of the dads, would pace the length of the field, following the action, shouting encouragement. I found I had a better view from the bleachers, with the other moms. Sometimes, we got quite loud ourselves, clapping and chanting along with the pep squad:  "O-R-C-A-S…V-I-K-I-N-G-S…ORCAS (clap clap) VIKINGS (clap clap).
  It's been ten years since our youngest graduated, and my time as a football mom ended. Now, I'm just a fan.
           There  were no lights on our field, so Varsity games always played on Saturday afternoon, usually starting at 1 or 2pm. When James was playing, we rarely got home before 5 or 6 on games day….hungry and ready to eat. I got into the habit of using the crock-pot, so dinner would be waiting for us, ready to be served up. It's a great feeling, coming home to the aroma of chili, pot roast, or a wonderfully hearty soup. This took a bit of morning time-management, but it was worth it. Sometimes, I got the bread machine out, too.
            This is one of our favorites, especially with homemade bread. The Guinness Stout adds a great richness, and helps to tenderize the meat.

Harvest Stew       Serve with hot biscuits or fresh bread

1 lb. beef,  lamb, or venison, cut into cubes
⅓ cup seasoned flour
2 tbsp. oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
2 -3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 ½ cups frozen mixed vegetables
Small, whole, fresh mushrooms (optional)
2 cups beef broth
1 - 12oz. bottle Guinness Extra Stout

Place the meat and flour in a bag, and shake to coat thoroughly.

Heat the oil to medium-high in a large, heavy pan. Cook the meat until brown. Place in crock-pot set on low. Add the vegetables Add the beef broth and stir well. Cover.

De-glaze the hot pan with the Guinness, being sure to loosen any bits. Let it boil at least 2 minutes, to evaporate the alcohol. Scrape the pan again, and add the liquid to the crock pot. Stir well. Cover and turn the temperature up to desired cook time.

 

Cook on high 4 to 5 hours, or med/low 7 to 8 hours.