Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Just made toasted pumpkin seeds.  It was easier than I expected actually, just throw some olive oil into a cast iron skillet, throw in the seeds, toast them, and add salt!


For every one cup of pumpkin seeds, use one tsp of olive oil, then, add the seeds.  Toast for about 5 min on medium heat, stirring constantly until the the seeds puff up.  Remove from heat, add sea salt to taste and enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Just made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins to go with my food of the month.  My family loves them and they are great for breakfast.  They have the best flavor if you make them a day or two ahead, but in my house they are usually gone by then unless we make a double batch.




Here's the recipe:


1 2/3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbs pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking  soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup plain pumpkin
1 stick melted butter
1 cup chocolate chips


Heat oven to 350°F. Grease muffin cups or use paper or foil liners(or silicone baking pans).  In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl break the eggs.  Add pumpkin and melted butter, mix until well blended.  Incorporate chocolate chips.  Pour over dry ingredients and fold in with a spatula.  Scoop batter into muffin cups.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until they spring back at touch.  wrap in a plastic bag for 1-2 days. 
  


From "Muffins" by Elizabeth Alston

Fresh Green Leaves

I love fresh, garden-grown food.  So I loved picking fresh basil for pesto yesterday.  Mom is taking this pesto to work but I love helping to make it.  Picking fresh basil makes great pesto.  I look for leaves with no holes, and no discolorations or spots.  The bigger the leaf the better; let the smaller ones grow a little longer.  The only time I pick small leaves is when I pick of a larger hunk of leaves all together because they are all good leaves.  

-Muncher 

Creme Brulee

Last night I made pumpkin creme brulee.  It was pretty good, but my favorite part is the torching.  We put them under the broiler first then used the torch.  It started to run out of gas, but it was fine.  Of course the key to creme brulee is the sugar on top.  This summer I got to use the torch on peaches.  They were good and sweet!  I love the torch!!!!  I think the creme brulee is better cold, I had another today!


-Muncher

Tech days

My Mom has tech days at work because she is a technology teacher.  Today we made tomato soup for her "soups, salads, and sandwiches lunch".  It's my favorite tomato soup!  A little spicy, but with the sweet tomatoes!  Love it!  I think it's at it's best with a nice grilled cheese strait from the panini press.  It's good reheated too, unfortunately, Mom is taking this batch to work.  Ugggghhhh!