Decorated Pumpkins Contest and Chocolate Rice Crispies

Every year our Town has the “Paint Our Town” competition. Last year my daughter and I entered for window painting. We were assigned a big window in one of the restaurants. We liked our idea: we invented a new character, the Tree-Cula, a big happy tree with a cape and Dracula teeth. Our Tree-Cula turned out very funny and very nice. We did such a great job and had lots of fun. Although we did not win anything, our experience was wonderful.



This year we decided to do something different, and we entered  the “Decorating Pumpkin” contest. One of the rules was not to carve our pumpkins. My husband gave us the idea about how to do the snow man, and we liked that-))
Three white pumpkins were carefully collected from our local Styer Orchard farm. We worked diligently and every day came up with new ideas for the decoration. After a week of creative work I proudly can show you our splendid results.



Although, our pumpkins were white in the beginning, we gave them a little color for a rustic effect. The bottom one we decorated with fallen leaves from our backyard, the tummy piece with apples that we cut from the fabric I have. We found wild pecan nuts in the park and converted them into buttons for our snow man. The nose is a stem from the middle pumpkin, and an old lamp shade was turned into the hat. When the snow man was done we decided to call him Fall-Man, after all he is made from pumpkins and has a scarecrow on his head.
Enjoy!



For more photos visit Newtown Window Painting 2011

After a hard work and lots of fun we treated ourselves with the Crunchy Chocolate Rice Crispies.

Kids love to make them, specially round them with a coconut oil hands-)))



Ingredients:

•  8 tbsp (4 oz, 120 g) unsalted butter
•  1/3 cup (32 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
•  Two 10-oz bags (565g) mini marshmallows
•  10 cups (300 g) crisp rice cereal
•  ¾ cup (150 g) semisweet mini chocolate chips

Preparations:

Combine the butter and cocoa powder in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Let the butter melt, and stir so that the mixture is well combined. Add the marshmallows and let them melt completely.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rice cereal.



When it is well coated in the marshmallow mixture, stir in half the chocolate chips. Let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes, then stir in the remaining chocolate chips.
Let cool to room temperature.

  

Oil your hands with coconut oil, and shape some of the cereal mixture into a ball the size of a golf ball (1.68-inch, to be exact). Using an ice cream scoop for measuring helps to achieve the uniform size of the balls. Place the ball on a baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining mixture. Let the balls set, then store them in an air-tight container in a dry, cool environment for up to 3 days. If you like you may refrigerate them, they will harden. I like them that way.
What are you eating these days?

Cashew, Coconut and Butternut Squash Curry Stew and Basmati Rice

From Sunset October 2011

I love pumpkin, so October’s festivities always provide me with an excellent reason to make as many dishes from it as possible! Cream of Butternut Squash Soup, Roasted Pumpkin with honey, Pumpkin Jam--you name it. Butternut Squash Curry Stew and Basmati Rice are the best recipes ever for the month of Hallows Eve. Creamy Coconut Sauce mixed with a variety of different spices, cashew nuts, and squash melts on the tongue, delighting it with sublime flavor. Here you will find the original version. When I make it, however, I add dry curry instead of the curry leaves--an innovation that has worked fine for me.  I also added cilantro as a garnish for color and extra flavor. Happy Autumn everyone!

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ qts. peeled, 1 ½ in. chunks pumpkin or other orange-fleshed squash (from a 3-lb. squash)
• About 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
• 1 onion halved and cut into half moons
• 1or2 red or green Serrano chiles, minced
• 1 cinnamon stick (2 ½ in. long)
• 20 fresh curry leaves or 6 dried bay leaves
• 1 tsp. each turmeric and cumin seeds
• 1 cup salted roasted cashews
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• Steamed basmati rice

Directions:
Sprinkle pumpkin with ½ tsp. salt. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown half the pumpkin in oil, turning once, 6to8 minutes; reduce heat if pumpkin starts to get dark. Transfer into bowl and repeat with1 tbsp. oil and remaining pumpkin.



Heat remaining 1 tbsp. oil meanwhile in another large frying pan over medium heat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until deep golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer half to the nonstick frying pan and reserve other half to bowl.



Add chiles , cinnamon, and curry leaves to onion in pan. Cook, stirring often, until curry leaves are very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add turmeric, cumin, and remaining ½ tsp. salt and cook, stirring until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.



Return pumpkin to nonstick frying pan (with onion) and add coconut milk. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat, then simmer until pumpkin is tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in cashews and lemon juice, and add more salt to taste. Top curry with reserved onion and serve with rice.

Wonderful Autumn Preserves: Candied Pumpkin in Syrup with Cinnamon, Pickled Pumpkin and Pickled Beets

Ingredients for the candied pumpkin in syrup with cinnamon:

• 1 3/4 pounds sugar pumpkin, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 Tbsp spice clove
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 ½ cups water
• 2 ½ cup granulated sugar
• cinnamon sticks

Directions for the candied pumpkin in syrup with cinnamon:
Soak pumpkin overnight water, (water should cover pumpkin).
The next day, remove pumpkin from water
Bring water, granulated sugar, cinnamon stick, spice clove and honey to a boil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then add pumpkin and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer pumpkin, covered, until tender but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer pumpkin to a bowl using a slotted spoon, then boil syrup until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, 5 to 8 minutes.



By: Elin Gottschalk

Pickled pumpkin is a holiday tradition waiting to happen! Diced pumpkin is pickled overnight in vinegar with sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Use 1 cup of water along with the vinegar for a milder flavor. The longer the pickled pumpkin is stored before serving, the better it tastes. Rescue all those poor Halloween pumpkins by doubling or tripling the recipe for pickled pumpkin throughout the holidays.

Ingredients for the pickled pumpkin:  

• 4 pounds peeled and diced pumpkin
• 5 cups white sugar
• 5 cups distilled white vinegar
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 15 whole cloves

Directions the pickled pumpkin:
Place the pumpkin in a large, deep bowl.
In a large saucepan, mix the sugar, vinegar, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Boil 5 minutes. Pour the hot liquid over the pumpkin in the bowl. Cover and set aside 8 hours, or overnight.
Strain the liquid into a large saucepan. Boil 5 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves, leaving a few bits for decoration. Place the pumpkin back into the liquid and return to boiling. Boil 5 minutes, or until pumpkin is transparent but crisp. Allow the mixture to cool. Transfer to sterile jars
and refrigerate.



From The Complete Book of Small Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard.



Ingredients for the pickled beets:

• 10 -15 small beets
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup small whole onions, peeled
• 2 tsp pickling salt
• 2 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds

Directions for the pickled beets:
In a large pot of water simmer beets for 25 to 40 minutes or until they are tender. Drain, rinse beets and remove skins. If your beets are very large, cut them into halves or quarters.
Combine vinegar, sugar and water in a pot and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, remove jars from canner and divide onions and seeds equally among the jars. Add beets.
Pour boiling liquid over beets, seal and process for 30 minutes for pint jars and 35 minutes for quart jars.

Pumpkin (Blue Hubbard) Jam with Raisins and Vanilla Bean over Multigrain Pancakes with Wild Pecan Nuts

The jam has a beautiful bright yellow colour. You can have it on pancakes, and it's also great spread of a slice of toast, or served as a condiment with some grilled meat.



Blue Hubbard
Described as a "starchy, dry, thick, flaky, floury, melting, nutty and fine-textured winter squash.....with brilliant orange flesh".



This squash was likely used by your great grandmother and is a fall tradition in New England.
 

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds Blue Hubbard
• 2 1/2 pounds sugar
• 6 cups of water
• 1/2 pound raisins
• 2 lemons (optional)
• vanilla bean

Directions:
Pare squash. Remove seeds and cut pulp into small cubes or shred it.



Add sugar and water. Stir well, and allow to stand overnight.



Two lemons, sliced thinly, may be added. I made with vanilla bean  this time.
Cook slowly, stirring frequently, until the squash is tender and clear.