Pumpkin Casserole, Catching Fire or Frozen, and Black Friday!

 These whopping big yams were in my Bountiful Baskets basket last week! Positively huge, and the sweetest yams I have ever tasted.mmmmmm.

So I put em on a cookie sheet lined with foil and baked them for about an hour and a half. That turned them into the soft delectable treats we all love.  I took one of them and sliced it and put butter, salt and a bit of cinnamon and cajun seasoning on them for lunch. YUM.

But, the rest went into the Ninja to be pureed.  They made about six, yep I said six, cups of beautiful puree.

It takes two cups to make the lovely souffle you see below, so the rest was frozen in 2 cup portions for a later date.

This recipe can be made with either pumpkin or sweet potato puree with equally delicious results.  I just couldn't resist sharing it with you even though Thanksgiving has already passed, it is equally delicious for any time of the year. It is much lighter than the usual sweet potato pudding served at Thanksgiving and has a smooth almost pudding-like texture to please even the most picky palate!

Here is the rather simple, one bowl recipe:

Oh, and by the way - It is equally delicious WARM or COLD!

2 cups pumpkin or sweet potato puree
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup self-rising flour
                                                         2 eggs
                                                         1 teaspoon vanilla extract
                                                         1/2 cup Melted Butter
                                                         2 pinches (or to taste) cinnamon
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.  Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla, melted butter and ground cinnamon to taste! (see - told ya it was easy)
3.  Spoon into casserole dish
4.  Bake at 305 degrees F for 1 hour!

188 Calories per serving (ten servings)!  So it is healthy, and low calorie! Amazing!

We went out to see "Catching Fire" yesterday on Black Friday.  It was actually an excellent movie (though I do confess if you don't like sitting on the EDGE of your seat for the entire movie, you won't like it!).  It wasn't the kind of movie I would usually watch for a Holiday thing, but boy was there a crowd there to see it!  It keeps selling out all over the place.  I actually want to see FROZEN, which is a sweet, funny movie which I am sure would be much more to my childlike tastes! My daughter and grandchildren have already seen it and given in RAVE reviews!

It might have been a mistake to try to get out of the house at all on BLACK FRIDAY!  The crowds everywhere were oppressive and the traffic horrible!  Even the movie theaters if not completely sold out, were so crowded that popcorn addict me refused to stand in a mile long line to get my favorite treat!  We managed to get out and back (only a mile away) without incident, but I decided right then and there that venturing out on Black Friday is just not my thing!  I can't believe any sane person goes out into that madness which causes people to act like animals fighting over the last piece of meat!  Aaaauuugggh!

The really strange part to me is that most of the items the people in the stores were fighting over were available on line, shipped free, for the same price!  So, what kind of sick mentality loves being pushed and shoved about as people shout obscenities and fight over parking places?  Believe me, I don't know!

Well, enough ranting.  If you like exciting adventurous movies, I recommend "Catching Fire,"  if however you enjoy more light-hearted sentimental fare, see "Frozen!"

Happy Holidays!

PEACE - LOVE & JOY!!!

Linda

Eating It Up!

Kevin, Lucille and I decided to have lunch out today at Benson's on South Houston Lake Road and 96.

It is a decision we did not regret! Lucille, who has a small appetite, ordered the appetizer shrimp. It was easily enough for two people, and came with a great dipping sauce and a beautiful orchid and orange garnish on the plate. What a pleasant surprise. It not only was served beautifully, but it was delicious!

Kevin and I shared some Sushi, Moo Goo Gai Pan and Kung Pau Chicken. Everything was, as I previously stated, served artfully. The food exceeded expectations in every way. The service was outstanding and the atmosphere is very, very nice. It would be a lovely location for a romantic dinner out any time.



FUN FARE RECIPE OF THE DAY!

Yay! The Pumpkins are here....The Pumpkins are here!

Pumpkin Casserole

Original Recipe Yield 10 - 12 servings
Ingredients

2 cups pumpkin puree ... please use FRESH pumpkin...it is so easy to make and
makes ALL the difference!
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup self-rising flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter
2 pinches ground cinnamon
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla, melted butter and ground cinnamon to taste. Spoon into a casserole dish.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour.
Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 188 | Total Fat: 9.4g | Cholesterol: 61mg

It is quite simple to ROAST your own pumpkin in your oven...

It's that time of year when everyone wants to know how to roast a pumpkin. I've made this a sticky post to highlight how easy it is to make your own fresh roasted pumpkin.

Because fresh food in general tastes better and is often cheaper than processed food, here is the simple process for DIY pumpkin!

1. Choose a firm, small pie pumpkin, not more than 3-4 pounds; smaller pumpkins tend to be a bit sweeter
2. Rinse the pumpkin under warm water, removing any dirt or debris
3. Cut the pumpkin in half on a large cutting board, with a sharp knife small pie halve pumpkin with a large sharp knife!

4. Scoop out the seeds with a metal spoon
5. Lay the pumpkin face side down in a large baking dish
6. Cover with 1/4 inch water
7. Bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes (depending on size) or until tender, using a fork to check
8. Remove from oven and scoop out insides, discarding skin
9. Store in refrigerator in a glass mason jar
10. Keeps for 5 days in refrigerator (at the ready for your pie, muffin and custard endeavors) By the way, I have frozen this prepared pumpkin and kept it for several months..It is just as delicious when thawed and used later.
And, since pumpkins get cheaper after Halloween...stock up!!

If you are in a rush, cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces and it will cook faster.

The above pumpkin preparation technique applies to any winter squash: butternut, buttercup, acorn, kabocha, hubbard, and more.