Pumpkins N Stuff

So yesterday I decided to roast some pumpkins, make pumpkin puree, bottle it and freeze it. It wasn't too awfully bad I ended up getting 12 quarts of pumpkin puree and woke up this morning with about 4-6 cups of pumpkin butter.

To roast the pumpkins its quite easy. I just took 3 jack o lantern pumpkins (some people prefer to use pie pumpkins but the jacks worked fine for me and they were a lot cheaper) I washed them off and pierced the skin on the top with a knife (basically I stabbed the pumpkin about 10 times ha ha ) stuck it on a baking sheet and popped it in the oven for 2 hours at 300 F. Make sure your pumpkin doesn't touch the top of the oven! After two hours I took it out of the oven and took the pumpkin and put it on a rag used a knife to split it in half to let the water drain out. Watch out for the steam! Let it cool for about an hour maybe hour and a half, to where you can handle it without being burnt. Scoop out the inside pulp and seeds with a spoon, discard, peel the skin off, cut the flesh in to smallish pieces (mine were about 2" x 2") and put into a food processor and process until smooth. It should look like the consistency of applesauce. Store in mason jars (yes you can freeze these just remember to leave head space to let it expand when it freezes and be careful sticking the jars in the freezer next to previously frozen ones if they bang together to hard they can break!) or freezer bags. FDA states that you should store winter squash by freezing or refrigeration NEVER can it.

PUMPKIN BUTTER
Ingredients:
8 cups pumpkin puree
4 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
4 lemons (juice of)

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook over night on low heat or in an oven on 300 F until it is smooth and creamy. Make sure to leave your lid slightly off on your slow cooker to allow the moisture out as you are cooking it down for the consistency... Just a couple of side notes this is the recipe I copied off of however I used 2 cups white sugar and 2 cups brown sugar, I increased my cinnamon to 2 tsp and I didn't have any nutmeg but it didn't seem to affect the taste in any way.

PUMPKIN ROLL
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 c sugar
2/3 c pumpkin puree
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 c flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Frosting:
Mix together
6 oz cream cheese
1 c powdered sugar
1/2 c margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat eggs for 3 minutes, add sugar, pumpkin, and lemon juice. Beat well
Beat together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Beat well
Grease a rigid cookie sheet, put wax paper on it then grease the wax paper.
Pour the batter on the wax paper.
Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes.
Cool for 5 minutes.
Have a dish towel covered with powdered sugar ready.
Place the cake on it and peel off the wax paper.
Roll up in the towel and cool for 30 minutes.
Unroll and frost.
Cover with foil and keep refrigerated.

Beef Tacos

Chances are if you know me you have had these tacos. I always get asked for the recipe. It's quite simple and we eat these at my house about once a week. Ha ha they are the perfect greasy food :)

All you need is:

1lb of ground beef
1 24 oz jar of Herdez Med or Hot Salsa (I have used others but nothing comes out good like this brand)
Tortillas
Mexican Blend Cheese
Olive oil - approximately 1 cup
Paper towels

Taco Sauce -
1 can of tomato sauce
Salt
Pepper
Ground Oregano


Garnishments such as lettuce, tomato, avacado, onion, etc.

• Brown ground beef
• While beef is browning in a small sauce pan combine tomato sauce, about 1/2 cup or so of salsa (I just pour until it's a little underneath the neck of the bottle) salt, pepper and ground oregano. I always eyeball the spices so just whatever tastes good to you. Let this heat through and simmer while you are making the rest
• In another pan heat olive oil over med heat
  
• Once beef is cooked through add the rest of the salsa from the jar and stir. Heat thru.
• Warm a tortilla up in the olive oil flip to heat both sides. Just enough to make it soft.
• Remove from oil and place upon paper towel.
• Spoon some of the beef mixture on to the tortilla add some of the shredded cheese on top, fold tortilla in half and wrap in paper towel.
• Top with garnishments of your choice and taco sauce.

And yes I have taken step by step pictures for all of your enjoyment :)
Just FYI I do not drain my beef after cooking it :)

Jambalya

Ok so tonight I experimented and made Jambalaya. It turned out good. Jadyn really gobbled it up :)

• 1 green pepper (sliced)
• 3 stalks celery (sliced)
• 1 onion (sliced)
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 lb boneless chicken breasts
• 1 lb smoked sausage
• 2 (15 oz) cans stewed tomatoes (sliced)
  
• 2 c water
  
• 1 dash Tabasco sauce
  
• 1 tbsp cajun seasoning
  
• 1 c rice (uncooked)
• 1 lb shrimp (raw, peeled)

1 - Take pepper, onion, celery and garlic and saute them in the olive oil
2 - Remove vegetable from pan and set aside
3 - Cube chicken and cook through
4 - add the sauteed veggies, sausage, tomatoes, water, rice, Tabasco, and cajun seasoning to the chicken. Simmer for 30 minutes
5 - Add shrimp and cook for 5 minutes more.

Yum :)

Sorry these pics aren't that great took them with my phone