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 The
thing I look forward to most about the approaching autumn days is our
annual trip to the pumpkin patch! Every year I take the girls to a
place called Fredrickson Farms where we stock up on all kinds of
pumpkins, gourds, mums and other fall-ish things. Every year I go
planning to spend a small fortune, and every year we do! The only
thing we don't buy from them is our straw bales, and that's only
because I don't want to get straw all over my car and the trunk is
always full of pumpkins! We set up quite a display in the front yard
with pumpkins, gourds, fall leaves, mums and lots of scarecrows! When
Halloween approaches we also add a witch's cauldron, some spider webs
and a frog or two. |
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Pumpkin Bells
sung to
Jingle Bells
Dashing through the fields
In the brightest time of day
To each row we go
Laughing all the way HAHAHA
Harvest time is here
Making pumpkins bright
What fun it is to pick one
And sing pumpkin carols tonight
Chorus:
Oh! Pumpkin Bells
Pumpkin Bells
Ringing loud and clear
Oh! What fun a pumpkin brings
When harvest time is here
Oh! Pumpkin Bells
Pumpkin Bells
Ringing loud and clear
Oh! What fun a pumpkin brings
When harvest time is here
Oh! |
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The Fearful Pumpkin
Sung to
The Little Tea Pot
I'm the fearful pumpkin
Look at me!
I'm going to hide
Behind a tree.
I'm orange, round
And grow on the ground
In Harvest time
I have to hide around.
I'm the fearful pumpkin
That hides behind a tree.
A pumpkin pie I do not want to be! |
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Pumpkin (or
Squash) Pancakes
These pancakes can be prepared
Butternut Squash, Hubbard Squash or other variety of winter squash.
Use canned pumpkin puree, freshly prepared puree, or frozen puree
which has been thawed. Cold leftover pancakes are an appetizing snack.
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1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup molasses, or maple syrup
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3-4 tablespoons buttermilk or milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, or margarine, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans or hazelnuts, optional
Powdered sugar for dusting
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In a large bowl, sift together
flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside. In
another bowl, beat egg slightly. Add pumpkin or squash puree, molasses
or syrup, milk or buttermilk and melted butter or margarine. Mix until
smooth. Blend in the dry ingredients all at once. Mix until
batter is smooth. Allow batter to rest for 30 minutes or more.
Stir nuts into batter, and add additional tablespoon of buttermilk or
milk if batter is too thick. To make pancakes, spoon a heaping
tablespoon of batter onto a lightly greased preheated griddle or heavy
skillet. With the back of the spoon, flatten batter to about 1/2-inch
thickness. Cook slowly until bubbles appear on top and bottom is
golden brown. Lift edge to check. Turn and cook until other side is
golden brown. Place on a platter and set platter in a warm oven.
Continue making pancakes until all batter is used. Makes about 24,
3-inch pancakes. Serves 4 to 6 people. Garnish with powdered sugar or
serve with corn syrup, maple syrup or your favorite pancake syrup.
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Pumpkin Nut Bread
An old family favorite, pumpkin nut bread
makes a wonderful snack, breakfast or dessert. This recipe makes one
large loaf or 2 mini loaves for gift giving. The bread also freezes
well. Freeze on a plate 6 hours, wrap frozen loaf in heavy duty
aluminum foil and return to the freezer for up to six months. |
2
cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each: salt and nutmeg
1 cup fresh pumpkin puree or 1 cup solid pack canned pumpkin |
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup skim milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup each: chopped pecans and black walnuts (may substitute raisins
or any combination to equal one cup) |
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together flour, baking powder,
baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt and ground nutmeg. In a large
mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, milk and eggs. Mix well.
Add dry ingredients, oil and nuts mixing until just moistened. Batter
will be slightly lumpy. Do not over mix. Spoon batter into well
greased (use vegetable oil) 9 x 5 inch loaf pan or two 7-1/2 x 3 3/4
inch loaf pans, may use aluminum pans. Bake (in the middle of
the oven) large loaf for 65 minutes or two mini loaves for 50 minutes
or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Use a knife to go around the edge of the
pan to loosen bread from the sides of the pan, invert, cool on a
cooling rack or plate. Slice and serve. |
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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Don't waste
the seeds after cooking your pie or making jack-o-lanterns. Instead,
roast and salt the seeds for a delicious and nutritious snack. Let the
children slosh through the fibers in pursuit of the slippery seeds, it
is so much fun. |
1 quart water
2 Tablespoons salt |
2 cups pumpkin seeds
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil |
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Preheat oven to
250°F. Pick through seeds and remove any cut seeds. Remove as
much of the stringy fibers as possible. Bring the water and salt
to a boil. Add the seeds and boil for 10 minutes. Drain, spread on
kitchen towel or paper towel and pat dry. Place the seeds in a
bowl and toss with oil or melted butter. Spread evenly on a
large cookie sheet or roasting pan. Place pan in a preheated
oven and roast the seeds for 30 to 40 minutes. Stir about every 10
minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Cool the seeds, then
shell and eat or pack in air-tight containers or zip closure bags and
refrigerate until ready to eat. |
