Some Nights I Buy a 30 Dollar Tree in 30 Minutes, Grind Flour, and Make Cheeseball

"Some nights I stay up pureeing our pumpkins.  Some nights I make wheatberry bread. Some nights I wish that I could do no laundry. Some nights I make cheeseball instead..." 

Here I am still saying goodbye to fall.

Remember our painted pumpkins?  You can see them by clicking  HERE.  Well, the good thing about painting pumpkins is they are still usable after Thanksgiving.  This also means I can take them out of the food budget instead of the house decorating budget.  yay. yay.

We lost two pumpkins this year.  My glittery, giraffe, love pumpkin and Siri's little pumpkin.   rot in peace.

The others are now pureed in the fridge.  I will freeze the pumpkin in pre-measured amounts and use them for pumpkin spice cakes, muffins,  and pies this winter.

It would also make great baby food for Siri...if we didn't pretty much already have our own baby food store in the garage.  CLICK HERE  to find out more about that story.

Did I ever tell you how I went back and bought twice that amount? I did.

Here's a pic of the wheatberry bread and local honey.

and a candle and apples.

Last night I made wheatberry bread with the wheat berries ground a week ago by moonlight. Instead of sleeping at night, I do this stuff instead. And write stories about doing these things.

 

I feel a little silly telling you how to puree pumpkins.  Do you know how?  Many of you know how. But then again, when Sara was born (almost 11 years ago...whaaaat?!!),  I remember looking up recipes for "How to puree baby food" with not much luck. 

Turns out the making baby food knowledge is instinctual for most first-time mothers, so not a lot of information available.  There were recipes for different fancy baby food combinations, like oh I don't know, mustard green beans with alpaca (I just now google-searched "do people eat alpacas"), and how to make toddler food fun, etc., but not the simple

1. put the banana in the blender.  
2. blend.   

Which was what I  needed.

Go figure.

Anyway, here's how to puree leftover, painted pumpkins.  

1. Cut them up with a big knife.

2.  Place on aluminum foil-lined cookie sheet pans.
3.  Bake for 45 minutes at 375 or until soft all the way through.

4.  Let cool until you can handle them without burning your fingers off.
5.  Peel the peelings back.  They should peel right off.  If not, use a spoon or knife to help it along a little, like filleting fish.  I don't fillet fish.  But I know about it from when I was a kid, and that's what you do.

peeeeeeel...

 

6.  Cool the now skinless pumpkin completely.  (may need to drain off excess water)

7.8.9.  Puree, Measure, Freeze.  The End.

So I may or may not have made an impulse decision to stop along the road and buy a Christmas tree with Sara.  Okay I did.  It's because there was a tree stand for 3 dollars! at the discount store. Logically we needed a real tree to go in it immediately.

THREE DOLLARS!  Half off of the half off price.  But the real tree was 30 dollars...not bad. except that we have a huge, already paid for, not as fun real tree assembled, with lights attached, sitting in our garage

 

Ta Da!  I used my superhero moving power strength.  In the house, into the only three dollar tree stand, and up it went. (You can read more about my superhero moving powers here.)   I have plans for this tree.  

And some nights, like tonight, I make Christmas cheeseball.  It is the only cheeseball I will eat.  ever. 

Now here for you is this recipe for "amazing because I said so pumpkin muffins".

They have gluten.  It's the holidays man!

AMAZING BECAUSE I SAID SO PUMPKIN MUFFIN RECIPE:

1  1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 c. packed brown sugar (or coconut sugar for strange ones like me)
1/2 c. raisins (opt)
1 egg
1/4 c. vegetable oil (or substitute applesauce for strange ones)
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 c. milk (can use almond milk)

Preheat to 375.
Grease.
Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
In another bowl, mix together egg, oil, pumpkin, milk.
Combine with dry ingredients until just blended.
Fill muffin tins (liners makes easy clean-up) 3/4 full.  
Bake 18-20 minutes. Good job.

Sara wanted to show you how the Barbie's are getting ready for Christmas...presenting to you...a youtube video by us....

Also:  I will not let you forget  Please don't forget about the ornament contest. We've had two entries already! One adult and one child entry.  Find the details HERE and win win win! 

Christmas time's a comin...

Look what's in the dough bowl.  I love the dough bowl.

My nose won't stop running.

I'm going to eat some cheeseball.

How are you making your today world beautiful?