Butternut Squash Muffins with Raisins

Oh do I ever wish that a Ziploc Freezer bag of these were waiting in my freezer!  Butternut Squash Muffins with Raisins!  I guess that I do have the next best thing:  A Ziploc container with 1 Cup of the  mashed tasty orange veggie in my freezer.  That's a good second. 

After thinking about those Butternut Squash Muffins Noah Webster came to mind - yes, the gentleman who helped found Amherst College.  History is fascinating and here is a Fun Fact!  After Noah Webster graduated from Yale, he became a teacher.  It was the time period after the Revolutionary War and the books that children used still came from England.  Americans used words the people of England did not use and he wanted American school children to have a book containing words that they used.  He included the words squash and skunk in his book, including definitions.  These words were unknown in England.  "Colour" was spelled "color".  Many years later the Merriam Brothers in Springfield, MA purchased the rights to his 1841 edition.  Today, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is a household name!  Click links for more info.        

Now, I'd best take the container of Butternut Squash out of my freezer and defrost it in the fridge!

Butternut Squash Muffins
Oven: 400°F
Yield:  12 Muffins

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
2 Egg Whites (or 1 Whole Egg)
1/2 Cup Soy Milk (or Milk)
1/4 Cup Olive Oil (for Sauteing & Baking)
1/2 Cup mashed Butternut Squash
1/2 Cup Raisins

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Place muffin liners in muffin pan.
3. Combine first 6 dry ingredients in large bowl.  Stir to mix.
4. Separate Egg Whites and place Whites in small bowl.  Beat with fork.  (If using 1 Whole Egg, beat with fork.)
5. Add Soy Milk, Olive Oil & Butternut Squash to Egg Whites.  Stir.
6. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. 
7. Add Raisins.
8. Mix all ingredients until moistened.  Batter will be lumpy. 
9. Fill muffin cups by evenly dividing batter.
10. Bake 18 - 20 Minutes in 400°F oven until muffins are lightly browned on top. (Double batch may take up to 4 additional minutes.)
11. Remove muffins from pan immediately. 
12. Cool muffins on racks.

These yummy muffins are in my future.  I usually bake a double batch and store them in my freezer.  :)

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Ten Large Peppers

After these 10 large green peppers were placed on my countertop the song/book  "Five Little Pumpkins" quickly came to mind.  It's the song that young children learn during the month of October.  For younger tots there is even a board book or two containing the cute verse and illustrations with bright colors depicting the adventure of the bright orange pumpkins.

However, the bright green peppers on my counter would take the journey into my freezer.  During the month of August the local roadside stands sell and home gardeners grow nutritious, delicious green peppers.  It is at this time period each summer I purchase, prepare and then freeze these veggies after they have been cut into strips.  Later in the year and into 2011 whenever I want to add green peppers while preparing a main dish, I'll reach into my freezer and voila, they will be ready to use.  Sweet!  

The process I follow is easy.  The peppers are washed in cold water and dried.  Then, each pepper is cut into strips.  I place a handful of the cut strips into sandwich bags (that fold).  Then, each sandwich bag is closed, rolled and placed into a gallon sized Ziploc Freezer Bag.  For me, about 7-8 sandwich bags of pepper strips fit in one Ziploc Bag.  After labeling & dating the Ziploc Bags, they are stored in my freezer. 

These veggies are now ready to be added to my slow cooker or into any main dish that I will be preparing when the local fresh green peppers are not in season any longer.  In the winter there is no walking past imported green peppers in my grocery store - wishing for our local summer crop.  They are waiting in my freezer!

Do you freeze pepper strips when the green peppers are in season?  Do you like to stash veggies away for the colder months?  

We enjoy them!
Yummy!