~Autumn~

~Autumn~

Autumn has arrived! The season of pumpkins and gourds. Today was the day to keep a tradition going! Purchasing a bushel of our favorite vegetable at Meadowbrook Farm in East Longmeadow. The veggie is Butternut Squash!  

Yummy! 

Sights in Autumn!

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere!

Yesterday was a beautiful autumn day!  Today is too!  The end of September is here, so it's the perfect time for the annual visit to Meadowbrook Farm in East Longmeadow (MA) for the bushel of Butternut Squash.  Nothing like purchasing the delicious orange veggie direct from the farm where it is grown.  It's a tradition to take the short drive and make the purchase.

The greenhouses are filled with assortments of pumpkins, too.

Inside a greenhouse.

Sights of  the Fall season are everywhere.

Another collection!

The cornstalks show us that the fresh native corn season has - ended.

More decorations for Autumn!

The bushel of Butternut is now in our garage.  It just would not be autumn if we did not make this purchase.  A few at a time the squash will be prepped.  The mashed yummy vegetable will be placed in freezer bags to enjoy during the other months of the year.  There's always a special place for it on our Thanksgiving Day dinner table.

Is Butternut Squash Bread in my future, maybe, also??  Sure is! 

These are some of the sights of Autumn in Massachusetts!

Enjoy!

~Early Autumn~

What a great month- October!  Warm days, cool nights!  Oh wait, for the past few days it's been warm days & warm nights.  Well, sometimes things change a bit.  It is October & the local Butternut Squash are now available to purchase.

That brought our recent visit to Meadowbrook Farm in East Longmeadow.  From leaving our yard to arriving at the road side stand, it was autumn.

The fronds on our Porcupine Grasses sway in the breeze.

    
Orange Dahlias, multi colored Zinnias and Grasses in our side garden.

And then, the colorful Mums at Meadowbrook Farm!

Definitely in season- gourds & Pumpkins!

Before we know it, the leaves will be turning.  Autumn is colorful!

Enjoy!

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!