Butternut Squash Pancakes

Butternut Squash Pancakes
only need the Butter/ Margarine and Maple Syrup on top
(File Photo)

It's the season of the delicious orange colored vegetable- Butternut Squash!  Whenever we enjoy this veggie at dinner I save out about 1 Cup of the mashed Butternut Squash to prepare a very tasty pancake for breakfast the next morning.  Butternut Squash Pancakes!  They are so good!  

While each pancake is cooking on the griddle, the aroma of Cinnamon, of Nutmeg and of Ground Ginger gives you a hint of how great they will taste.  Top them with Butter/ Margarine and Maple Syrup! Yum! 

The price of Eggs is a bit more since I originally posted my recipe, so these days while preparing these pancakes I use a combination of 2 Egg Whites and 1 Whole Egg instead of 4 Egg Whites. 

**Remember the formula while cooking/ baking: 1 Whole Egg = 2 Egg Whites.

Click here for my recipe for Butternut Squash Pancakes!  Plan on preparing a batch during this month of November!  Freeze the extra pancakes for an easy breakfast on busy mornings!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

       

Butternut Squash Bread!

Butternut Squash Bread
(File Photo)

Butternut Squash Bread! What a delicious dessert!  Yes, I did write Butternut Squash. For years- that has led to decades- I have been using this veggie instead of pumpkin when preparing this dessert bread.  It is so yummy that you may just want to enjoy a half slice as a snack! 

Lately, the amount of Butternuts in the bushel container in our garage has been reduced.

The Bushel of Butternut Squash

Many of the squash have been cooked/ mashed.  Labeled freezer bags of this orange veggie are on their designated freezer shelf.  This weekend the remaining squash will be prepared and more bags will be frozen.   

One delicious treat that is made using the mashed Butternut Squash is Butternut Squash Bread.  Usually I bake 2 breads at once, so I double the recipe and stagger the pans in the oven before/ when baking.  This weekend I will be using the freshly mashed Butternut Squash when baking these breads.  

During the year I defrost a bag containing 2 cups to bake 2 breads.  The Butternut Squash will defrost overnight in the fridge.    

This dessert bread is very easy to prepare!  While it is baking the aroma of Cinnamon and Nutmeg will float from your kitchen to other rooms in your home.  A small amount of Ground Cloves can be added to the batter, too.  It is also at this time of year that one of the 2 breads that I bake will be placed in our freezer to enjoy over Thanksgiving.  If you will also be doing this, after the bread cools, wrap in heavy duty foil, label and freeze.

I use Egg Whites in this recipe. 
Remember- when baking:

***2 Egg Whites = 1 Whole Egg

With the current price of Eggs, you may want to use  2 Egg Whites + 1 Whole Egg for 1 bread. 
When baking that would equal or be the same as using 4 Egg Whites.     

Click here for my recipe for Butternut Squash Bread!  It is a family favorite in my home and it just may become a favorite for you and your family, too!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

                

Veggie Sauce

Veggie Sauce
(File Photo)

It's the time of year to use my slow cooker (crock pot) to prepare Veggie Sauce!  It contains chunks of local Eggplant and local Zucchini and local Green Peppers along with canned tomato sauce and tomato paste.  After a quick walk to my spice rack the dried Basil and dried Oregano are added to the slow cooker's pot.  Dried Parsley is a great addition, too! Now, is when the local veggies are available at the roadside stands, farmers' markets and grocery stores.  It is good to "buy local" and support our local farmers!  The fresh veggies are so delicious, too! 

**When preparing this sauce if I have ground beef in the fridge, it is browned in a skillet, drained and also added.  I have learned over the years that with my slow cooker's "non stick" coating it is still always best to spray it with PAM, first.  Then, I add the Green Pepper Chunks.  If ground beef is used it is added to the pot second.  

I like to prepare this sauce with or without the meat.  It is easy to prepare and tastes so good.
Click here for the recipe.     

In the colder months it is always a treat to take out a container of this yummy sauce to defrost/ heat and serve over pasta for dinner.  Do you prepare foods to have "on hand" in your freezer, too?  They make great "take out" meals! Just reach into your freezer and take it out!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Butternut Squash Bread

Butternut Squash Bread cooling!
(File Photo)

Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner!  Butternut Squash will definitely be a veggie that will find a place on our dinner table.  That orange colored veggie is also an ingredient in a delicious bread.  You guessed it! We will also be enjoying Butternut Squash Bread on that day and over the holiday weekend.  It is so good! 

The recipe is easy!  Cooked, mashed, cooled Butternut Squash is used.  This bread can also be frozen after it cools.  So, bake one or double the recipe and bake two this weekend. After they cool wrap in foil and freeze.  They will be ready to defrost and enjoy on Thanksgiving Day!

For the recipe click here!    

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Freezing Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash
(File Photo)

The bushel of Butternut Squash is in our garage w-a-i-t-i-n-g (similar to the bushel that was in our garage last year in October that is pictured above).  Waiting for what you may be thinking.  Waiting for me to get busy and begin prepping this delicious veggie for our freezer!  We always purchase a bushel.  Usually during the month of October, working with a few at a time the Butternut Squash are cleaned/ cut into chunks and steamed, so the chunks can be mashed.  The next step is to place the mashed squash into freezer bags.  After labeling/  dating each bag, into our freezer the bags go.  What a great veggie to enjoy not only now and at Thanksgiving but for months to come!

Butternut Squash ready for the freezer.
(File Photo)

I did say usually I am working on this during the month of October.  Well, I have not been as quick about it this year.  It is time to get busy!  

We enjoy mashed Butternut Squash served at dinner and I also substitute this veggie for pumpkin when baking in so many recipes.  Taking a bag out of the freezer and defrosting overnight in the fridge comes in handy!  If we are having this veggie as a side dish for dinner, I place the frozen veggie (taken out of the bag, first) in a microwave safe baking dish, venting the cover and defrost/ heat in my microwave.  I use my CorningWare.  No butter/ margarine nor sugar is added nor needed before placing the steaming veggie on the dinner table.   

Do you freeze Butternut Squash?  It is so delicious!   

Click here for my complete instructions that are included in this post that I wrote in 2014. 

Enjoy!
Yummy!

    

Turkey Veggie Soup

Turkey Veggie Soup
2 portion sizes in covered containers
are in our freezer.

When it's chilly and we're wearing hats & gloves whenever we're outside, a large bowl of hearty soup is so yummy at dinnertime.  Making a batch of soup is easy and I always enjoy the fact that I freeze the extra portions for other meals.  On another night taking a container of soup out of the freezer for dinner is even easier!

That night was Saturday night!  Earlier last week it was 63°F outdoors!  I did write 63°F!  What a change from cold with wind chill weather.  Saturday the wind chill made it just outright frigid.  Brrr!  Bring out a bowl of hearty tasty soup.  

Turkey Veggie Soup is one of our faves!  There are many spices to flavor the browned ground Turkey while this soup is really making itself on the stove.

Last week while putting the ingredients together, I found there was no chopped Spinach in our freezer.  Chopped Broccoli was a great substitute!

We were really hungry at dinnertime, so there was no photo op of hot hearty steaming soup in bowls.  The photo above shows the portions in freezer containers- getting ready to be placed in our freezer.

When reheating it for dinner, I add about 2/3 of another can of Chicken Broth to the pot.  Rice always absorbs the extra liquid, so more broth is needed when reheating.

If you've never enjoyed this soup, make a batch.  It is so good! 

Turkey Veggie Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb. Ground Turkey, browned
4 cans (14.5 ounces each) College Inn Light & Fat Free Chicken Broth
1 can (14- 20 ounces) Diced or Whole Tomatoes (cut into pieces), drained
1 box (8- 10 ounces) chopped frozen Broccoli (or Spinach), thawed
1 Cup White Rice, uncooked
1 lb. Baby Carrots (rinsed)
1 pkg. (10- 14 ounces) defrosted Green Beans- optional
1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
3/4 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Basil
1/4 Teaspoon Oregano
1 Tablespoon dried Parsley

Method:

1. Brown Ground Turkey and drain. 
2. Place in large pot or Dutch Oven.
3. Add remaining ingredients to pot, stir.
4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.
5. Simmer about 45- 60 Minutes- until Rice and Carrots are cooked.
6. Stir occasionally while simmering.

Serve with a slice of  Rye or homemade bread!  A bowl of hot soup on a winter evening is so good!

My freezer containers are always ready to pack away the extra portions.

Enjoy!
Yummy!