P-P-P-Pumpkins!!!

10-23-12

  Wahoo!!!! I successfully made my very first pumpkin pie, completely from scratch! That's right, SCRATCH, no canned pumpkin, no pre-made crust, and only honey as a sweetener! I made it last night and there is only one piece left. I'm currently cooling another crust so I can bake a second pie tonight :-P   It's a "chores around the house" day, so I figured I'd go ahead and post the pie recipe while I'm waiting on the laundry. My wonderful husband was a real gem and helped me every step of the way and I'm pretty well convinced that I'll never buy a pumpkin pie again (homemade is by far better and definitely worth the effort).  

  I'm super excited about all the people that I'm getting to come take a look at my blog and what I'm doing here. I added some pictures to some of my previous posts I hope you all enjoy.  I'm kinda flabbergasted...this morning I decided to weigh myself again (just for giggles) to find out how the last few days of Cinnamon Bun Muffins, Strawberry Sorbet, and Pumpkin Pie had affected me. Sorry to those people thinking I'd most definitely gained a pound or two...nope, I lost a whole pound! 0_o  I find that totally weird and against normal thought, but in fact I've lost yet another pound. I thought for sure I was at a plateau, perhaps I'm wrong. I'm the skinniest I've ever been in my entire life! I'm having a really hard time imagining that there is anything left to loose, but then I loose more weight and I continue to marvel at the oddity. Enough about that, on to the recipe!

Pumpkin Pie

Yield: 1-8"pie+1ramekin filling

Crust:

1-3/4  cup  Almond Flour

1/3    cup  Coconut Oil, melted

2     Tbsp  Honey

1      tsp  Vanilla Extract

1/4    tsp  Baking Soda

1/4    tsp  Ground Cinnamon

1/4    tsp  Ground Ginger

Dash        Salt

Filling:

2   cup  Pumpkin Puree (15oz canned)

1/2 cup  Water

3        Eggs

1   tsp  Vanilla Extract

1   tsp  Salt

1   tsp  Ground Cinnamon

1   tsp  Ground Ginger

1/4 tsp  Ground Clove

1/4 tsp  Ground Cardamom

1/2 tsp  Ground Nutmeg

1/2 tsp  Lemon Zest

1/2 cup  Honey

Crust:

1)  Mix all ingredients until just combined (I suggest mixing dry ingredients first and then adding the wet).

2)  Press dough into greased pie plate, spreading evenly up sides and across bottom of pan.

3)  Bake at 325^F for 10 Minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Filling:

1)  Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Combine thoroughly.

2)  Pour into pre-baked pie crust. You will end up with extra filling. Pour this into 1-2 greased ramekin(I used a small Pyrex dish). 

3)  Place pie and ramekins on baking sheet. Bake at 350^F for 30-40 minutes, or until center is slightly jiggly. (If crust edges brown too quickly, put strips of foil around the edges of the pie)

4)  Refrigerate until chilled, then serve.

Original Recipe Link:   http://www.againstallgrain.com/2011/11/22/grain-free-and-dairy-free-pumpkin-pie/

It's a Soupy Fall After All.

10-16-12

  Yesterday my Hubby and I went to the store and guess what I saw all over the store? Squashes! Of all different sizes, shapes, and colors! This is one of my favorite parts of fall, even more now that I know what each one is and can be used for.  We purchased some more Acorn squash, some spaghetti squash, butternut squash, and a pie pumpkin! I'm so excited to figure out how I want to use it all! 

  I used the first one for dinner last night and it was a real hit! I was so excited and it was my first time using this particular type of squash. So, below is my recipe for Butternut Squash Soup, and as usual I will have the link at the bottom to the original recipe. 

Always,

Kittydid

Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe says it Yeilds 4 servings, but I must have had a large squash or something, because I came out with 6-8 servings.

1       Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed

1 Tbsp  Ground Ginger (called for ginger root, but I only had this)

6 cups  Chicken Stock

1/2     Onion, chopped

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Ground Cardamom

Preheat Oven to 450^F

1)  Place squash, onion, ginger, and 2 cups Chicken stock in a 9x13 baking dish and bake for 1 hour or until squash is soft.

2)  Place pan contents in food processor with steel blade(I used my blender). Process mixture until smooth, gradually adding remaining stock, salt, and cardamom into puree.

3)  Reheat if necessary (I kept mine warm on low on the stove top until the guys got home).

Original Recipe Link:  http://www.scdiet.org/2recipes/veget02.html