Category: Food Related

Brine Fresh Pumpkin Seeds before Toasting for the BEST Results

  1. Scrape seeds from pumpkin
  2. Remove as much of the large stringy guts as you can
  3. Fill a large pot with water 1/2 – 2/3 full and add a tablespoon of salt
  4. Place seeds (it’s OK if there’s still some pumpkin guts attached to the seeds they will come loose in the boiling) into your pot of water.
  5. Bring water and seeds to a boil.
  6. Boil for 10 minutes.
  7. Drain well in a colander, removing any remaining bits of pumpkin string & guts.
  8. Spread damp seeds across a baking pan and allow to air dry overnight.
  9. Tomorrow we TOAST!

Got leftover cans of pumpkin? Make DELICIOUS Brunch Pumpkin Pancakes from Scratch

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup packed brown sugar, placed into small bowl and loosened with fork until no clumps remain
2 1/4 cups pumpkin
4 eggs, beaten
3 cups whole milk + 2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup real butter, melted
Optional: 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
First, combine milk with lemon juice in a glass measuring cup or glass bowl. Set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes or so (while you are preparing the other ingredients).

Next, in a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Mix until all ingredients are well evenly distributed. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using a whisk or fork, combine pumpkin with beaten eggs. Mix until smooth. Sprinkle the loose brown sugar evenly over the pumpkin/egg mixture and stir in, mixing well. Add the milk/lemon juice mixture (it should be thick and clumpy as you pour it in). Add vanilla and melted butter.

Add the dry ingredients (previously set aside) to the wet ingredients in 3 separate additions, stirring lightly and mixing well but not over-mixing. The batter should remain slightly lumpy. If chocolate chips are desired, add them now and mix until evenly distributed. Hint: I pour about 1/3 of plain batter into small bowl then add chocolate chips to the large bowl so we can both have plain and chocolate chip versions. Set batter aside to rest for approximately 5-10 minutes or so.

Prepare your griddle, preheating it to approximately 350 to 375 degrees. You will know your griddle is hot enough when you finger drip water over the griddle and it immediately sizzles up. I use a cast iron griddle and butter as my lubricant, but you may choose to use your favorite griddle or pan and lubricant (butter, coconut oil, or cooking spray, etc.).

Depending on how large you like your pancakes, pour 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup (or whatever size/amount you prefer) into puddles on the griddle. Allow to cook until golden brown on one side, then flip and allow the other side to cook until golden brown.

The number of pancakes you get will depend on how big you make them. This recipe feeds our family of 2 large and hungry teenage boys + 2 adults and leaves quite a bit of leftovers.

The leftover pancakes freeze beautifully. Simply let them cool then place in freezer bag(s). I use quart size freezer bags and put 4-6 pancakes in each bag so the boys can pull out a bag and finish it the same day. Be sure to remove as much air as possible when you close the bag. Place in freezer. Reheat pancakes in toaster.

5 to 7 Layer Delicious Mexican Dip

This is a Chapman Family Favorite — for parties, sporting event tailgate celebrations, potlucks, and any occasion.  It’s also super easy to make.  You can make it a day ahead of time too.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can re-fried beans
  • 2 – 3 ripe avocados
  • 8 – 12 oz. sour cream
  • 6 – 8 oz. your favorite salsa
  • 6 – 8 oz. your favorite cheese — grated (suggest: cheddar or colby jack)
  • *optional 1-2 green onions thinly sliced
  • *optional 1 small can sliced black olives

Find a pretty container with sides to put your dip into.  Sometimes I use a nice pie plate. Sometimes I use a plastic container that has a lid (especially when taking to potlucks and parties away from the house).  Whatever container you choose, it should have sides at least 2″ high.

First open the can of refried beans. Stir well, then spread evenly across the bottom of your pie plate or container.

Peel, remove pit and mash your avocados then spread evenly over top of the re-fried beans.

Stir sour cream then spread evenly across top of avocado layer.

Pour salsa over top of sour cream layer; use a spatula to spread out evenly.

Sprinkle grated cheese evenly over top of salsa.

*Optional: Lightly sprinkle green onion and/or black olives over top of the cheese layer.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with your favorite brand of tortilla chips. Refrigerate any leftovers.

ENJOY!!!  It’s fantastic and your guests will love it. In fact, it’s so good Jared (18 y/o son) and I often finish off any leftovers for breakfast the next morning.