MERRY CHRISTMAS

All of us at TwoFarmsOne wish you a safe, healthy, blessing filled and very merry Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday - Chocolate Cake

It doesn't have to be big nor fancy.

Wordless Wednesday

Don't Toss Those Iddy Biddy Pumpkins!

 Many of us get them each year, then toss them out right after Thanksgiving, sometimes even sooner.... those tiny little orange pumpkins that we use to adorn our tables and scatter amongst our Fall decorations and displays. They are so pretty and adorable. And kids love to paint faces on them for Halloween. But did you know that they are edible?!

Yes, they are just as edible as any Pie Pumpkin. Not only are they edible, but they are delicious!!! Inside, these pumpkins have a nice, thick wall. The seeds can be pulled out, cleaned, then saved for roasting or planting. But the pumpkins can be baked for a very tasty and nutritious meal. Bake several and scoop the soft meat out to make a delicious pie. They can be used for anything you would normally use pumpkins for.... they are pumpkins! It just might take a few of them. When baked, the meat of these wonderful little pumpkins is surprisingly sweet and very smooth and creamy. The texture is not at all stringy, just sweet and smooth. In fact, I find them to be even smoother and sweeter than many pie pumpkins.

There are many ways you can cook these pumpkins. You can even stuff the inside with your favorite meatloaf recipe and bake for adorable individual servings, but my favorite way is to just bake them as I do my Acorn Squash. Simply cut the tops off (much easier than you would think, but be careful that knife doesn't slip), remove the seeds (comes out easily and quickly), add a couple of your favorite ingredients, place the cut top back on, place in a shallow pan of water and bake. The following instructions is a little better detailed.

Baked Jack Be Little Pumpkins 

• A few Jack Be Little Pumpkins (those iddy biddy orange or white pumpkins)
• Butter
• Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Water

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Wash pumpkins thoroughly.

Slice tops off of pumpkins. I like to make the cut at a slight downward slant. 

Remove seeds from pumpkin and set aside for whatever later use you choose for them.

Place pumpkins in a shallow baking pan, leaving a little space between each pumpkin.

Inside each pumpkin, add a pat of butter, a spoon of sugar, and a small sprinkle of cinnamon. (I like to use the True Cinnamon). The amounts of each ingredient are strictly up to personal taste.

Place top back on each pumpkin.

Pour water into your baking pan, around the pumpkins, until water is about 1/2-inch deep in pan.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until pumpkins are tender and sugar filling has turned to syrup. Cook time will vary according to the size and number of your pumpkins. 

Serve hot with your favorite meal. I even like to eat them cold! These are so yummy!

Wordless Wednesday - 12/5

Homegrown Thanksgiving Salad

Wordless Wednesday

BREAD ON MONDAY - Cranberry Nut Bread

When I was growing up, I adored the Christmas season. With typical child-like impatience, I eagerly anticipated each and every event of the season's progression. And one thing I anticipated the most was Christmas morning breakfast! As with most parents, ours were up late putting gifts under the tree for "Santa" because we were so excited  anticipating his coming that we took forever to go to sleep. Naturally, that was the one day of the year that we popped up out of bed early, usually before the sun even came up! But Mom and Dad wanted to SLEEP!

We were allowed to open our stockings, but were weren't to touch anything else before they got up... not even TOUCH anything. But there was always something extra good waiting for us to eat for breakfast while they snoozed as long as we possibly let them snooze. Usually, it was an assortment of quick breads and fruits. My favorite, one of the things I looked of forward to Christmas morning for, was, you guessed it.... CRANBERRY NUT BREAD! I could hardly sleep not only knowing that Santa was coming, but that when I got up, that wonderful, tangy-sweet, moist bread would be waiting for me. Mmmmmm..... I can smell it even now just thinking about it.

And now, I would like to share with you the recipe for that wonderful Cranberry Nut Bread that I so looked forward to with impatient anticipation each and every Christmas season:

Cranberry Nut Bread

• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I prefer pecan or walnut)
• 1 T. grated orange peel (fresh)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 T. shortening
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 large egg, well beaten

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease and lightly flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.

In medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and soda; cut in shortening.

 Stir in orange juice, egg and orange peel, mixing just until moistened.

Fold in cranberries and nuts. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Be careful not to overcook, as it will make bread dry.

Cool on wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

When completely cool, wrap and store overnight before cutting to increase moistness. Makes 1 loaf. 

SOUP ON SATURDAY - Turkey Carcass Soup

 I am sure most of you have tossed your turkey bones out by now, but while thoughts of Thanksgiving and leftover turkeys still lingers on my mind, I wanted to share with you my recipe for Turkey Carcass soup. Before you think, "yuck!", look the recipe over and really consider giving it a try. It is absolutely wonderful! I missed out on getting to make it this year, as the person that brought the turkey to our Thanksgiving dinner, threw the bones out in the trash before I could intercept them. That just killed me! That lost pot of tasty soup has been on my mind so much this past week that I think I am going to have to cook me a small turkey just so I can get a good pot of soup. This works well with either a baked or smoked turkey (or fried, for that matter). So go ahead, give it a try, you will be surprised at how wonderful it is!

Turkey Carcass Soup

• 1 fresh turkey carcass (from a cooked turkey), all meat removed
• 1 cup drippings from turkey (or more to taste)
• water to fill cooking pot
• 3 fresh carrots, thinly sliced
• 3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
• 2/3 cup chopped onions
• 2-3 cups finely chopped, cooked turkey
• 1 1/2 T. dry parsley flakes (fresh is also good but use a little more)
• 2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper (or to taste)
• 1 (12-ounce) pkg. small noodles, cooked according to package

Pull apart the turkey carcass bones and place in a large pot with pan drippings. Cover with water. 

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and hard simmer for about an hour. 

Remove all bones with slotted spoon. When cool enough to handle, remove any remaining meat that you may still find on the bones and set aside; discard bones where pets won't be able to get them.

Add all of the turkey, carrots, celery, onion, parsley flakes, salt and pepper to the pot of now wonderful broth. 

Return to simmer and cook until vegetables are tender.

Add cooked noodles; heat through and serve. Mmmmm..... good!

Note: This recipe is very flexible. The amounts of the vegetables is easily alterable. You can also add other vegetables that you like to the pot. This is the blend that my family likes, although I sometimes like to also add canned tomatoes and corn. Enjoy!