One of the fun things about having a blog is when it
attracts the attention from publishing companies and they graciously ask you to
review their cookbook. Can it get any
better than that? And if you know me,
well that is like the frosting on a cupcake, as this girl loves to bake. I bake when I’m happy, I bake when I’m sad, I
bake when I’m under stress and it’s always time to bake when the little
grand-angels come over. I have
personally started to train them to be “enthusiastic bakers” which in my world
translates to “messy bakers” and I am the queen. After a day of baking, well…. lets just say
my kitchen will resemble what I would imagine what an explosion in a flour
factory would look like. (even my own mom won't let me bake in her kitchen...true story! Lol )
One of my favorite flavors is pumpkin and when I was offered
the chance to review “Pumpkin it Up!” by Eliza Cross, well it took me all of 2
seconds to respond back with - yes! And I have to tell you this is going to be
one of my very favorite cookbooks. This
book offers recipes from starting your day with a Pumpkin Spice Latte to be enjoyed
with (my personal favs) Pumpkin-Apple
Crunch Muffins or Pumpkin Applesauce Bread, slathered with pumpkin butter. You could end the day with a slow-cooked
Pumpkin Chili or a comforting Pumpkin Chicken Soup.
The book starts out with the helpful hints whether you buy premade puree or make your own. Personally I like to have my own homemade puree on hand and one afternoon of puree making yields numerous happy hours spent in the kitchen baking or cooking. Each recipe is accompanied by a stellar photo of the end product. The recipes are easy to follow, no fussy techniques (always a plus for me) and all the recipes require basic ingredients. Here is the link to order your own copy Pumpkin It Up
On a side note, I also was able to easily convert many
recipes to gluten/dairy free for my brother Barry. He likes it when I get to
demo a new cookbook.
As much as I enjoy the summer, I can’t wait till I get to
harvest my own pumpkins again as there are so many recipes to still try. Come on October!
I did want to tempt you with a couple more favorites of mine as well.......and the author graciously let me publish these.
Pumpkin Pancakes
Makes about 12 pancakes
1 1⁄2 cups milk
1 cup canned or cooked pumpkin purée
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
Maple syrup, for serving
In a large bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil, and vinegar. In
a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking
powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and
stir just until combined.
Heat a lightly greased griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour
1⁄4 cup batter on the griddle and spread out slightly using a spatula or spoon.
Brown on both sides and serve hot with maple syrup.~~
Cookies!!!
 | |||
| Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies |
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 50 cookies
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3⁄4 cup sugar
3⁄4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup canned or cooked pumpkin purée
1 1⁄2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking
spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar; beat until
light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, and
cinnamon. Stir the flour mixture gradually into the butter mixture, alternating
with the pumpkin purée, beating well after each addition. Fold in the chocolate
chips. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto the
prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12–13 minutes, until edges are just browned.
Remove from oven and transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.~~
And with that, I’ll leave you for now as I’m working on the next
article that was specifically requested from my blog task master, Kristi. From the last blog post about courage and
silver linings – well I received so many wonderful and heartfelt comments, that
Kristi asked me to write about that hard topic of coping and discouragement. So with that keep watching as the blog post
is underway. As always, feel free to
email at swheatfarmlife@gmail.com
or leave a comment as I love to hear
from you. All my best, Gayle
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