Thursday, September 24, 2015

#Pumpkin Everything???

The pumpkin craze has hit hard, and I'm a big fan because this is what's going on at the Blodgett Family Farm on Parma Center Road in Hilton.

I put that for my local readers who will see that and RACE OUT HERE to buy pumpkins!

Pie pumpkins... check how great those handles are!!!!

Big pumpkins!
Bigger pumpkins!!!!!

And these are the beginning of the 30-40lb. patch....

So that's what I did last Thursday, but roasting squash got me to thinking... I wanted to try a roasted squash pie, like a sweet potato pie, only with roasted butternut squash.

So I peeled the squash.(I know, it makes your hands feel W-E-I-R-D!!!!)

I cut them into good sized chunks and added just a splash of water. I covered them with aluminum foil and roasted them for about an hour at 400°. Enough to get some dark, roasted sides, for the squash to tender up, but not to burn it!

Then I mashed it with a stick of butter and a 1/2 cup of brown sugar. It was still lumpy because it's drier than boiled squash or simmered squash, so I tossed half of it into the food processor with 1/2 cup water and smoothed it out...

Now it's like thick, dry-ish squash, amazing flavor and a totally different texture.

So then it's pie time!!!!

Only then we picked more pumpkins. Truckloads more.

And there was no time to make pie.

Now I'm bummed. You probably are, too, but I know Pumpkin Everything can't/won't last forever! So for this week, it's been sandwiches and salads, but we will cook again in upstate! I promise!

And until then, I will be unloading and organizing pumpkins, taking care of customers and writing books. :)

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And now... Yes, you guessed it... Back to pumpkins, after one quick look at The Mighty Finn...

Practicing for when Baby Magdalena gets born in 8 days.... Snuggling a sweet baby doll is never a bad thing!

And yes, there will be three busy boys staying with Grammy while Mommy's in the hospital... Helping with pumpkins, no doubt!

14 comments:

  1. I love pumpkin season. And how cool that you're growing them, Ruthy. Wish I could pop on up there for a visit.

    We have a pumpkin patch down the road from us. One of the only family farms left in our area. They do a big corn maze, tractor rides and, of course, sell pumpkins and gourds. I used to love going out there when the boys were little. They still like to do the corn maze, but would prefer dad and I not tag along. So I make them bring me some authentic Kettle Corn to sooth my wounded heart. Maybe I can get the grandkids to come down this season. Elijah would let me go with him. And, oh, how he would love the donkeys.

    Okay, I'm ready for fall. Now if the Texas weather would cooperate....

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    1. I love corn mazes!!!! And cider and doughnuts and apples and pumpkins.... I think I was made for spring and fall. I'm kind of a jerk in the summer, at least the 30 or so hot days we get, so then I try and act NICER the rest of the year!

      I love our change of seasons, and I totally respect you Texas and AZ and Southern gals who can deal with the heat.

      #wuss

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    2. You know how I deal with the heat, Ruthy? Air conditioning. :P

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  2. Oh yummy pumpkins. We are flying to New Hampshire next week to visit hubby's brother. One thing I adore about back east is you all decorate your yards and porches for fall. So fun. Its still triple digits here so no sense of fall yet.

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    1. Sandra, I love that, too! I've got the scarecrows out of the closet and the bales of straw, and the whole feel of fall... Mums and pumpkins and gourds, they match the trees. Isn't it an amazing sight?

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  3. Seriously, you make me dizzy with all that you manage to get done!!!! And, of course, Ruthy would only have perfect pumpkins -- I mean they are all so lovely and round and...well perfect! I want a bunch!

    I didn't realize that the Mighty Finn is going to be a big brother! Think of the adventures he'll have then!!!!!! Love that he's taking the role seriously and practicing with the doll beforehand. That's so Mighty Finnish. :-)

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    1. Hahahaha! Kav, I love you! Well, last year's pumpkins didn't look like this but I found an amazing strain of seed and spent the bucks... The seed was available last year, but sold out by the time I put my order in. This year I ordered early because I've never seen prettier pumpkins! YAY!!!!!!!

      And Magdalena Ruth will be born to us next Friday.... so a week from today, I get to see her!

      The name is a combination of two grandmothers "Magdalene" and "Magdalyn"... and I think they'll call her "Lanie" but we'll see, we're always surprised by what nicknames stick! Who would have thought Xavier would end up being Zee Zee???

      But that's what 'Lijah called him and it stuck!

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    2. Ruthy, I'm laughing so hard at myself right now!! I had started thinking Zee Zee was just one of the kids you kept in daycare!! I didn't realize that was Xavier! hahahaha Feeling silly now for not realizing that.

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  4. Congratulations! Will be praying for baby Magdalena :)

    And I love those Seeker novella collections. Will be downloading them in nanoseconds!

    Oh, and the pumpkins. Gorgeous!

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    1. I just updated my website and added the collections in... and I'm learning my way around my newly purchased upgrade. It's amazing what we learn to teach ourselves, isn't it?

      Thank you for the prayers! The countdown is on!

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  5. Ruthy, you do realize that once you post a photo of Finn, we forget everything you posted before that, don't you?! What a sweet cutie! I can't wait to see the photos of the new baby sister!

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    1. Finn is a riot. None of the other kids will just let you take a pic without doing something weird/normal/kid-like.

      Finn's got this different personality, as if he was born old. Beth says he's like me, and I see some resemblances, but what I love is how amazingly complete we are when God forms us...

      And how wretchedly useless some of my parenting skills really were, LOL! Because they ended up being their own delightfully special selves in spite of me!

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  6. Oooooh, I'm so jealous! The frost that killed our cherries also took out our pumpkin patch! Horrors!

    And I'm also jealous of the new baby arriving! Nothing better than a fresh baby. What a blessed life you lead!

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    1. I cannot disagree with any of this!

      Our first two weeks of plantings were flooded out in June. A complete loss. Everything just sat and rotted in the field and there was nothing we could do, so I hear your pain. Growing things is not for the weak, for sure, and when the cherry crop and apple crops are frozen out (we had that happen about 4 years ago....) it was wretched.

      Anyway, we went out there and planted those pumpkins WEEKS LATER than we should have, and we only ended up with one pumpkin per plant, (because it started to cool down and less sunlight and the plant starts to ripen what it's got to reproduce itself. Smart plant!!!)... But even with one/plant, this is just gorgeous!

      And hopefully this weekend I'll get to play in the kitchen some... while editing "Back in the Saddle" for the last time... Virginia, I totally loved setting these books out your way. Such a beautiful, broad, lush valley in central Washington. I could live there, and there aren't too many places I can say that about!

      And I know, new babies! New baby smell, noise, cozy, PINK!!! I get to dress her in pink! Morgan will have a playmate! So sweet!!!!

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