Showing posts with label pumpkin pie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pumpkin pie. Show all posts
It is always amazing to stand at the pinnacle of the ending of one year,
looking forward to the year that approaches,
then backward at the year that was,
and wonder at just how quickly the days passed
that brought us to this place.
Once a year, we have a special day set aside to remember the miraculous night over 2000 years ago when the Savior who spoke this world into existence wrapped himself into the confinements of a fleshly body, and made himself of no big fanfare or fancy attire and surroundings, but chose the setting of His birth to a young virgin and a carpenter in a lonely outcast stable where animals were the only witnesses to His birth. The greatest birth in the entire history of the world took place in a most unassuming and simple way. For that reason, we never want to forget the love of our Creator, who came knowing His purpose was to die, and who humbled himself to the limits, burdens, and cares of humankind, just so He would truly understand, and know our every heartache, pain, hurt, care and deepest needs. My heart rejoices to know that our precious Lord did this for me!
And so the busy-ness of the season and all that comes with it descends upon us every year, but may we never forget Jesus, the reason for the season!
 |
| I was so thankful that the clouds parted on December 21, when the alignment of two planets came together to possibly create the same star formation the wisemen may have seen that led them to Bethlehem 2000 years ago. It was a cloudy day, and most people were not able to see the star in our area. I walked right at sunset, and the skies parted, and I was able to glimpse this beautiful formation in the skies! In the picture, if you look under the "B" you can see the star. |
 |
| As I walked that night, the most incredible sunset appeared in the skies. Truthfully, we had not even seen the skies for days, as clouds and fog had set in. It was truly miraculous as I walked to see the skies unfold, the clouds roll back, and this magnificent sunset to preclude the Bethlehem Star. Did you get to see this star? |
 |
| As I watched the sunset unfold before me, I thought it might be a good opportunity to get a good picture of the dogs. Well... you can see that didn't go so well... I had to chuckle at this picture! Perhaps you have a good caption for this photo? Do share, if you do! (My dogs don't like to look at the camera, and that is really why they weren't looking at me, ha!) |
 |
| There is something about this picture that just speaks of peace and tranquility to my heart. This is of a neighbor's home viewed from the back acreage of our property. |
 |
| Another beautiful sunset... no snow! We've had no snow for several weeks, just heavy fog and frost. |
 |
| I had saved some of my pumpkins from my garden to make Christmas pumpkin pies (my family's favorite pie!) |
 |
| Sliced pumpkins just out of the oven, which is how I cook them, before I puree them for the pie. |
 |
| I let this pie cook a little longer as the puree seemed watery, and I wanted to make sure the pie was done. I can tell you, this pie tastes just so amazing! There is no comparison to pies made with the pie filling you get from the store. In fact, I've heard that the pumpkin pie mix is actually mixed with other squash varieties besides pumpkin. This is purely pumpkin puree and the flavor is so good. I love to grow my own pumpkins just for this reason... my family's favorite pie! |
 |
| My chickens enjoying the veggie scraps from all my pie and Christmas baking! |
 |
| I made this platter of cheeses, fruits, and nuts to set out for Christmas Day for us all to nibble on... as if we needed any more food {smiles} |
 |
| What's Christmas dinner without homemade rolls? I don't know, as it has always been a tradition at our home to have fresh homemade rolls. I use a 30-minute roll recipe. It has been a family favorite. |
 |
| Our family enjoyed a traditional Christmas dinner with turkey, creamed potatoes and gravy, broccoli & cheese casserole, homemade stuffing, glazed carrots, Caesar salad, and homemade cranberry sauce. It was a feast indeed... and we enjoyed our time together so much. I kept the desserts simple this year - pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and apple pie. However, I neglected to get any pictures of pecan or apple... but we enjoyed them heartily. As we opened our gifts shared with each other, it was wonderful to spend the time with our kids and a special gift to us this year, was the addition of a new son (in-law) to our family. We are so thankful for Zak, and enjoyed a special day celebrating with our kids, and remembering Jesus, our Savior and Lord who has blessed us abundantly beyond measure. As this Christmas holiday season continues into this week with the New Year approaching, my heart is deeply grateful for all the many and rich blessings of the Lord. I know that this year has been such a tough year for so many people, in so many different ways. However, when we think of blessings, we often think of good things that don't hurt or feel painful. But when I remember our Lord's admonishment in Matthew 5 when he begins to share what blessings really mean in His kingdom... perhaps we can look at things in a different light. |
Matthew 5:1-12
1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain:
and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
If this year has been a difficult time for you and you identify deeply with any of the "blessed" above, then perhaps you may understand that the Lord looks at the difficulties our human nature faces, and sees that the difficult things that come into our lives are used for a greater and higher purpose, which has a deeper weight of blessing in our lives than just material or earthly things.
So let your heart be encouraged, whatever you may be facing, our Lord didn't shield himself from pain and suffering as He came to this earth in a most difficult position and circumstance. He never hid himself from the pain of humanity but rather immersed himself in it, and He understands and knows far more of what your heart's cries are than any other. Do not be afraid to call upon Him, turn to Him, and seek His face in the midst of the turmoil found in our world today... His peace passes understanding, and His joy is rich and full in spite of circumstances, and His greatest gift is eternal life with Him. How grateful I am that we have such rich promises to hold onto and trust in!
I pray the peace of the Lord Jesus, and the joy of what His coming meant to this earth will bless your hearts, and sustain you today, and throughout the remainder of this year, and into the coming New Year 2021!
We've been doing a lot of hikes out in our forest, and let me tell you, in knee to hip-high snow, it is hard work! We love getting this kind of exercise, and taking Riley with us has been quite a romp. She gets to run on top of the snow while we slog along, one step at a time!
We've talked about buying a pair of cross-country skies, and maybe someday we will. But for now, we try to take a trail carved out with our snowmobile, or find trails that snowmobiles have been on or make our own path by slogging it out... which is far better exercise than you'll find in any gym!
This January, it has all been about the skies! Morning and evening, there have been glorious sunrises and sunsets that brighten up the otherwise dreary skies.
Occasionally the sun has put forth a half-hearted effort to brighten the skies, and for even that, we are thankful.
We visited a state forest park and the sun did us a favor and came out and shed its warmth on us while we walked around with little Riley.
We now can't imagine our lives without this sweet little girl, she brings fun to every moment of the day!
The trail leads from this park back into the mountains. We enjoyed walking in the path the snowmobiles had made.
Riley LOVES the snow. It is so fun to see her scamper around as she plays.
She only sits still long enough to catch her breath, and then she's off to the races again.
A rare quiet moment captured by the camera!
Love the views the river affords us here.
Little one all tuckered out on the ride home...
Later in the day, the gray skies lightened up as the sun began to set.
The views from the sky transformed the entire landscape into a wonderland of glorious light.
We took a little walk down the road to see the skies better. As you can see, we aren't sure who is walking who... little Riley thinks she needs to hold Annie's leash!
Purple and pinks dancing together in glorious unison.
In between watching the show in the skies, there was quite the entertainment as we walked...
Annie was NOT impressed with the entertainment at all. In fact, it makes me wonder how I will walk with Annie and Miss Riley! Our daughter walked with this and helped me corral Riley so we could walk, lol!
But when the skies did this... we all stopped and just gazed upwards!
My daughter, who is an artist, and loves to paint land and skyscapes wants to paint this.... I encouraged to please do it! I would love an oil painting of this scene hanging on my wall!
Glory in the skies...
Riley didn't see what all the fuss was about... she found something in the street to play with, and her little heart was content to romp while we sky-gazed at the light in the skies above, making me think of this verse:
We've talked about buying a pair of cross-country skies, and maybe someday we will. But for now, we try to take a trail carved out with our snowmobile, or find trails that snowmobiles have been on or make our own path by slogging it out... which is far better exercise than you'll find in any gym!
This January, it has all been about the skies! Morning and evening, there have been glorious sunrises and sunsets that brighten up the otherwise dreary skies.
Occasionally the sun has put forth a half-hearted effort to brighten the skies, and for even that, we are thankful.
We visited a state forest park and the sun did us a favor and came out and shed its warmth on us while we walked around with little Riley.
We now can't imagine our lives without this sweet little girl, she brings fun to every moment of the day!
The trail leads from this park back into the mountains. We enjoyed walking in the path the snowmobiles had made.
Riley LOVES the snow. It is so fun to see her scamper around as she plays.
She only sits still long enough to catch her breath, and then she's off to the races again.
A rare quiet moment captured by the camera!
Love the views the river affords us here.
Little one all tuckered out on the ride home...
Is there anything cuter than sleeping puppies (and babies too!)
Later in the day, the gray skies lightened up as the sun began to set.
The views from the sky transformed the entire landscape into a wonderland of glorious light.
We took a little walk down the road to see the skies better. As you can see, we aren't sure who is walking who... little Riley thinks she needs to hold Annie's leash!
Purple and pinks dancing together in glorious unison.
In between watching the show in the skies, there was quite the entertainment as we walked...
Annie was NOT impressed with the entertainment at all. In fact, it makes me wonder how I will walk with Annie and Miss Riley! Our daughter walked with this and helped me corral Riley so we could walk, lol!
But when the skies did this... we all stopped and just gazed upwards!
My daughter, who is an artist, and loves to paint land and skyscapes wants to paint this.... I encouraged to please do it! I would love an oil painting of this scene hanging on my wall!
Glory in the skies...
Riley didn't see what all the fuss was about... she found something in the street to play with, and her little heart was content to romp while we sky-gazed at the light in the skies above, making me think of this verse:
Every good gift
and every perfect gift
is from above,
and cometh down from the Father of lights,
with whom is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning.
James 1:17
Samuel Longfellow wrote:
Into all our lives, in many simple, familiar homely ways,
God infuses this element of joy from the surprises of life,
which unexpectedly brighten our days,
and fill our eyes with light.
With hearts full of light and joy from the gifts given from our Father of lights, we walked home to enjoy some fresh homemade garden-fresh pumpkin pie with a lovely topping of whipped cream... the perfect ending to a wonderful day :)
One of my pie pumpkins from the garden had completely ripened, and it was time for pumpkin pie! The process was very easy, and the taste is soo much better than the canned pumpkin that is most commonly used for pumpkin pie.
To begin with, I washed the pumpkin, and sliced it in half from stem to bottom.
Place it face down in the baking pan, and pour 1 cup water in the pan.
Roast the pumpkin at 350 for about an hour, or until a fork pierces the skin easily. Scoop out the seeds. I gave the seeds to my chickens... they loved them!
Scoop out all of the pulp and place it in a blender.
Blend the pulp until smooth.
Most pie pumpkins will be enough for two pies. I found that because the pumpkin is fresh it is a bit more watery, and may take longer to cook. I ended up cooking these fresh pumpkin pies an hour and 10 minutes.
I meant to get a picture of the pie with sweetened cream on it... but it was too good to wait for such silly things as pictures! (Or so my family tells me...)
If there are leftovers, this makes a great breakfast too :)
Heat oven to 350. Slice pie pumpkin in half, and place sides down in baking pan. Add 1 cup water. Bake about an hour or until a fork pierces skin easily. Remove seeds. Scoop out pulp and set aside. Place pulp in blender, blend until smooth.
1-1/2 cups white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
4 eggs
3-1/2 cups pureed fresh pumpkin (2 15-oz cans of canned pumpkin will also work)
2 cans evaporated milk
2-crust 9" deep dish pie crusts
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pie crusts (recipe below) and place in two 9" deep dish pie pans. Mix eggs and pumpkin until smooth. Stir in sugar and spices. Slowly pour in evaporated milk. Pour pumpkin mixture into the 2 pie crusts. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to 350 and continue baking for another 45 minutes. A knife stuck in the center should come out clean when they are done. Cool on rack for 2 hours. Serve with sweetened whipped heavy cream (recipe below). Cover and refrigerate leftovers.
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening or lard
1 tablespoon white vinegar
5-6 tablespoons ice cold water
In a bowl combine flour and salt, cut in shortening (or lard) until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle with vinegar. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until a ball can be formed. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Divide pastry into 2 balls and roll out to fit the 9" pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Let edges hang over 1/2". Fold top edges of pastry under and flute edges. Bake as called for in recipe.
To begin with, I washed the pumpkin, and sliced it in half from stem to bottom.
Place it face down in the baking pan, and pour 1 cup water in the pan.
Roast the pumpkin at 350 for about an hour, or until a fork pierces the skin easily. Scoop out the seeds. I gave the seeds to my chickens... they loved them!
Scoop out all of the pulp and place it in a blender.
Blend the pulp until smooth.
Most pie pumpkins will be enough for two pies. I found that because the pumpkin is fresh it is a bit more watery, and may take longer to cook. I ended up cooking these fresh pumpkin pies an hour and 10 minutes.
I meant to get a picture of the pie with sweetened cream on it... but it was too good to wait for such silly things as pictures! (Or so my family tells me...)
If there are leftovers, this makes a great breakfast too :)
GARDEN PUMPKIN PIES
Heat oven to 350. Slice pie pumpkin in half, and place sides down in baking pan. Add 1 cup water. Bake about an hour or until a fork pierces skin easily. Remove seeds. Scoop out pulp and set aside. Place pulp in blender, blend until smooth.
1-1/2 cups white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
4 eggs
3-1/2 cups pureed fresh pumpkin (2 15-oz cans of canned pumpkin will also work)
2 cans evaporated milk
2-crust 9" deep dish pie crusts
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pie crusts (recipe below) and place in two 9" deep dish pie pans. Mix eggs and pumpkin until smooth. Stir in sugar and spices. Slowly pour in evaporated milk. Pour pumpkin mixture into the 2 pie crusts. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to 350 and continue baking for another 45 minutes. A knife stuck in the center should come out clean when they are done. Cool on rack for 2 hours. Serve with sweetened whipped heavy cream (recipe below). Cover and refrigerate leftovers.
TWO PIE CRUST
2 cups flour1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening or lard
1 tablespoon white vinegar
5-6 tablespoons ice cold water
In a bowl combine flour and salt, cut in shortening (or lard) until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle with vinegar. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until a ball can be formed. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Divide pastry into 2 balls and roll out to fit the 9" pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Let edges hang over 1/2". Fold top edges of pastry under and flute edges. Bake as called for in recipe.
SWEETENED WHIPPED HEAVY CREAM
~ To take your pie over-the-top to sweet heaven, you need some of this on your pie! ~
1 cup heavy cream (needs to be at least 35% butterfat, pasteurized is fine)
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar (also known as icing sugar)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pour the cream into a chilled bowl and add the sugar and vanilla. Beat until soft peaks form (when the cream will be just soft enough to hold its shape in soft billows that hold when the beaters are lifted up). Serve with pie or dessert.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.png)
.jpg)
.JPEG)
Social Icons