Cooking a fresh pumpkin for baking - it's easy! We are getting into fall here in Upstate NY, and for many of us, that means pumpkins. No - not pumpkin lattes! Real pumpkins out in the garden. They'll keep for a while, but not forever. So, knowing how to cook a fresh pumpkin is a good skill to have in your repertoire! Better than canned from the store You can certainly use canned pumpkin from the store. But we like to be self-reliant. Often fresh pumpkins are on sale through September and ... Read More about How to Cook a Fresh Pumpkin
Desserts
Banana Oat Bread
Banana Oat Bread is amazing - and easy! Whenever we have our family with kids visiting, they have this habit of leaving bananas behind. It's kinda weird, I admit, but it seems to happen more often than not. But here's the thing - we don't care for bananas. Neither of us is ever tempted to eat a banana - not even a little bit. BUT - we do like baked stuff with bananas and that is where Banana Oat Bread comes in handy! Bananas are perfect for baked goods Bananas kind of disappear when you ... Read More about Banana Oat Bread
Lemon Blueberry Sherbet
If it's too hot to bake, Lemon Blueberry Sherbet makes a great dessert We're in what you might call the dog days of summer. Hot, humid and unrelenting. The tomatoes love it, sweet corn loves it, but after a few weeks, people get a little tired of it. That is where Lemon Blueberry Sherbet comes in. Because the blueberries also love these hot humid days and they are ripening like crazy right now. Start with a simple syrup Lemon juice is added to a combination of water, sugar and cornstarch. ... Read More about Lemon Blueberry Sherbet
Blueberry Lime Crisp
Blueberry Lime Crisp is everything you love in a summer dessert We are just getting into the start of blueberry season here in Upstate NY. I'm sure that means some of you have had ripe blueberries for a while now. Blueberry Lime Crisp is an ideal way to enjoy them. Even if you happen upon this recipe in the off season, no worries. Blueberry Lime Crisp is also very good made with frozen blueberries. Frozen berries actually work nicely in just about any recipe that uses fresh berries. ... Read More about Blueberry Lime Crisp
Summer Fruit Galette
Summer Fruit Galette is an easy-peasy summer dessert As someone who doesn't have AC, I don't turn the oven on very often in the summer. But this Summer Fruit Galette is a reason to look for that one cool day in July. But the galette is only part of it. Summer fruit is the main reason - there is so much to choose from this time of year. What is the best summer fruit for this galette? That is easy to answer. Whatever fruit you have in your area this time of year. We're at the tail end of ... Read More about Summer Fruit Galette
Blueberry Sugar Doughnut Muffins
Blueberry Sugar Doughnut Muffins are the best of summer baking The blueberries are just beginning to ripen here in Upstate NY. If you're in a warmer part of the country, you've probably had them for a few weeks by now. These Blueberry Sugar Doughnut Muffins are one of my favorite things to bake with blueberries. Lemon and Blueberries are a match made in heaven Lemon brings out the very best blueberry flavor. Blueberries have varying degrees of sweetness, especially when freshly ... Read More about Blueberry Sugar Doughnut Muffins
Fruit and Nut Oat Bars
Fruit and Nut Oat Bars are an easy, wholesome treat I am not going to claim that these Fruit and Nut Oat Bars are exactly health food. But, they are definitely better than a lot of snacks you could have. They have plenty of fiber, some good nutrition from the fruit and nuts, and they are fairly low in refined sugar. And, did I forget to mention how yummy they are? Very yummy, as you will see when you make them yourself. These are bars, not biscotti Yes - they do look a bit like biscotti. In ... Read More about Fruit and Nut Oat Bars
Easy Rhubarb Cake
Easy Rhubarb Cake is a family favorite It is rhubarb time here in the Northeast. I think everyone around us grew up eating rhubarb because it grows like a weed here. I should note that it is definitely NOT a weed. You have to plant it. But every old house in our small towns and every farm out in the country seemed to have had a nice patch of it against some corner or another. Easy Rhubarb Cake is an easy choice when we have lots of rhubarb. Rhubarb is very tart - not really edible all on ... Read More about Easy Rhubarb Cake
Apple Pie Bars
Apple Pie Bars are great for a crowd It is not too late to find great tasting apples in the supermarket. If you are getting ready for a family get-together or neighborhood pot-puck, Apple Pie Bars are the way to go. This recipe makes a large batch, and serves a lot of people. It's a little fiddly because of the layers, but not at all difficult. What kind of apples are best for Apple Pie Bars? Sometimes, in other recipes, the variety of apples can make a big difference. In Molasses ... Read More about Apple Pie Bars
Best Ever Oatmeal Cookies
I realize it is a pretty big claim, but I stand by it - these are the Best Ever Oatmeal Cookies! Packed with yummy things like coconut and butterscotch chips, not to mention toasted walnuts and raisins, Best Ever Oatmeal Cookies have a nice crispy exterior and a very chewy interior. There's just something about an oatmeal cookie - they are so homey and comforting. Didn't everybody's grandma make some fantastic oatmeal cookies? I think I have updated Grandma's favorite. Shhh - don't ... Read More about Best Ever Oatmeal Cookies
Grapefruit Tea Cake
Grapefruit Tea Cake is a simple but elegant cake This cake uses simple techniques to bring out the best flavor. Grapefruit Tea Cake is light and lightly sweet and just darned yummy. You don't see many recipes that use grapefruit in baking and I don't know why. I love grapefruit. I know some people complain about the bitterness, but that won't be a problem with this cake - no bitterness in sight here! It makes a lovely Upside Down Grapefruit Cake, and it's pivotal in Easy Citrus Jam. ... Read More about Grapefruit Tea Cake
Honey Lemon Crinkles Cookies
Honey Lemon Crinkles Cookies taste like spring! The lemon in these Honey Lemon Crinkles cookies makes all the difference. Lemon is so bright and refreshing in just about anything. It is a happy flavor any time of year, and here in Upstate NY, spring often takes its time getting here. We need flavors that give us a bright outlook. An easy to make cookie Honey Lemon Crinkles Cookies are a pretty standard cookie recipe in terms of how you get the ingredients mixed together. A lot of ... Read More about Honey Lemon Crinkles Cookies