Tasty Tuesday: Don't Toss That Pumpkin!

Jessica, over at Utah Deal Diva, experimented with using Jack-o-lantern pumpkins vs. pie pumpkins for her holiday baking. Her conclusion was that the pie pumpkin was sweeter, and less watery, but after straining, the difference wasn't significant enough to justify the extra cost of the pie pumpkin, especially if you picked up your pumpkins for FREE last week at The Red Barn!

To make pumpkin puree which is the base to several holiday recipes, simply cut the pumpkin to fit in a baking dish, add an inch of water, cover with foil, and bake for 1.5 hours at 350 degrees. Then mash, or puree, and it's ready to use or freeze for later.

Also, pumpkin seeds are an easy and healthy snack. Simply rinse the seeds, add 2 tbs butter and some salt, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Want a new recipe for your pumpkin puree? Try Jessica's Pumpkin Apple Muffins

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup diced apples, softened in microwave {2 minutes worked for me}

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin with oil. Mix ingredients and spoon into muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full. I like to make mini muffins because they bake in less time and they're fun for my kids to eat. Mini muffins take about 13 minutes to cook. Regular sized muffins take about 18-20 minutes to cook.
Cool and enjoy!