Quince Fruit

My knowledge of fruits has been challenged. Recently I was asked by my faithful follower, Chris, if I knew what quince was....ahhhh, never heard of it. So, I had to research.

According to http://www.foodreference.com/ quince belongs to the pome fruit family and claims apples and pears as its cousins. For over 4,000 years quince trees have been producing this tart, golden yellow fruit. The harvest season for quince is September-January. It's great for baking and is a good substitute when a recipe calls for apples or pears. Quince has a very high pectin content, which makes it the perfect fruit for jams and jellies, as shown here straight from Chris' kitchen. Orange in color, it tastes a lot like tart pears, very good. The texture is a lot like honey. Thanks, Chris, for sharing!

Any other fruit or vegetable challenges? One is never too old to learn!

Apple Butternut Casserole

Easy as ABC.

A is for Apple, one granny smith. Core, slice, and dice. No need to peel the apple first (which I did and lost all that bright green color to contrast the orange of the squash, and also peeled away most of the fiber from the apple).

B is for Butternut squash, one medium-sized. Half, scoop out seeds and pulp. Slice, dice, and peel. You will need very sharp knife.

C is for Casserole. Mix apple and butternut chunks together in a casserole dish.

Sprinkle with 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 cup melted butter.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Delicious and different!

Subtle Change 9

This week's challenge - try something new! It's so easy to fall into a rut, especially with our meal planning. We eat the same foods over and over, day in and day out. While I think it's a great idea to have a designated night for certain meals (like Friday night can be pizza night each week) it's also a great idea to spice things up a bit and surprise the family at least one night a week with a new dish. Put aside your fear and break out the recipe books. What have you got to lose? You'll either not like it and lose the few dollars and time you spent to prepare it, OR you may just discover a delicious new dish to serve your family.

Last week I tried butternut squash for the first time. I know...it's a little hard to believe that a farmer's daughter never had eaten butternut squash in all her 27 years (ha!). Not only that, but I don't remember having ever seen the inside of a butternut squash. So, I found this recipe online that I doctored a bit to make it my own and it was really good! I will definitely cook it again, and will post the recipe tomorrow.

In the meatime take a look here at the pic of the butternut after I cut it. Be warned! It's not easy to cut. I had to get out the big knife! If only this blog was "scratch and sniff". I can't even find the words to describe the great smell and color. Who knew?

If you accept my challenge for Subtle Change 9, comment and let me know how it turned out!

How to Love Vegetables

Just read this on CNN's eatocracy food blog. The lady was answering the question, "Why do so many people hate vegetables?"

“I’d hate vegetables too if I ate frozen vegetables! I’d hate vegetables if I ate vegetables that are out of season! I think to fall in love with vegetables you need to eat seasonal vegetables and you need to eat them prepared very simply and they need to be homemade.” Jennifer Rubell

Gotta love it! Think of all the many different types of vegetables there are to choose from. Vary your intake from season to season lest you burn out. And if you don't know how to cook them, just slice and dice and throw them all together into one big salad. Enjoy!

Rain!

Thanking God for the much-needed rain to water the crop of greens Gary planted last week. We're no fools. We know that without God we can grow nothing.

To My Readers

A special shout out to all my readers! To date there have been 838 visits to this site. I know some of these are repeat visits from followers, and I thank you all. From time to time you guys tell me about having tried a recipe, or having learned something from the blog. When I hear your stories I am encouraged to keep blogging. Thanks, again, for your interest. Now, go tell 2 friends, so they can tell 2 friends, and they can tell 2 friends, and so on, and so on, and so on.

Raspberries Are In Town

Raspberries are available now at the market. Just like other berries they are loaded with vitamin C and potassium and are low in calories. Add them to vanilla yogurt, or breakfast cereal; or puree and use them as dessert topping; or just eat them like popcorn straight from the bowl.

Store fresh raspberries in the refrigerator and eat them as soon as possible. Raspberries can also be frozen. Simply lay them in a single layer on a tray and place in freezer for a few hours or just until fruit is firm. Then, package in freezer bags and use them within 6-8 months.