Looks like I “picked” a good blue pumpkin to wish I could plant. I checked to see if deer eat pumpkins - they do ... leaves, flowers & pumpkins themselves. If they did not, I might could plant them outside the fencing, but I do not have room for pumpkins “inside”. I will have to ‘noodle’ on this problem & see if I can find room for some Blue Princes.
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Ok, so I know this is NOT a cooking/recipe thread, but people on the Garden Thread DO cook, so maybe they will find what I am about to post helpful (if the info isn’t already known - it was ‘new’ to me & I’ve been cooking for decades ... old dogs do learn new tricks!).
First of all - that spatula candy thermometer - I don’t think a battery comes with it (mine is still in the package, but they mentioned the battery that is needed on the back). I bought a pack at Walmart a bit ago - expensive little rascals & I got one of the two packs left, but they’ll be worth it if the spatula/thermometer works as advertised.
Cranberries - are 50 cents a bag at Walmart today, down from $2.19 a bag. I bought 6, so I have enough for 2 batches of Cranberry-Apple Jam AND another Cranberry Fluff to take to the Christmas Dinner Sunday.
Speaking of Cranberry Fluff ... whipped cream or Cool Whip (this is what holds it together)?. While trying to figure out what I wanted to do, somehow I stumbled on a recipe for “Stabilized Whip Cream”, purportedly better than Cool Whip. I tried it - fantastic!! It held up great at our Thanksgiving Feast, sitting out with no refrigeration and it was still good for leftovers (which were kept in the fridge). Exactly what is “stabilized” whipped cream? You add 2 tablespoons of instant vanilla pudding to your whipping cream & whip. It adds a lot of body - takes a little longer to whip (I was getting nervous), but the result was good.
Stabilized Whipped Cream
https://therecipecritic.com/stabilized-whipped-cream/
Cranberry Salad (aka Fluff) Recipe - very festive & pretty darn good, if you ask me - I did not add extra sugar so it was not too sweet.
https://thecaglediaries.com/cranberry-salad/
And now, for my latest discovery & the new Grand Poobah of my collection of holiday dessert recipes:
Pecan Bars for a Crowd
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pecan-pie-bars-for-a-crowd/
This is an ‘old’ recipe evidently, but EVERYONE loved them - like eating pecan pie, but easier to handle. I left a few with my SIL after the Thanksgiving Feast (so I wouldn’t eat them all) - my brother just texted me last night that he was eating my pecan bars and “they are so good ... low calorie, right?” Ha ha. I told him if he ate enough of them he’d need insulin!
Anyway, this is a HUGE recipe - most people cut it in half, which is what I did. Read the comments on the recipe if you decide to try it - lots of helpful info.
The “tip/trick” I learned with this one was how to cut butter into flour to make a crust the easy way ..... use your grater (the old timey metal one is what I have) & the large holes. The stick(s) of butter need to be frozen (or very cold), but I keep mine in the freezer anyway, so that worked out fine. The butter pieces were easy to work into the flour & the crust came out just fine. I have had a pastry cutter I used & I’ve done the ‘two knives’ method and they were both a ‘pain’ IMO.
Another tip on the pecan bars - it calls for working the crust up on the sides of the pan - one of the commenters said they did not do this & after making the bars once, I won’t fool with a crust on the sides either.
Lady Alice apples - ever heard of them? I had not. Aldi’s had them yesterday - I wasn’t impressed with their Pink Lady, Gala & Fuji selections, so I tried the Lady Alice. Boy, am I glad I did - just delicious ... crispy, sweet, with a tart edge. This is the best apple I’ve had all year, including the fresh ones I’ve gotten during 2 orchard visits. I am headed back to Aldi’s today to get a 2nd bag.
Here is an article on the Lady Alice which was discovered in 1979 at an orchard near Gleed, Washington, as a chance seedling and is a registered trademark by the Rainier Fruit Company. It is named after Alice Zirkle, a co-founder of the company.
WHAT ARE LADY ALICE APPLES?
https://www.eatlikenoone.com/lady-alice-apple.htm
From the article:
Here is a list of stores that I have known for sure have carried Lady Alice apples. Check with each store for availability.
Kroger
Meijer
Whole Foods Market
Schnuck’s
Sam’s Club
Costco
Trader Joe’s
... and Aldi’s (from my personal experience)