Mt. Baden-Powell, CA

Hiked on November 23, 2010.

Toasted pumpkin seeds and a new blog!

We were given several big pumpkins last Sabbath.  As I cooked them down for pulp, I saved the seeds to make toasted pumpkin seeds.

There are plenty of recipes out there for toasted pumpkin seeds.  I just combined a few of them.  Basically I cleaned the pumpkin seeds, then tossed them in a bit of olive oil, salt, sugar, and spices (curry powder, coriander, and black pepper).  Then I toasted them in the oven for about 10 minutes. They are yummy!

- - - - - - - 

I also wanted to announce a new blog to you: Barry and I have started a blog on living a simple, uncomplicated life that avoids getting caught up in the rat race for money and stuff.  We want this blog to be a venue for sharing thoughts, ideas, projects, and more.  It's still in its infant stage but we hope to post more thoughts and projects soon.

You can find it here or at http://www.barryandchristy.blogspot.com

(In case you are wondering, we changed from our wordpress blog for customizability reasons.)

Walnut Hazelnut Peanut Butter Fudge!

I've always wanted to make fudge. I just love the texture; creamy, yet dense and thick.  I've never made any before but the other day, I was at the grocery store.  One thing led to another, and I ended up walking out with the necessary ingredients to combine these three fudge recipes I had recently looked at.

It turned out great!  And don't worry, Barry and I did NOT ingest all that sugar!  We gave some of it away and we're bringing home the rest!

Walnut Hazelnut Peanut Butter Fudge

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup chocolate chips

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

pinch of salt

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup walnuts

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup nutella

Directions: Heat water in a small pot and then place a heat proof bowl over the lightly simmering water.  Add first four ingredients and mix while melting.  Add all other ingredients and combine well.  Take off heat and pour in parchment lined pan.  Place aside to cool and harden.  (The fridge or freezer quickens the process!)  EAT!

Chai-spiced Persimmon Cookies with a Lemon Glaze!

We're still making and using up persimmon puree' and it's been a lot of fun learning what flavors it goes well with.  The one I keep coming back to is combining it with a chai spice mix that I got to put in the prizewinning persimmon pecan pie!

On Wednesday, I made these cookies to take to Bible study.  Everyone really liked them so I decided to post the recipe on my blog.  I based it off of this recipe but (of course) put my own twist on things.

Chai-spiced Persimmon Cookies with a Lemon Glaze
1/3 cup butter (I used SmartBalance)
1 cup sugar
1 egg replacement (I used a tablespoon of flax seed in 3 tablespoons of water)
2 cups persimmon pulp (ours was made from fuyu persimmons)
1 tsp baking soda
2-3 cups flour (I used almost 3 because I thought the batter was too runny)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp Chinese 5 Spice mix
1 cup craisins or fresh/frozen cranberries (I used craisins because I'm loathe to use up my hoard of frozen cranberries!)
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chai spice mix (Note: if you're just using chai spice flavoring, not the mix, you probably need only a few teaspoons) + 1-2 Tablespoons butter

Lemon Glaze
Powdered sugar
Lemon juice
Soymilk (optional)
(Use whatever proportions you want to create a thin or thick consistency.  I made mine pretty thin by adding a little soymilk.)

Grated lemon zest for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:  On stove, heat 2 tablespoons butter and add cranberries, pecans, and chai mix.  Only leave on long enough for butter to melt and the cranberries and pecans are thoroughly coated.  In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Add the "egg", persimmon pulp, and baking soda.  Mix well.  Sift together all other dry ingredients and add to the wet mixture.  Finally, add the stovetop cranberry and pecan mixture to the batter.  Shape into cookies on a parchment covered cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.  After baked and cooled slightly, dip tops into glaze or drizzle glaze on with a spoon.  Sprinkle on lemon zest for an added festive touch!