Monday, February 14, 2011

WINTER SURPRISES


It is amazing how in the summer we are bombarded with so many different kinds of vegetables. It is impossible to eat everything we harvest therefore we think of many ways to preserve as much as possible so we can enjoy these foods throughout the winter. We pickle cucumbers and beets, freeze green beans, can tomatoes, dry our herbs and tomatoes and place root vegetables in our basement in hopes that they will survive. The other day we were in the basement and noticed that a few of our butternut squash stored well this winter.

So I decided to use them in a recipe that the children like. We are fortunate that our children enjoy eating many different kinds of foods. However, like most we are always trying to find ways to include a few more vegetables daily. Therefore I decided to make these muffins. They are simple, nutritious and the kids love them.

BUTTERNUT ALMOND MUFFINS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
*Prepare Butternut Squash
Place the entire squash on a baking sheet. Use a fork to poke holes
throughout the squash so it can release steam. Put the squash in the oven at
350 degrees until you can insert a fork easily through the flesh about
1 1/2 hours. Cool, then cut squash open, remove seeds, using a spoon remove flesh
from squash. Mash squash or put through a food processor until smooth.

Muffin recipe
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups butternut squash
1 1/4 cups oil
4 eggs
3/4 cup sliced almonds

Mix oil and sugars together, add eggs and mix well. Add squash to mixture. Stir, gently, add dry ingredients slowly and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Lastly, add the almonds to the batter. Divide batter into your greased muffin tins and place in a 350 degree oven.
Bake 35-45 minutes -makes 12 large muffins,
Bake 25-35 minutes -makes 2 1/2 dozen medium sized muffins
Bake 20-30 minutes -makes 4-6 dozen small muffins