Kabocha

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Now playing: Amy Winehouse - October Song
via FoxyTunes

A bit small my Japanese pumpkins are, but we will eat them anyway. I'm not sure why they didn't get bigger, the regular pumpkins did. I know they aren't supposed to be as big as regular pumpkins, but they are supposed to be bigger than this. Ah, well there is next year to figure it out.

The first one was delicious in a batch of sticky toffee pudding-ish muffins I made.




Kabocha Sticky Toffee Muffins

1/2 c. chopped dates

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/34 c. butter

1/3 c. water

1/2 c. Kabocha (japanese pumpkin), cooked til soft and pureed

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 c. self-raising flour

1/4 c. wheat bran

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Heat the dates, brown sugar, butter, Kabocha and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes. cool slightly and add the vanilla and baking soda. further cool that mixture and add a beaten egg. All at once, add the flours. Fill to make 6 muffins, in a lined, or prepared tin. Bake for approx. 20-25 minutes.

Caramel sauce to drizzle over the top:

1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. heavy cream

Place in a saucepan and stir over low heat until butter melts. Bring to a low boil and for 1 minute.

Pour over muffins and serve.



Here is an English stein I found at an antique store. I love it and the little saying on it. If you can't read it, it says:

The wonderful love of a beautiful maid
And the love of a staunch true man
And the love of a baby unafraid
Have existed since time began;
But the greatest love, the love of love,
Even greater than that of a mother,
Is the tender, passionate, infinite love
Of one drunken sod for another.

Cheers!



I am drinking my new home-brew out of it proudly.




The blue Morning Glories like to show off in late September.




I made Chili Rellenos from my harvested Poblanos and a yellow tomato sauce. Turned out nice!



The weather is dodgy and the reports haven't really been accurate. We had an somewhat impromptu harvest. All this bar a few apples and a mango are what we got out of it. Green toms anyone? Don't worry I have plans for them. The weather didn't turn as dire as once thought, so maybe there will be a bit more to come.....



“You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows” - Bob Dylan