Pumpkin Time

I had a garden for the first time this year. It was so fun and I enjoyed going out to tend my garden. But as the summer wore on, and my little ones got more mobile, my garden became a bit neglected. Nevertheless, I grew three gorgeous pumpkins that have graced my front porch since the beginning of October.

Halloween is over and the time has come for my pumpkins to move beyond their decorative stage and become food for my little family. Today I chopped up one of my pumpkins, roasted it, and pureed it. I got 4 cups of pumpkin puree (yes, just like the stuff you get in the can) out of my first pumpkin.

The Pioneer Woman has a great tutorial on how to make your own pumpkin puree. Although it was a little bit more effort than opening a can (okay, a lot more effort), I felt like it was worth it. As the other two pumpkins meet their maker, my freezer will be chock full of orange delicious-ness. And I think I know the first thing I am going to make with my pumpkin:

PumPkiN SPice ChoCoLate ChiP CookieS

1 box spice cake mix

1 small can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix, just the pumpkin) (or, about 2 cups of the homemade kind)

1 bag chocolate chips (about 2 cups)

Mix, drop and bake. (10 minutes at 350)

My sister introduced me to these cookies and they are so easy and so delicious! They are also relatively inexpensive if you can get the cake mix when it is on sale for $1 (which it usually is about this time).

Working for the weekend

I have family coming in this weekend for my daughters' birthday, so I'm trying to compile a menu that is easy on our budget (and easy for me to cook!).

Friday dinner: (still to be determined)
Saturday lunch: Apple Pecan Salad (We're serving more food at the party in the afternoon, so a light lunch works well.)
Saturday dinner: Take out!
Sunday breakfast: Cinnamon rolls, fruit, hot chocolate
Sunday lunch: Tortilla soup w/chicken (see recipe below)
Sunday dinner: Poppy seed chicken with noodles and peas (This has become one of my favorites!)

***I found a lower cost alternative to the bags of pre-frozen chicken breasts: If you buy the packages of fresh split breasts, a lot of the time it's much less expensive per pound. For example, this week at Safeway, a 4.5lb. package of split breasts is on sale for $1.64/pound. A 4lb. bag of frozen breasts is $2.50/lb. You can almost buy twice the fresh chicken for the price of one frozen bag!***

Speedy Tortilla Soup
1 can (15oz.) black beans
1 can (4oz.) diced green chiles
1 pkg. (14oz.) frozen southwest blend vegetables (or use your own mix of corn and peppers)
1 cup salsa
2 cups shredded chicken
1 can (28oz.) red enchilada sauce

In large pot, combine ingredients and cook over medium high heat until getting ready to bubble. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon into bowls, sprinkle some grated cheddar or monterey jack cheese over the top, and serve with tortilla chips.

*Don't forget to enter Wedgie Free Wednesday over at Hanes for your chance to win a free pair of Hanes panties!