The Ultimate Chili Dog!

This is a picture of one of Kent's favorite meals. This is a multi-layer chili dog. I love the look of it with the cheese dripping off the sides.

Pumpkin Seeds

Every year we cook our pumpkin seeds and then enjoy eating them. This year it seems that we seem to be running into more and more people that have never even had a pumpkin seed so I thought I would share our method of cooking the pumpkin seeds.
Pumpkin Seeds
First, clean the seeds extremely well. A few in a colander under running water works really well but you will still need to pull out anything that doesn't go through the strainer.
Second, boil the seeds in very salty water. The seeds need to boil for about 1/2 an hour to get the salt into the shell. They will be a gray green color when they have boiled long enough. We don't measure the salt, we just dump a lot in.
Last, spread the seeds on a cookie sheet. They do not have to be completely separated. They will dry even if on top of each other. Bake them at 350 degrees stirring them every 15-20 minutes. They are done when they are dry. This usually takes 45 minutes to an hour.

Spaghetti Squash Skillet

1 spaghetti squash
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tbl pesto or (chopped garlic and basil)
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese
mushrooms, sliced
onion, chopped
garlic, minced
1/2 c broth (chicken or veggie)
chicken cut up into small pieces (optional)

Cut squash in half lengthwise, discard seeds. Cook in the microwave for 14-16 minutes, or in the oven on 350 for 30-40 minutes, until tender.
Use blender to combine tomatoes, pesto, garlic, powder, Italian seasoning.
In skillet, cook chicken, if you remembered to unthaw it, in a little olive oil . Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic and saute until tender. Add the tomato blend and broth. Simmer for 5 minutes or until you are done forking out the strands of spaghetti squash. Stir in the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add squash. Mix it all up and serve. I like to sprinkle a little more Parmesan cheese on top of each serving and have it with some bread and salad. Makes 5 good servings, or dinner and lunch for two people.

Got Basil?

I love FRESH basil, and if I remembered to water things, I would grow it in my kitchen. But I don't remember, so we buy it sometimes when we know we can use an entire pack. Of course we use it in sauces and pizza and curries, but one of my new favorite things to do with extra fresh basil, especially with the weather getting cold, is to put it in homemade chicken and noodles. It adds lots of flavor and color! I like to chop it up and sprinkle it in right after I dish it up so it looks nice.

My Jam Turned Out

For years and years I have been making freezer jam with MCP pectin. Everyone in our family loves the jam I make. So, while I was trying to finish up my peaches I stopped at the store to buy some pectin to make some jam. At the store they had raspberries on sale for an amazing price so I bought some and came home to make peach/raspberry jam. I was in the process of making the jam which requires stirring every 5 minutes for half an hour when I discovered that I did not have the corn syrup that I needed to go in it. I also did not have time to run to the store by the time I discovered this so I decided to see what happened if I did not add the corn syrup, I still added all the other sugar required. The instructions with the pectin tell you that the corn syrup is to prevent the sugar from crystalizing when it is frozen. I just made sure that I stirred the sugar in very well. Not only did the jam turn out but it is great. I think it sets up a little better and has a better fruit flavor without the corn syrup so from now on I will never add the corn syrup to my freezer jam.