Homemade mozzarella cheese

Well yogurt was not so difficult and we LOVE it! I ate a bite of plain Dannon Greek yogurt the other day and almost had to spit it out! Wow! I couldn't believe what a difference homemade yogurt could make. I guess there is no going back now :)

So I decided my next challenge is cheese. I chose to start with mozzarella since it can be completed in an hour and is ready to eat. I did quite a bit of research (which I recommend) and then I dove right in. The first question I had was what are the ingredients?

One gallon of whole milk
1/4 rennent tablet
1 tsp. citric acid
1-2 tsp. Cheese salt

My next questions was: what in the world is rennent and cheese salt?

-Cheese salt is an easy one, it is any salt that is NOT iodized (i.e. organic, sea salt).

-rennent is gross! It is curdled milk from the stomach of an unweaned calf, containing rennin and used in curdling milk for cheese. Told you it's gross! But the tablet is just a pill you buy at a brew/cheese supply store (they also carry citric acid). Thankfully commercially sold rennent is made from vegetable sources.

My husband stopped and picked up my supplies for me and I made cheese while he watched the Super Bowl. We had fresh mozzarella by half time, yay! 

So here's what you do:

1. pour one gallon of milk into a large pot on the stove and sprinkle 1tsp. citric acid over the milk, stir well.


2. heat the milk to 90 degrees using a candy or kitchen thermometer, pay attention it does not take long.

3. as the milk is heating, dissolve the 1/4 rennent tablet into a few Tbsp. of water. When the milk is at 90 degrees, turn off stove, remove thermometer and pour the rennent water over the milk a few teaspoons at a time, making sure it is mixed all the way through.



4. Let the milk sit for 10 minutes, do not stir it. It becomes very thick and gelatin like.



5.This is the part that took me the most time. First cut the milk into large pieces ( pretend your slicing jello into cubes). Then using a slotted spoon separate the curdled milk from the whey ( white- yellowish liquid). I promise it doesn't stink like you may imagine. It just smells like warm milk!



6. Then heat it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds at a time squeezing more liquid out and pressing the milk solids together. When most of your liquid is removed stir in your cheese salt.

 

7. I removed it from the bowl at this point and started kneading it on a cutting board. Mine started to look like string cheese so I heated it again to form it into a log.



8. Once you get your cheese the way you want it submerge it in ice water for a few minutes to harden the loaf. I dried it for about 30 minutes on a rack, wrapped it in plastic wrap and put it into the fridge to harden and get cold overnight. This step was optional, because it is ready to eat right after it is formed. Just like all cheeses, you should store it in the fridge.

One gallon of milk yielded 1.1 lbs. of fresh mozzarella. I can't wait until summer when I can make bruschetta with tomatoes from the garden!

After my mozzarella success I researched how to make cottage cheese, cream cheese and hard cheeses....they seem like too much work for a mama of 7, but never say never, right?????

 

Roasted and Candied Pumpkin Seeds

One of the advantages of carving a pumpkin is having the seeds as a treat too! Pumpkin pie pumpkins have sweeter seeds, but you can do this with any seeds.

 

Ingredients:

seeds from a pumpkin

1 Tbsp of butter or coconut oil

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp. white sugar

dash of salt

 

Remove the seeds from a pumpkin or two, rinse off the pulp and boil in a sauce pan of water for 10 minutes; drain.  Dry off the seeds with a paper towel and place back into sauce pan.  Add the butter or coconut oil, brown sugar and spices.  Cook and stir, coating well for a few minutes.  Spread into a cookie or baking pan.  Roast at 425 for 15 minutes, watch carefully and turn down heat if it starts to burn.  (The burnt ones taste like popcorn :)  Remove from oven and let cool for 3 minutes. 

 

They are VERY HOT, so be careful. 

 

Do not let them completely cool or you will not be able to remove them from the pan after hardening.  Sprinkle them with salt and white sugar.  Remove them onto a glass plate or tray and enjoy! 

We break them apart like peanut brittle.

Homemade Honey Lemon and Orange Cough Syrup

A few summers ago I was on vacation with the family. The morning after a miserable night in the hotel with coughing kids, I was up and into an Urgent Care. The doctor on call asked me if I had heard of the benefits of natural honey for coughs? I hadn't but LOVE the natural approach to just about everything so was of course all ears! He gave me a packet of studies to read up on about the overwhelming evidences for natural honey being more effective than every single over the counter AND prescription cough medicine. I went to the nearest Farmer's Market and bought some honey. We were able to sleep that night and I have used honey for coughs ever since. This year I decided to up the attack on coughing and am trying an all natural cough syrup with raw honey as it's base. It takes about 10 minutes, quicker than I can get in and out of Walgreens, and makes 1.5 pints of syrup. The total cost here is about $9. Here is my recipe and how to do it.

 

Ingredients:

1 pt. of raw honey

1 orange

1 lemon

1/2 cup water

 

 

Slice the orange and lemon.  Boil in water for 5 minutes to soften the skin and release the pulp.  I mashed mine slightly with a plastic spoon.

 

 

Let the lemon and oranges sit in the water to cool slightly, about 5 minutes, then strain.

 

Pour liquid into clean and sterilized jars.

(My ratio is about 1/3 liquid to 2/3 honey, or 30% to 70%.  Most recipes recommend not exceeding 50% water to 50% honey)

 

 Mix well and store covered in the fridge for as long as you would normally keep honey around.  (For me it is 3-6 months, perfect for cold season)

For Adults use, 1Tbs; children 50 pounds and over, 1 tsp; and children under 50 pounds, ½ tsp. May be taken four times a day or as needed. 

You can also drink it in a cup of herbal tea as a nice way to soothe your throat and quiet your cough.

*This is recipe and blog is not intended to replace medical advice.  Always talk to your doctor and discuss medical treatment, including home remedies, before use.

Some noteworthy notes:

* *DO NOT use honey for children under two years of age - there is a microorganism in honey, which is otherwise harmless for children age two and older, that can sometimes make infants ill because of their young digestive system. Alternatives include brown rice syrup, barley, and organic fruit syrups; as substitutions in the recipes use the same amount as honey.

* DO USE all natural raw honey if at all possible.  It takes a little effort to find a good source, but is well worth your time.  Natural raw honey is full of wonderful antibacterial properties and has been used for thousands of years for it's health benefits.  Recent studies have shown the unusual antibacterial activity of honey, leading to a greater understanding of the ability of honey to kill pathogenic bacteria through several different mechanisms. In studies, honey was effective against many different drug resistant bacteria.

**DO NOT boil, microwave, or overheat your honey as it kills the good stuff in it and changes it's properties. (Think about it like you would the good bacterias in yogurt ;)

*DO Learn more about honey as a medicine.  There are many many resources out there and reliable studies to read on the use of natural honey.  Take the time to educate yourself so that you can make wise health choices for your family.

Learn more:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/honey/AN01799

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/honey-eases-childrens-coughs-study-shows/2012/08/27/2ed5b478-6a22-11e1-acc6-32fefc7ccd67_story.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7419158n

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/08/06/honey-may-ease-nighttime-coughing-in-kids/

How to get your kids to eat Squash ;)

Well, this week I have been particularly frustrated with my brood of kiddos.  Even the babies who are normally excellent eaters have become picky.  I made Butternut Squash Soup and they turned their noses up at it.  I made tuna noodle casserole (a BIG request 2 weeks ago), but no takers.  Chili, no thanks.  I even made an old standby, Italian Sausage casserole, but apparently bought the wrong kind of noodle!!!  I pulled my now famous pumpkin pie french toast and they were still crying for cereal........UGGGG! 

What is with these kids, don't they know money doesn't grow on trees, there are starving kids in.....you get the point.  So, I decided to NOT go to the store until the end of the week.  I had my hubby stop last night for milk and eggs, but that was it!  He even offered to order me some sushi, but I declined the treat and told him that probably wouldn't be fair to the kids!  So, guess what?  They are all eating what IS in the fridge!  They ask occasionally for a granola bar, I keep reminding them that I will go to the store on Friday.  They will live and this week there will be less to throw out to make way for our next batch of groceries.

 

 

Look at that all gone!!!  And they were crying for more  :)

 

Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash, sliced and steamed

2 cups chicken broth

1 can pumpkin

1can carrots

1 onion diced small and sauted in olive oil

cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger to taste

 

I cook the squash in the vegetable steamer (or cooked face down in a pan of water in the oven). 

Saute the onion in oil and add the scooped out squash.  Pour in the broth.  Drain carrots and add them to the pot as well (you can use fresh carrots, I just happened to have some canned to use up).  Let it cool and run through the food processor.  If it is too thick you can add some milk, water, almond milk OR more broth to taste.  Put back into soup pot and stir in the can of pumpkin and spices to taste  (cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg).  Serve warm, stores in fridge for 1 week.

Chocolate Coconut Bars -Gluten and Dairy Free

Super easy, super good, can't wait for them to be gone so I can try it again!!!

Next time I am going to spread the chocolate icing in the bottom of the pan, or just mix it in the food processor!  Ohhhhhh and pineapple, gonna try pineapple in the next batch too!
Let me know how yours turn out :)

Chocolate Coconut Bars

2 cups shredded coconut

3 Tbsp. coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 Tbsp. chocolate icing or chips

Place the syrup, coconut and oil into a food processor and blend for 2 minutes.  Press into a small (I used a 4 x 6 casserole dish).  Warm up the icing (I use store bought/dairy free chocolate icing, but I think chips would be awesome mixed in) and drizzle over the top.  Refrigerate for 1 hour and then cut into small squares.  That's it!

saving some plastic and $: baby pool fix

 Every year I seem to buy a plastic baby pool at the end of the season for about $5.  This one I bought last August.  We used it for a month or so on the deck, put it in the basement as a toy box and then brought it back out as soon as it got warm enough to take a bath outside.  It was starting to get holes in it from where we push the side down to let the water out, (now you know you've done it too :) and so the repairing challenge has begun.  I tried several different tapes and they all failed.  At this point I usually give up and toss it to the curb on trash day, but decided this year to try something new......BATHTUB CAULK!!!  It worked like a charm!  I am so happy to save some trash in a landfill and ultimately money in my pocket, even if it is only $5.  It is something I can feel good about and as you can tell from the picture, so do my babies.

Granny's Apple Cole Slaw

This is my version of Wolfgang Puck's Apple Cole Slaw.  It took me about 15 minutes to put together, needs about an hour in the fridge before serving, and if you 'like' cole slaw you will LOVE it!!! 

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup mayo
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar or 2 Tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. poppy seeds
dash of pepper, paprika, and salt
1 Tbsp. brown or yellow mustard
(Mix these together and put into the fridge while you cut your apples)

2-3 Granny Smith apples sliced and cut into matchsticks
1 bag of cole slaw mix
1/4 cup raisins
1 cup sweet corn
 (mix these in and put into the fridge for about an hour before serving)

Stir in nuts of your choice before serving.  I used honey roasted and sliced almonds!  Have a very Happy Fourth of July, everyone :)

Outdoor Chair Cushions- RE DO in 1 hour!

Our patio furniture has lasted us about 9 years so far and still looks great....except for the chair cushions of course.  I usually buy them on sale at the end of the season every other year, but this year we can't wait.  They looked that bad!  This time I wanted to save the landfill from my ripped cushions and try to recover them.  I LOVE THEM!!!  Here is what I did:

BEFORE

I bought 8 yds. of Outdoor Fabric from the clearance section at Hancock Fabrics.  (it was 56" wide)

It was $6 yd. and I had a 10% off coupon making my purchase around $44.00

My cushions were standard sized at 42" x 22"

I cut the fabric at 47" leaving me a rectangle 56" x 47".  (You may need to trim off the sides or take it in depending on your cushion size.)  Next, I folded it over and sewed the top and side seams, right sides together with my surger, but you could use a conventional machine.  Basically this left me with an inside out pillowcase.  Flip it right side out and put in the cushion. 

Then, I used my surger and closed off the bottom of the cushion.  If you have a regular sewing machine you may want to slip stitch it closed.  That is it! 

AFTER

You could sew it more fitted if you want or add the seperation lines in the middle of the top cushion, but I was pleased with them and was happy to be done in just a few minutes per pillow. I made 6 in less than 1 hour!

The babies were happy too!!!

Tuesday is freezer meals day- French Toast sticks, smoothies, pizza pockets and egg sandwich patties!

Mondays are my 'catch up on the house' days, Tuesdays are my 'catch up on the freezer meals' days.  I have found that if I put some time preparing snacks and meals in advance I save time later.  This week I made 120 French toast sticks, 18 pizza pockets, 10 smoothie packs, 20 breakfast egg patties, and 14 carrot juice ice cube packs for smoothies.  Total in time it took 2 hours and has saved me tons of time later on in the week.  The best part is that the  kids (and my husband and I) have really good choices that take little time from freezer to table.

The Pumpkin Pie french toast sticks were yummy. (I made them while I was making dinner Sunday night.) I took 1 can pumpkin, 1 can of sweet potatoes and mashed them thoroughly. I split the mash into two bowls. The first bowl got my waffle mix added to it and as I made the waffles for dinner I worked on the french toast, too. Add 1 dozen eggs, 1/2 cup milk (I used almond), 1 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 cup brown sugar to the mash. Mix well. Stir in 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. of nutmeg. Take 1.5 loaves of bread (about 42 pieces) and split the slices into thirds. Take each strip and dip it in the batter then place it on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, flip and bake 3 more minutes on the other side. I flash froze the batches in the freezer on a baking rack and then combined them into a gallon size zipper bag. Reheat the sticks in the toaster oven or microwave.

Tuesday I made pizza pockets for the first time, they were fabulous. Here is the link to that recipe:
http://naturallyhomemade.blogspot.com/2012/05/pizza-pockets.html

Then I made smoothie packs from 3 cartons of strawberries, 1 bag frozen blueberries, and 1 bunch bananas.  (I juice 5 lbs. of carrots once a week and freeze them in 1 cup portions.  I also save leftover watermelon juice and freeze it the same way to add in our smoothies instead of ice.)  Here is my favorite Green Monster smoothie recipe: http://naturallyhomemade.blogspot.com/2012/05/green-monster-smoothies.html


 

Next, I decided to use up the rest of the diced veggies by making breakfast sandwich egg patties.  Just take 10 eggs mix well, add 2 cups of spinach (sauteed with chopped turkey bacon and onions, and cooled) and sprinkle the veggies and bacon into eggs.  Bake in a greased rectangular cake pan at 375 for 20 minutes.  Take out of oven and let cool.  Cut into squares and freeze in plastic bags in the freezer.  To eat, reheat the patty in the microwave and serve on a toasted English muffin with a slice of cheese....delicious!



When I was finished with the 'freezer' cooking the kids came in and showed me the toad they found in the sandbox....they were busy too!

Green Monster Smoothies

Okay, so the other day I was reading a blog and found a smoothie recipe for Green Monster smoothies.  I was VERY sceptical, but decided to give it a try.  The blogger promised me that my kids would suck down the mostly spinach and kale smoothies and beg for more.  I tried it and guess what?  She was right!  My kids literally beg me to make them and even our baby twins cry when the blender goes off and I start pouring cups.  I have to make 2 batches at a time so everyone will get their fair share and will even confess that when the kids were out in the sandbox the other day I snuck a whole one for myself!

So here is our version, I promise it just tastes like a banana smoothie!

Green Monster Smoothie~
4-5 cups fresh spinach
2 cups fresh kale leaves ( I pull them off the stem, the stem can be bitter)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup carrot juice
1 banana
ice cubes

Puree the greens in the juice.  (We juice a 5lb. bag of carrots once a week and have them frozen into 1 cup portions in the fridge.  You could leave it out, but I add it for an extra vitamin packed kick).  Be sure to blend the heck out of the greens, no one wants chunky spinach in their smoothie. Add banana and ice and mix until smooth.  Pour into glasses and ENJOY!

Breakfast Burritos: HOT Breakfast is back for less than $.20 per meal!

Being a mom and wife with seven children people ask me often, "How can you afford to feed them all?"  Have you ever heard time is money?  Never is that statement more true than in the kitchen.  If you want to instantly save money on your grocery bill.....start cooking from scratch.  Not only is it healthier for your family to eliminate processed foods from your pantry, it is also kinder to your wallet.

I can't live in the kitchen so I have found that if I cook in bulk and freeze or refrigerate leftovers I don't have to cook as often.  Everyone in our family loves these burritos, I customize them in three different types and even set aside some to go in my husband's lunchbox for a warm breakfast as he sits at his desk after a morning commute.  I only have to prepare them once every week to week and a half, so guess what?  On those other 6 days I don't have to make breakfast.....ahhhhhhh, sit back and enjoy your coffee!

INGREDIENTS FOR HOMEMADE BURRITOS:

1 lb. breakfast sausage

1 dozen eggs

1 package med. size tortillas (24 ct.)

sliced sweet peppers, grated cheese, ect.

(This makes 24 servings and costs approximately $4.25 for the ingredients = $.17 per burrito)

Which coincidentally is 24 burritos for the price of ONE run through for breakfast at McDonalds! 

 

STEP #1:  Brown your sausage (or bacon or skip this if you don't eat meat :)

STEP #2: Crack your eggs into a large bowl.  Scramble them in a frying pan.

STEP #3:  slice your veggies and get out your cheese or other garnishes you prefer creating an assembly line of ingredients.

STEP #4:  Microwave 2-3 tortillas at a time for 30 sec. to making them softer and more elastic for rolling without cracking or breaking.

STEP #5:  scoop a spoonful of meat, then eggs into the center of your tortilla, garnish, then roll them. 

STEP #6:  I place 2 per ziplock bag for my husband's breakfast/lunchbox.  For the kids I use one gallon size ziplock bag for storage in the fridge. 

STEP #7:  repeat the process until you run out of ingredients.  Store burritos in the fridge or freezer. 

STEP #8: Just microwave for 30 sec. to reheat when ever you need a quick hot meal.

Homemade Hamburger Buns

Well, I did it! I finally found a recipe for homemade hamburger/hot dog buns that are easy, cheap and we LOVE!!!!  It is pretty much no fail, takes less than an hour from start to finish and takes the fear out of bread baking after your first try!  I won't say I will NEVER buy buns again, but I will say that I will NEVER hesitate to serve these at our dinner table.  ENJOY!!!

Ingredients for buns:

2 cups warmed milk

1 Tbsp Yeast

1/4 cup butter or shortening

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

2 tsp. salt

6 cups flour

STEP #1:  Mix yeast in warm milk, melted butter, warm water and sugar in large bowl. 

(I just use my Kitchen Aide)

STEP #2: Let sit for 5 minutes.  It should start to look foamy.

STEP #3: Mix in salt and flour one cup at a time until well blended.  Be careful not to over mix the batter.  It should be slightly sticky.  I scrape off the mixer beater and sprinkle flour over the top of the batter to make it easier to pull off pieces.

STEP #4: Divide into half, then start pulling off pieces and rolling into balls. 

This batter will make 22-24 buns. 

STEP #5: Place each ball onto a greased cookie sheet or seasoned baking stone.  

You might want to press them down gently to get a hamburger bun shape. 

Let rise in a warm place in your kitchen for 25 minutes.

STEP #6:  Bake at a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from oven.  Let cool, then slice them down the middle.  That is it!

***This is such a simple and wonderful roll recipe.  My kids kept eating the leftovers as turkey sandwiches.  My oldest son keeps asking me to make sausage gravy for him to pour over the top.  I have made them bigger and longer for Italian Beef Rolls.....mmmmmmm!!!!  The possibilities are endless~!

Homemade Easy Bake Cake Mix

Tired of spending $4 for an Easy Bake Cake Mix?  We found this recipe and made several Ziploc snack bag sized mixes to store in the freezer for those rainy day moments.  It worked great and saved $ as well as my sanity.  An extra bonus for us was that it was dairy free for my littlest princess :)

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened lemonade or any flavor drink mix (we used cocoa powder)
• 1/3 cup shortening

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and lemonade drink mix or cocoa powder. Stir to blend. Cut in shortening with a fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles corn meal.
2. Spoon about 1/3 cup mixture into 10 small containers or sealable plastic bags. Label and store in cool, dry place. Use within 12 weeks.
3. Preheat Easy Bake oven. Grease and flour a 4 inch miniature cake pan.
4. To make a cake: Empty the contents of one bag cake mix into a small bowl. Using a fork, mix with 4 teaspoons water until smooth.
5. Bake until done, cool, decorate and enjoy!

Easy Homemade Apple Butter

We like to smear it on our toast, muffins, mix into our yogurt or oatmeal, even over waffles....Nothing says mmmmmmmm better than apple butter!  Here is my easiest and best recipe:
Ingredients:

10 cups of finely diced apples with skins
2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of apple juice or cider
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger

Directions:
Dice your cored apples, with skins on, as fine as possible. Place all the ingredients into a crock pot.

 Cook on low for 8-12 hours stirring occasionally. When the apples have fully cooked to a mush I run it in small batches through my food processor. 

Spoon into clean jars and boil for 10-20 minutes in a bath of boiling water if canning. Otherwise, they can be stored directly into your fridge or freezer.

Homemade Snowflake Ornaments and Decorations

 

During the winter holidays we try to do a craft project or bake once a day.  This is the cutest idea we have done yet this year and it is SOOOOOOOOOOOO simple!

Supplies:
waxed paper
marker
white glue
glitter

Directions:

Draw snowflake designs onto squares of waxed paper.  Give your child a bottle of white glue and show them how to fill in the design.  Sprinkle the snowflake shapes with glitter and let them dry overnight.  Peel them off the paper when dry and hang as ornaments, use as window clings, give as gifts; the possibilities are endless!

Homemade Red Pepper & Jalapeno Jelly

Okay, here it is by popular demand, my recipe for Red Pepper & Jalapeno Jelly!  Just be sure to read the serving suggestions at the end and ENJOY!!!

Ingredients for about 10-1/2 pint jars:
5 cups of finely chopped baby sweet peppers (yellow, red and orange)
2 cups of finely chopped jalapenos
1 cup of finely chopped green pepper
6 cups of sugar
2 cups apple cider
1.5 cup apple cider vinegar
6 Tbsp. Fruit Pectin
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (or leave jalapeno seeds in)

1.  Dice the peppers into small pieces.  I love my easy chopper for this!

2. Bring apple cider, apple cider vinegar, and sugar to a boil. Add diced peppers and red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add fruit pectin slowly and bring to a rolling boil for 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat. Spoon a small amount into a bowl, put into the freezer for a few minutes to see if it is the consistency you are looking for. If not reheat and add more pectin 1 Tbsp. at a time until you reach your desired firmness. 

3. In a large pot of hot water sterilize your jars and lids.  I usually do this first or while I am cooking the jelly.

4. Spoon finished jelly into clean and sterilized jars and put on the lids.  Boil jars in a pot of hot water for 10 minutes being sure to cover them with the water. Carefully remove the jars and listen for them to pop as they cool! Once they are cooled they are ready for storage in the pantry or fridge.

Some Serving suggestions:

1. Spoon into Chinese food for a kick of spice or use as a dip for egg rolls.
2. Drizzle over softened cream cheese for a festive holiday dip with crackers.
3. I put mine in a crescent roll ring with cream cheese, crab, and diced peppers and bake at 350 till browned. Serve warm.
4. Use as a topping for bagels.
5. Use as a dip for shrimp.

Homemade PUMPKIN BUTTER

This has got to be the easiest and BEST pumpkin butter recipe I've come up with yet!!!  It is not safe to 'can' pumpkin at home due to the low acidity of the fruit, so I spoon the hot finished product into freezer safe jars and place them straight into the fridge/freezer.  This recipe makes 3 pint jars, so I put two in our basement freezer for later and one upstairs in the fridge for us to enjoy right away.  You will never pay $8.99 for a jar ever again....This recipe cost me around $3 for 3 jars!!!!

 I am a pumpkin nut, so I added a few serving suggestions below.  (Feel free to comment and leave me your favorite way to use it!)

PUMPKIN BUTTER RECIPE:

2- 15 oz. cans pumpkin puree- fresh or store bought (not canned pumpkin pie mix)
1 & 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
1 cup apple cider
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger

Mix all the above ingredients into a saucepan.  Cook on med. heat for 10-15 minutes.  Turn off the heat and spoon into prepared jars.  Screw on the bands and lids and cool in the fridge/freezer.

Try mixing a spoonful in:

*Oatmeal
*Vanilla Yogurt
*Softened Cream Cheese on your bagel
*spread onto graham crackers
*in your peanut butter sandwich
*Makes GREAT hostess or holiday gifts!