October's food of the month: Pumpkin and winter squash

Autumn brings changing leaves, a chill to the air and pumpkin spiced *everything*.  Our recent Trader Joe's shopping trip proves this.  I'm pretty sure that 7 out of the ten things I bought were pumpkin flavored.  Nom!

So, rather than encouraging you to go out and buy a bunch of pumpkin flavored stuff, let's learn to grow and make stuff together...

This month we're going to talk about pumpkins,

butternut squash, acorn squash and delicata squash.

So you don't have to "gourd" yourself on information, we've done some of the legwork for you:

Growing/Harvest

The growing conditions for pumpkins and winter squash are very similar.  Generally, it's a good idea to start seeds indoors 2-4 weeks before the last spring frost and the soil should be warm before transplanting (this means around Mother's Day in the Midwest).  Pumpkins and winter squash will be happiest in nutrient-rich soil and when watered frequently (daily or every-other day).

Storage

After you bring your pumpkin/squash home, store it out of direct sunlight and, if displaying outside, cover them with a towel or blanket to fight against frost if the temperature drops below freezing (32°).  Be sure to keep your pumpkins and squash on straw or cardboard, avoid concrete or linoleum, and they can keep for 3 to 6 months if stored properly (visit http://allaboutpumpkins.com/storing.html for more information).

Pumpkin growing/harvest/storage information from almanac.com

Winter squash growing/harvest/storage information from almanac.com

Preserving

We don’t want to squash anyone’s dreams but, it’s not safe to can any kind of squash, unless it’s pickled… so freezing is probably your best option here.  Fortunately, it freezes *very* well.  Here are a few ways to do so…

• purees (http://www.pickyourown.org/freezing_pumpkin.htm)
• cube, blanch then freeze
• butters

Recipes

There is an abundance of pumpkin/squash recipes available online.  In the coming weeks, we’ll try out a few and let you know what we think of them.  If there’s something you’d like us to try this month, let us know and we’ll do our best to try it out for you.

Any questions or thoughts?  Let us know and leave a comment!

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Hello!

Welcome to our new blog!  Before we dig in, we're going to tell you a little bit about ourselves...

We're a couple of friends who enjoy doing things ourselves...  that's right, DIY.  We've decided to encourage others to do the same!  There is something very rewarding about cracking the seal on your first batch of homemade jam, wearing your favorite one-of-a-kind hat that random strangers at the grocery store compliment or even giving a homemade birthday gift that looks like it took a lot more time than it did.  We want you to get that same feeling of satisfaction.  We want you to have warm fuzzies.

"My name is Kassy.  I'm currently a stay-at-home mother of three.  I like to spend my free time crafting, cooking and, well, creating in general, I suppose.  When asked what kind of crafts I do, I'm usually left at a loss for words, as I have a severe case of "crafty ADD" and have WAY too many self-taught hobbies.  I have another blog called "Tinsnips and Scissors" where I share about the things I love, things that I've made (a tutorial or two), recipes and my weekly menu plans.  Head's up: I'm also an excessive user of punctuation..."

"My name is Nikki.  I am currently a working professional (with no kids).  My free time, what little I have while working 50 plus hours a week, is filled with crafting, organizing, philosophizing, procrastinating, learning the accordion (see my other blog "Boompa's Accordion and Me" which also highlights my other experiences in self expansion), reading, writing, canning, cooking and baking.  I have life A.D.D.  Like my friend here, I am self taught, and am looking to constantly expand my knowledge so I can fight my own addiction to consumerism."

"My name is Sarah and I am the owner and lead designer at Classy Media. Ever since I was a little girl, I loved creating new things or upcycling old things into something beautiful. I have a close knit family full of creative minds. My love of crafting was sparked by my Grammy and my Mom. I can be found knitting, baking, experimenting with cooking, taking photos, designing, and reading. I love finding creative ideas online and making them my own."




Thank you for joining us as we embark on our adventures!  We look forward to sharing our experiences with you!