Farm to table

My husband's best friends have jointly rented a piece of property for their personal garden. They have enough land to grow things that we can not in our very small garden. Last weekend the kids and Andy went to visit and came home with some goodies. I decided to discover a use for these yesterday.

Believe it or not, 6 small pumpkins will produce all of these muffins (there were about 80 before the kids began snacking) and breads (5 loaves). I am giving some away. But if I didn't we would have enough food for about 30 breakfasts because these items stay fresh very well in the freezer.
I am obviously not always a homemade cook (note previous post on buying bulk at Costco-all canned and frozen). But I really enjoy the "farm to table" cooking. It tastes and makes us feel so wonderful! And, it is good bonding time with the kids, particulary my girl who loves to be in the kitchen with me.

My Dad has promised to build me a "little house" at the farm for this type of cooking. He is going to include a big kitchen for canning and a lot of storage for freshly stored food/jars. I am going to try to persuade him to install 2 convection ovens as well. I invested 6 hours, over the course of 2 days, in roasting and mashing the pumpkins and then making the muffins and bread due to a small oven. But still, I am very much looking forward to a future with much, much more fresh food. It is very rewarding and satisfying to make food from scratch, especially when the main components were grown by a friend or yourself.

Last week we watched this movie.

It changed my perspective on food- for the better! It's on Netflix Instant Streaming or can be found in the documentary section at the video store. Go rent it today! I am becoming more and more interested and excited about moving to our farm! But even if we were not moving to a farm, I would be very interested in making some changes in our diet. I don't believe "We are what we eat!" but I do think what we consume obviously effects our mental and physical health. And I think as a Christian I should be willing to invest time, money, and energy in being good stewards of all that God has given me.

To prepare fresh pumpkins for bread or muffins:

Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out insides. Fill pyrex dish 1/4" full of water. Put in pumpkins, insides down. Roast on 350 for 60 minutes. After cooling, skin will easily peel off. Pumpkin can be mashed easily and stored in Mason jars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days before use.