Pumpkins In February Oh My...

Yes... I know this sounds totally crazy, and I agree with you. Here is how my story goes. I bought two pumpkins last October from the farmers market. One for the front porch and one for the back porch. Their shape, color and stems were just perfect. The price was great too!!! Two for $10.00...

I knew when fall was over. I would cut the pumpkins open and roast the seeds. Well... fall left us and Christmas arrived, and my pumpkins still looked fabulous, like the day I bought them. Then January came and went. The pumpkins still looked great. I was thinking this is so crazy!!! The little guys should be a pile of mush by now?! Or at least have some bad spots/mold?! But nope, they still looked fabulous. Now... here it is almost March, and they still look like the day I bought them. I have decided I could not have pumpkins on my porch when Spring is right around the corner. That would make me look crazy... Right?!

  

I don't really have an exact recipe for roasting the pumpkin seeds. I just pull the seeds out of the pumpkin, rinse with water while pulling off the long stringy strands. Dry the seeds completely. Then coat with olive oil, salt, and garlic powder. Toss really well and spread seeds on cookie sheet. I use parchment paper on the cookie sheet. Seems to roast the seeds nicer. Place cookie sheet in 325 degree preheated oven. Then toss the seeds every 10~15 minutes until dry and roasted.

Don't worry... I will not save our colored Easter eggs for five months. That would make me look really crazy...

XoXo,                                                                                                                                                              

Vanilla~Sparkling Wine Pound Cake...

  
  Ingredients...

• 3  cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1  tsp. baking powder
• 1/4  tsp. salt
• 1  cup sparkling wine or milk
• 3  Tbsp. sour cream
• 2  cups sugar
• 3/4  cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4  cup safflower or canola oil
• 5  cold eggs
• 2  Tbsp. vanilla paste or vanilla extract
• 1  recipe Sparkling Wine Glaze, recipe below

Directions...

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan; set aside. In large bowl mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift mixture; set aside. Stir together sparkling wine and sour cream; set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl beat sugar, melted butter, and oil with electric mixer until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in vanilla paste. Beat on medium to high 3 to 5 minutes or until thicker and lighter in color. Add one-third the flour mixture; beat on low just until combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add half the wine mixture; beat just until combined. Repeat with one-third the flour mixture, the remaining wine mixture, and remaining flour mixture. With rubber spatula scrape batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Turn out on rack; cool completely. Drizzle with Sparkling Wine Glaze. Makes 16 servings.
4. Sparkling Wine Glaze: In small bowl combine 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp. sparkling wine. Stir in additional wine, 1 tsp. at a time, to reach drizzling consistency.

XoXo,                                                                                                                                                                      

Hope You Get Lots of Sweet Treats...

For goodness sakes...It's almost Valentines Day!!! Have a great weekend...
XoXo,