Fall is just around the corner...time for some Pumpkin Butter

Fall is my favorite time of the year, cooler weather, football games, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.  Also during this time is my birthday!!! So very exciting.  

I know it's been a while since I've posted but I'm going to try harder to post more often.  This past summer I was taking some of the hardest classes for my major. 

This semester I'm in a fruits and vegetables processing class and have been doing a lot of canning.  We've made pickled okra and pickles so far.  This class and fall weather inspired me to make pumpkin butter. I got this recipe from Eat Yourself Skinny and made one little substitution.  (Complete recipe at the bottom)



So besides the apple juice and canned pumpkin, I had everything else in my pantry.  Ground allspice, ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and brown sugar.  











Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.  First, over medium-high heat, heat until is starts boiling.  When boiling lower heat to medium-high.  I stirred whenever it would start popping on the bottom, but keep it at this heat for 45 minutes. 








How to sterilize jars: 

I don't have the fancy jar boiler like some people.  I do it the "old-fashioned" way with a large pot. 






Fill pot with as much water to cover the jars your are using.  (I used the 4oz jars). Bring it to a rolling boil.  















Using tongs, place jars carefully in the pot and cover.  Let it come back to a boil.  Heat jars for AT LEAST 10 minutes.  It won't hurt to go longer.  I kept them in there until it was time to fill them.  

Rule of thumb:  If filling jars with a hot substance, make sure the jars are hot.  If filling with cool substance, let jars cool on a towel before filling. 













With 5 minutes remaining place the bands in the water to sterilize.  Do not place lids in because after a while they will not properly seal. 

Make sure you keep the water boiling when you remove the jars, you will need it later. 








 Fill the jars with room a air pocket at the top.  Place the lids on and screw on the band just hand tight.  

Place filled jars back into the boiling water for 10 minutes to seal them.  When you take them out and they start cooling you will hear a "click" noise.  That's the lid properly sealing.  

You must keep the jars either in the refrigerator or frozen.  Pumpkin cannot be jarred and kept at room temperature safely.  We do not have the ability to heat the jars up hot enough when you seal them.  

When you freeze and defrost the butter will have the same consistency before you froze it. 

Pumpkin Butter Recipe

Makes 10 4oz jars.

Ingredients

• 1 can (29 oz) Pumpkin puree 
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup apple juice (I did 1/2 cup apple juice and 1/4 cup water for the flavor)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground all spice (I just did a few dashes)

Process

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat
3. When boiling, bring heat down to medium-low and let simmer for 45 minutes stirring frequently. (I stirred whenever I heard it about to pop.)
4. Remove from heat and jar. 
5. Refrigerate or freeze after sealing

Sterilization/Sealing of Jars

1. Bring large pot of water to a rolling boil. 
2. Place jars in boiling water for at least 10 minutes. (I kept mine in there until it was time to fill, it won't hurt them.)
3. Place bands in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. 
4. Put food in the jar. **Remember the Rule of Thumb**
5. When filled put lids and bands on to hand tight and place back in the boiling water for 10 minutes to create a seal. 

Nutritional Facts:

Serving size: 1 Tbsp. 

Calories: 5 g

Fat: 0 g

Carbohydrates: 1 g

Protein: 0 g

*On Eat Yourself Skinny she did the nutritional facts with the serving size equal to 1/4 cup and her carbohydrates equaled 27.3 g 

Valentines Cake for 1 (or 2)

With valentines right around the corner, I thought I would make a healthier version of the "mug cake". I didn't have any caramels (and didn't want the extra calories) so I excluded them.  I then found a website that calculates the nutritional information for recipes you have.  I determined the original recipe had 554 calories, 85 grams of carbohydrates, 14 grams of protein, and 21 grams of fat (YIKES!). This is where I come in and make my own modified version.

The ingredients I used:

• Silk light soy milk 
• All purpose flour
• Splenda (for baking)
• vegetable oil
• baking powder
• Unsweetened cocoa
• salt
• egg

In general I substituted in soy milk for skim milk (not much of a difference but I prefer soy) and Splenda sugar for baking (HUGE difference in calories).

*Splenda doesn't brown, so if you substitute it in a white cake recipe such as a shortbread cake then you will not get the typical yellow color, it will be very white.  Still good flavor, just not the same color.

All the dry ingredients mixed together

First combine:

• 4 Tablespoons flour
• 4 Tablespoons of Splenda sugar
• 3 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Mix until combined.

Wet added to dry

 Then add

• 1 egg
• 3 Tablespoons of soy milk (or skim)
• 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil.

Again mix until there are no clumps remaining.

Final product

Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.  The original recipe says to put it in a mug but when I did I had the problem of it overflowing and not getting cooked thoroughly.  I preferred the bowl.  I didn't have a problem with it sticking but if you think you will lightly spray the bowl with nonstick spray.

My version of the mug cake has 364 calories, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 14 grams of protein, and 21 grams of fat.

*Next I want to try to replace the oil with applesauce and will let you know how it goes. Hopefully it will cut back on the grams of fat.

How you eat...

Have you every thought about how you eat?  What habits (good or bad) are you trapped in? With my blog I want to give you an option of making what you eat healthier.  I'm going to take recipes (of my own, from online, or ones you send me) and find a way to make them healthier.  I plan on sharing recipes for those that have medical issues that prevent you from eating certain foods.

Where am I going to get my information?  I'm currently at Texas Tech studying Nutrition (Dietetics) and Food Science.  I eventually would like to go to culinary school.  I'll be sharing tips I've learned in my classes.

Can't wait to get started, will hopefully have the first recipe up by this weekend!