Replacing Canned Pumpkin & Pumpkin Pancakes

I'm in the mood to make a favorite pumpkin pancake recipe, but the pandemic-related food shortages continue. I went to three grocery stores yesterday, and all of them are out of canned pumpkin. Instead, I bought 2 butternut squashes for $2 apiece, baked and pureed them. I have cooked squash in the Instant Pot before, and thought about that approach, but it yields a much wetter finished product and I wanted to end up with denser cooked squash that more closely resembled the canned texture.

Cut squash in half and seed them

Bake face down in oven until tender

I baked them at 350 until tender. I started checking at 30 min, they were done at about 50 min. I let them cool and then scooped the cooked squash into the food processor and pureed until smooth.

I used a food scale to weigh out 15 oz portions (as if canned) and got three portions. I'll freeze these.

Here is one of our favorite pumpkin pancake recipe:

Byerly's Autumn Brunch Pancakes

Good served with apple sauce

Note: if doubling, I've found use 5 eggs rather than 6

1 c unseasoned pumpkin (if doubling, 1 can works)

3 large eggs

1/2 c flour

1/3 c milk

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Butter for frying (about 2 Tbsp)

Combine all ingredients except butter for frying. Cook over medium heat about 2 min per side, or until tops bubble and bottoms are brown.

If you want to peel squash to cube and roast it, there's a suggestion to slice off the top and bottom, prick with a fork, then microwave the whole squash for 3 min to soften the peel. I've tried this and the jury is still out- it's just hard to peel squash.

Coleslaws

 If you love cabbage like we do, these are good ones.

BARBECUED SLAW

Makes 6 cups.

• 1 large green cabbage (about 3 lb.)
• 1 large onion
• 1/2 c. barbecue sauce of choice
• 1/4 c. apple-cider vinegar
• 1 c. water
• 1/4 c. mayonnaise

Directions

Shred the cabbage and onion into a heat-resistant bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the barbecue sauce, vinegar and water to a boil. Remove from heat, and pour over the cabbage and onion. Stir well to mix.
Chill for at least 1 hour to marinate. Stir in the mayonnaise and serve, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days

CABBAGE SALAD WITH SPICY LIME VINAIGRETTE

Serves 6.

Note: There will be extra vinaigrette left over. Adapted from Alex Roberts of Brasa in Minneapolis

• 1 tbsp. coarsely chopped shallots or onion
• 1/4 c. fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and coarsely chopped, if desired
• 1/3 c. oil
• 1/3 c. sour cream, at room temperature
• 1/2 head green cabbage (or a 10-oz. bag of finely shredded cabbage)
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh mint leaves
• Salt and pepper

To make vinaigrette: Mix shallots with lime juice, sugar and salt. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes. In a blender, purée shallot mixture with chile, oil and sour cream until smooth. Set aside. To make slaw: Use a mandolin or grater and shred cabbage as finely as possible. In a bowl, toss cabbage with parsley, cilantro and mint. Add about 1/2 cup vinaigrette to taste and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more vinaigrette, if desired. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Garlic Coleslaw

This is inspired by the incredible garlic aioli coleslaw we had at the South Shore Grill in Honolulu

• 1 medium head green cabbage, finely shredded
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ⅓ cup oil
• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon white sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon celery seed

Combine dressing ingredients in a blender. Pour dressing over shredded cabbage and toss to evenly coat. Press coleslaw down into the bowl using the back of a spoon or place another bowl on top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Stir before serving.

Ginger Lime and Honey Coleslaw 

Serves 4 to 6.

• 6 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 3 tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. soy sauce, or to taste
• 1 tbsp. freshly grated ginger, or more to taste
• 2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbsp. light sesame oil
• 2 c. shredded green cabbage
• 2 c. shredded red cabbage
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 tart, firm apple, thinly sliced
• 1/2 c. finely chopped green onion
• 1/2 c. chopped cilantro
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

To make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, honey, soy sauce and ginger. Whisk in the two oils in a slow, steady stream.

To make the slaw: In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, apple, onion and cilantro; toss. Add just enough of the dressing to lightly coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow to stand about 30 minutes before serving, or cover and refrigerate overnight.

Thai Peanut Cabbage Slaw

Yield: About 10 servings

For the Dressing:

• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored & chopped
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1½ tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Coleslaw:

• 16 ounce bag cole slaw mix (or 5 cups shredded cabbage)
• ½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
• ½ cup roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:
1. Puree all of the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor (the consistency will be like applesauce); set aside.
2. In a large bowl, toss together all of the coleslaw ingredients. Pour the dressing over the coleslaw ingredients and mix until all of the coleslaw is evenly coated with dressing. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Confetti Cabbage Salad With Spicy Peanut Dressing

From America's Test Kitchen

• 1 lb cabbage, shredded 
• 1 large carrot, peeled & shredded 
• salt 
• 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter 
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil 
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce 
• 1 teaspoon honey 
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, minced 
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeds and rib removed 
• 4 radishes, sliced thin 
• 4 scallions, sliced thin 

Directions

1. Toss the cabbage and carrot with 1 tsp salt in a colander set over a medium bowl. Let stand until the cabbage wilts, 1-4 hours. Rinse the cabbage and carrot under cold running water. Press to drain and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Process the peanut butter, oil, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger and jalepeno in a food processor until smooth.

3. Combine everything in a medium bowl. Toss to coat salad with dressing. Season with salt to taste.

4. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Tastier-Than- Heck Oil and Vinegar Coleslaw Dressing

• 3/4 cup sugar (or a little less, to taste)
• 3/4 cup vinegar
• 2/3 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon additional salt 
• 1 small onion, pureed

Directions
In food processor or with grater,chop the onion so fine it is almost liquefied.
Mix in other ingredients with the ground up onion and using a food processor emulsify the dressing. 
Add to your favorite coleslaw recipe.

Updating Furniture with Paint

We have a dining room set we got very early in our marriage. The table top is formica- not very attractive, so years ago I painted the table and chairs. What I didn't do then was to put a topcoat/sealer on it, so the paint was starting to erode a bit with use and much wiping. I bought a high-quality topcoat recommended at Hirshfields, and applied three coats. 

After sealing

The chairs are sturdy, but were showing wear and scuffs on the paint. I was tired of periodically touching up the paint, so I decided to intentionally distress them a bit so a few more chips and marks would blend right in. I decided to use an antiquing glaze, which I applied using a dry brushing technique.

Chair before

Chair after

Next, I tackled a smaller set that I'd painted white a number of years ago. The table once belonged to Andy's grandma Margaret, the chairs we assembled from Ikea. I was tired of the all-white look, and it was hard to keep clean (again, I hadn't put a top coat on it) so I decided to try painting it faux driftwood. 

Before

I followed a blend of online instructions, here and here. I put a base coat of Valspar paint in the Behr color "Open Canyon," then I mixed Valspar Mixing glaze with Valspar Harvest Brown on top. I finished with a couple of coats of the polyurethane.

After

After

In October, I drove to Madison to help my daughter fix up a table she'd acquired. It had a few deeper gouges in it that were much lighter than the surrounding finish. My first hope was that we could use regular stain on it, but that very quickly proved it would not work, so back to Home Depot a second time.

I'd read about gel stain but never used it. The table definitely needed more coverage, so I decided to try the Varathane Gel Stain in Kona. The color match with the bottom portion of the table was actually very close, so it ended up being a good choice.

It did take a while to dry, so I started the first of three coats of polyurethane, the same as for the other table projects, at 5:30 the next morning so I could get three coats on before leaving for home. It came out really nicely, and brought some new life to the table.

Addendum:

In Dec 2021 I updated an old twin bed that our daughter used with paint and new pull hardware. I used the same base coat as our dining room table (paint I had on hand) then a mix of Valspar Mixing glaze with Valspar Harvest Brown on top.

Before- note the flower stickers on the end

Before- beat up drawers

After

Aug 2022

Our son is getting his first apartment, and I'm going to put a new guest bed in his room. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on it since it won't get a lot of use. I bought a full mattress set at Original Mattress Company, and found this full bed frame with brass headboard on Craig's for $20. 

I removed the middle section of the finials- too bulbous

I roughed up the brass finish with some steel wool, then spray painted it with 2 coats per side.

$8 at Home Depot

Painting outdoors

End result- I sewed the bedskirt, valances and sham pillows to go with the new comforter cover from Ikea. New end tables for $23 for the pair from K-bid. Canvas prints from Shutterfly

Oct 2022

Will got two end tables from grandma for his new apartment. The tops were pretty beat up, so I sanded and repaired a few spots with glue and wood putty. Then I applied two coats of black spray paint and two coats of matte polyacrylic.

Nov 2022

I bought this folding metal patio set that is a great size for Will's apartment balcony off K-Bid for only $15. It had some mild rust in areas, so I touched it up with a couple coats of spray paint.

Will is happy to work outside on the balcony

April 2024

Our years-old metal firepit is pretty rusty, so I used steel wool to get some of the rust off and painted it all with high-temp flat Rust-Oleum.

Before

After

Our old plastic deck chairs were pretty beat up, too, so it was time for another coat.

After spraying

Our cement pineapple statue was looking rough and a bit moldy, and you could see a distinct line where we glued the top back on after Andy took a spill with it. I bought a tester-sized outdoor acrylic paint in the color 'elephant' and diluted it about 50% with water. Two coats later and it was looking refreshed.

Our Favorite Salad Dressings

 The household All-Star salad dressing recipes have already been published here:

Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

Creamy Balsamic Dressing

We generally have one of these two on hand at all times. Occasionally, though, we'll mix it up. These are good ones:

Simple Caesar Dressing

• 3 Tbsp oil
• 5 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp prepared mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Combine all in a jar with a lid and shake.

Warm Caesar Potato Salad

• 12 small new red potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed and cut into quarters
• dash cider vinegar
• 1/2 c olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 c fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp prepared Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp chopped anchovies (optional)
• 1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

Boil potatoes in water with a dash of vinegar until tender but not mushy. In a large skillet, heat the oil and cook garlic 2 minutes. stir in remaining ingredients except potatoes and Parmesan. Stir potatoes into warm sauce in skillet, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve. 6 servings.

Orange and Sesame Dressing

• 1 c fresh orange juice
• 1/4 c red wine vinegar
• 1/2 c canola oil
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tbsp minced fresh dill
• 1 medium clove garlic, minced

Combine all in a jar with a lid and shake. Makes scant 2 cups.

Creamy Parmigiano-Reggiano Dressing with Garlic and Basil

From the Splendid Table

• 1/3 c wine or cider vinegar, or to taste
• 1/2 to 2/3 c extra virgin olive oil, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nouc mam)
• 1/2 c freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or substitute a good domestic Asiago)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 c thinly sliced chives or green onion tops
• 10-15 fresh basil leaves, torn
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 generous tbsp sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Blend all in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning. Will keep for 5 days, stir before using. Makes 2 cups.

Refurbishing the Porch Furniture

 We acquired this furniture 14 years ago from the previous homeowners when we bought the house, and who knows how long they had it. The cushions, in particular were starting to show wear and small stains, and we were tired of the small-check blue gingham. We decided to look for replacement furniture.

Before

I did some shopping, and most of the furniture I found was either plastic (and woven plastic "wicker" which was even worse) or hollow aluminum. The metal furniture that was even somewhat acceptable cost several thousand dollars. I couldn't find anything in wood or a natural material- as the old saying goes, they just don't make stuff like they used to. I looked again at the frames on our furniture, made from bent cane or bamboo, and realized that even though parts of it were sun-faded and dried out, it was well-made and sturdy. I decided to try to treat the wood and see if new cushions could be found. 

Extreme fading in the most sun-exposed areas

Fading, dried out finish

Repairs needed on joint bindings

We carried the furniture into the garage where I could work on it. Everything got a thorough cleaning, and I did a couple minor repairs with glue. While I could have spray painted this without too much effort, I wanted to preserve the wood look. To try to actually refinish or re-stain all of the pieces, with all of their surfaces and joint bindings would have been maddening. I went to a local paint store for advice, and the sales guy recommended I rub on a couple coats of this product to freshen the finish.

It was easy to use with a rag, and I took a couple of hours to go over every surface with two coats. It didn't completely eliminate the sun fading, but it did improve the overall look with minimal effort.

The color and finish look better after the wood treatment

Next, it was time to look into new cushions. I was worried we wouldn't be able to find replacement cushions of the right size, but I found some at Hom furniture made out of Sunbrella fabric intended for exposed areas. We ordered a set of 5, which were not cheap at just over $800. They are 1" wider than perfect- you can see we had to compress them slightly to fit, but they are very comfortable to sit on. I listed the old cushions on Craig's list for free, and someone came to pick them up.

New cushions

Now on to the lamps. They came with the furniture from the former owners, and were shiny blue glass with big lampshades. Good quality, we were just tired of the look. Again, I looked at buying new lamps and was surprised by how much they can cost. I decided it was no risk to try to paint these and see how they came out. Painting glossy glass is tricky, so I had to prime them well. I used a taupe paint I already had on hand, then I sponged a darker glaze on top.

2-3 coats of primer needed on the glass

I found a website to help me estimate shade shape and size, then it took awhile to find lampshades the right size- I found some at Target, but they had long stock outages, so it took a couple months before I could order them. At $20 each, they were a bargain.

Now the porch furniture is updated, and more in line with our style. I'm happy with how it came out, and with the DIY savings.

Monster Cookies

 I generally make these once per year, which makes sense when you see the quantity.

The original recipe is from a church cookbook we got as a wedding gift, the Salem Sampler II, and believe it or not, I worked out this version as HALF of the original version. There is a more reasonable "anyday" version to follow.

Monster Cookies (big batch)

Note: This will make too much dough to fit in a large Kitchen Aid mixing bowl. I use a hand-held mixer and a very large ceramic bowl we got as a wedding present from my wonderful uncle Malcom and aunt Rochelle. Use 4 cookie sheets if you have them- that way you're dropping dough while a pair is baking, and allowing  a few minutes to cool on the sheet before transferring to a rack. You'll run out of rack space quickly, so then move them again to another surface or storage. These freeze wonderfully, and can last some time frozen.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter

2 1/3 c. brown sugar

2 c. white sugar

6 eggs

2 2/3 c. creamy peanut butter (you'll need a large jar, like Jiff or Skippy, not natural style)

1/2 Tbsp vanilla

1 Tbsp corn syrup

4 tsp baking soda

9 c. oatmeal (I use quick rolled outs, the better part of a large 42 oz container)

1/2 c. flour

8-12 oz chocolate chips

1 lb M&M's

Preheat oven to 350 (convection bake works well for this recipe).

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and blend. Add PB and blend, add everything except the chips and M&M's and blend. Add the chips and M&M's and blend just until combined. Drop in large (or very large) spoonfuls on cookie sheets (mine are about scant 1/4 c. per drop). Bake about 8-12 min or 8 min on convection (timing varies based on the size of the cookies, etc.) You want them chewy and not overbaked. Cool for a bit, or until you run out of space on the rack. We store these in 1 gallon ice cream buckets. Freezes well.

Makes about 112 large cookies,but I can't be certain, as there were cookie monsters around while I was baking the monster cookies.

Sane-version batch of Monster Cookies

The proportions of this recipe are slightly different than the version above, but I've tested this and it's good.

1 stick butter

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. white sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 c. peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp corn syrup

2 tsp baking soda

4 1/2 c. rolled oats

1 c. chocolate chips

1 c M&M's

Make as above.