By now, you have probably figured out that I love pumpkins. But did you also know that I love trains? Well, that’s why when I heard about the Pumpkinliner, I just had to share it with you.
Starting Oct. 6, Fillmore & Western Railway Co. in Santa Clara, Calif., will be running trains to the “Icabog” pumpkin farm, where pumpkins go for $1 and up. The private pumpkin patch also has a carousel, a haunted hay maze and an arts & crafts fair. Sounds like a great family fun day to me.
For more information, visit their website at www.fwry.com.
Product image from Banquet Dessert BakesBanquet Dessert Bakes is a line of simple, make it yourself with a few extra ingredients dessert mixes. I recently tried their Coconut Creme Pie. Here are my observations:
Prep Time
It took very little time to prepare the dessert. I probably completed the whole process, including cleaning up in about 15 to 20 minutes.
Crust
All you had to do to create the crust was add water. However, what resulted was a chewy crust that stuck to the pie tin and made it very difficult to serve decent looking pie slices. It tasted fine, but I would recommed either experimenting with adding less water than the box suggests or just using a ready-made crust.
Filling
Now, to be upfront, I love coconut. I want my coconut-flavored foods to be rich in coconut flavor, which is why I ended up using coconut powder in the coconut cream pie I developed. To my surprise, Banquet’s coconut creme filling did not disappoint. It had a rich, creamy and very coconutty flavor, with little bits of coconut mixed in.
The box recommends that you refrigerate 30 minutes before serving. I would recommend that you give it closer to an hour to allow the filling to fully set.
Overall
I’ve give this dessert 4 out of 5 stars. It tasted great, but the crust needs work.
Yesterday, we were driving by our local Food 4 Less and as I looked in through the store’s open windows, I saw a big box of pumpkins.
Wow. It’s only half-way through September and its already time to think about your October Jack-o-Lantern.
But, as I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, the pumpkin crop isn’t going to be as big as it was in the past. In fact, many pumpkin farmers are advising you to expect quality over quantity.
Also, keep in mind that the purpose of your pumpkin dictates which kind of pumpkin you should choose. “For carving jack-o-lanterns, select Happy Jack, Halloween or Spookie varieties, which are larger than 12 inches and weigh 20 to 40 pounds,” Dr. Dymple Cooksey, nutrition specialist with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, told Texas A&M Agriculture News. “These are too coarse, stringy and dry for eating.”
If you want to cook with your pumpkin, you want to choose the smaller, sweeter varieties such as Small Sugar or Triple Treat, which are 8-10 inches in diameter, weight around 6-8 pounds, are more rounded than your typical Jack-O-Lantern varieties.
Photo: Maryhere via MorgueFile.comI was discussing dairy products with my mother the other day, when she said she prefers to use goat’s milk over cow’s milk. She said it is better for you and that it is easier to digest for those of us who are lactose intolerant.
So, when I was grocery shopping the other day, I bought a quart of goat’s milk. It tastes quite different from cow’s milk. For one, it has a tartness to it that I recognize from eating goat’s cheese. Also, and this may sound strange, but it kind of reminds me of the smell of human milk.
Anyway, I can attest that goat’s milk was easier for me to digest, but I think as a beverage it would be an acquired taste. I did like it with my breakfast cereal, though. The tartness offset the sweetness of the Honey Nut Cheerios I was mixing in with my Fiber One. 😉
O.K. I just have to say it — pumpkins rock! They are an excellent source of fiber and vitamin A, are a good source of antioxidants, and now, they may contain an compound that helps protect against diabetes.
Researchers in China found that an extract from pumpkin (Cucurbita ficifolia) promoted the regeneration of damaged pancreatic cells in diabetic rats, boosting levels of insulin-producing beta cells and insulin in the blood.
The rats used in this study, conducted by scientists from the East China Normal University, modeled type-1 diabetes, but the researchers believe the pumpkin extract may also play a role in type-2 diabetes. It is also their hope that the research can be reproduced in humans.
Antonio Oquias via Photoxpress.comMost of the time, when you find advice on cutting a layer cake horizontally to increase the number of layers, you’ll be told that you need a long serrated knife. And, it is always good to have one around. However, I’ve found that it is really hard to get a nice even slice through the cake that way.
Maybe it’s because I use too many strokes with the knife. The Food Network says that the fewer strokes you use, the smoother your layers will be. And suggests using toothpicks to help guide your cutting. Bon Apetit even suggests using a ruler as your guide!
However, I found a bit of advice that has worked like a charm and doesn’t require an elaborate set up of toothpicks. All you do is get some dental floss — yep, I said dental floss — and use it to slice through the cake. I recommend using one of the unflavored varieties, preferably unwaxed, so that you don’t add in extra, unwanted flavors to your cake.
How To Use Dental Floss to Slice a Cake Layer
Usually, I’ll create a guideline with a knife, maybe even start the cutting a bit in a few places. Then I’ll cut off a piece of dental floss that is long enough to wrap around the edge of the cake layer and a bit more to hold on to. I wrap the floss around the cake, making sure it fits nicely into the guide grooves I created, cross the ends and slowly pull it through. It’s kind of like you’re tying a knot and pulling it tight. This pulls the dental floss through the cake, cutting it into two layers.
Then all you have to do is separate the layers so you can add the filling. But that’s another post.
Want to see this idea in action? You can watch a demo of this technqiue on YouTube courtesy of Food & Wine.
A Malaysian research has discovered that a component of a special pumpkin flour can weaken cancer cells. The component is resistance starch, which leads to the production of propionic acid.
“The acid causes the starch to remain indigestible thus fermenting the bacteria and weakening the cancer cells,” Technology Industry Department lecturer Noor Aziah Abdul Aziz told reporters after receiving the gold medal in conjunction with the Universiti Sains Malaysia’s participation at the Malaysian Technology Expo on March 29. “It changes the oxidation process.”
By now, you have probably figured out that I love pumpkins. But did you also know that I love trains? Well, that’s why when I heard about the Pumpkinliner, I just had to share it with you.
