Lake Catherine Blueberry Farm

We went to the Lake Catherine Blueberry Farm this morning to pick some berries to use in a trifle and a cobbler.

Lake Catherine Blueberries, owned by Dustin Lowe and family, extends the invitation to participate in the U-pick phase of the blueberry harvest. The field will be open daily until Saturday, June 5th.

There will be a $1 per person cover charge (18 and older) and then $4 per pound for any berries that make it to the bucket.

The farm is located at 5849 Lake Catherine Road in Groveland Florida, which is 3/4 of a mile north of highway 50, on highway 19. Look for the U-pick sign. Call Dustin at 352-536-4324, or email lakecatherineblueberries@yahoo.com with any questions.

The blueberries were so juicy and delicious!

I'll post pictures and recipes of our trifle and cobbler later this weekend.

The berries are so tasty and sweet, they make you smile when you eat them.

I've Never Eaten

Caramelized Butternut Squash
Serves 12, prep 10 min, cook 1 hour
5 lbs butternut squash (2 or 3 squashes)
8 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400°F.
Peel squash and chop into large pieces.
Combine squash, butter, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Toss.
Pour squash out onto a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake for about an hour or until browned.
Recipe Source chaos in the kitchen
Photo Source

I'm making some tonight, I hope its delicious. It won't look like the picture, it'll be cubed of course.

Blondes Have More Fun

Peanut Butter Fudge

4 cups Granulated sugar
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) Evaporated milk
1 cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted butter + a little extra
1/2 of an 18oz. or 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter(smooth or crunchy)
1 pint Marshmallow creme
1 tsp Vanilla

Butter sides of a heavy 3 quart or larger saucepan.

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, and 2 sticks of butter in the saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, to you reach soft ball stage (236 Fahrenheit) on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat and quickly add the peanut butter, marshmallow creme, vanilla, and nuts if desired.

Beat by hand until peanut butter and marshmallow are melted and blended well.

Pour into a buttered 13x6x2 inch pan.

Cool in refrigerator until completely cooled and firm (2 to 4 hours)

Tips - You can score the fudge into the desried sizes while still warm in the pan.
You can lay buttered parchment paper across the bottom and up both long sides of the pan to help remove the whole piece of fudge in order to cut it on a cutting board.

Enjoy!

Old School Fudge

4 cups Granulated sugar
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) Evaporated milk
1 cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted butter + a little extra
12 oz. Bag of chocolate chips, semisweet
1 pint Marshmallow creme
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)



Butter sides of a heavy 3 quart or larger saucepan.

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, and 2 sticks of butter in the saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, to you reach soft ball stage (236 Fahrenheit) on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat and quickly add the chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, vanilla, and nuts if desired.

Beat by hand until chocolate and marshmallow are melted and blended well.

Pour into a buttered 13x6x2 inch pan.

Cool in refrigerator until completely cooled and firm (2 to 4 hours)

Tips - You can score the fudge into the desried sizes while still warm in the pan.
You can lay buttered parchment paper across the bottom and up both long sides of the pan to help remove the whole piece of fudge in order to cut it on a cutting board.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Covered Toffee!

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter (+ extra butter to grease pan)
3 tablespoons light Karo syrup
1 tablespoon water
1 Large Hershey bar (7oz I think)
Chopped Nuts (optional)

Generously butter a cookie sheet. Cook first 4 ingredients in heavy saucepan, stirring constantly over medium high heat until hard crack stage on a candy thermometer (300° F). Pour cooked mixture into buttered sheet pan. Place Hershey bar on top of toffee while it is still hot. Smooth chocolate out with a spoon when melted. Cool about 30-60 minutes. Turn out of pan and break into pieces like you would with peanut brittle.

(Optional) If desired, you could add nuts either to the cookie sheet before pouring the toffee, or the nuts could be added on top of the melted chocolate like Almond Roca.

This is an easy recipe and it gets lots of compliments.

Enjoy

Countdown to Halloween - October 6th

I got this recipe from vibhandaka over at the Zombie Pumpkins forums last year. We made a batch last Halloween weekend and they turned out delicious.

Caramel Popcorn Balls

5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups un-popped popcorn OR
3 bags of Natural Microwave Popcorn
1/4 cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract



1) Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to a 4 quart saucepan, and heat over high heat. When oil is hot, add 1/2 cup of popping corn. Keep pan moving constantly. When corn stops popping, remove pan from heat. Place popped corn in oven safe container in the oven to keep warm. Repeat until all corn has been popped. Set aside. OR Microwave your popcorn, place in oven to keep warm.

2) In a medium saucepan with a candy thermometer inserted, combine butter, sugar, and corn syrup. Stir well and bring to boiling over medium heat. Stir in condensed milk; simmer, stirring constantly, until thermometer reads 238 degrees F (114 degrees C). Stir in vanilla.

3) Pour caramel over popped corn and stir to coat. Butter hands lightly; shape popcorn into balls about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Work quickly but be careful because it is very hot at first.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am reposting these from last year because everyone liked them, also I have altered the amounts on the spices because originally they were not spicy enough. Enjoy everyone, let me know if you make some.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or corn oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips



Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and butter the paper. Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the chips.

Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. You could also simply use a 1/4-cup measuring cup if you don’t have a scoop. Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 16 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

We Need Your Help

So you may or may not know that the Mrs. and I are throwing a small night before Halloween soirée. Were looking at 20-25 adults for a costumed cocktail party. We've been struggling with what kind of food to have. It's not a dinner party, so were thinking appetizers and finger foods. We don't want anything messy because everyone will be dressed up. Also we don't want to be continually cooking throughout the evening. We've come up with the following so far;
Meatballs
Sandwiches cut in Halloween shapes
Crudites
Chips and dips
Spinach and artichoke dip
Assorted sweets
Two punches one with alcoholic one without

So here's the part where we need your help. Does anybody have a delicious appetizer or finger food that isn't messy or needs to be tended to all night. Something I can make and just put out, that won't cause food poisoning from sitting out. It doesn't have to be Halloween themed, but it can be. We've looked at way to many websites and recipes! Thanks in advance everybody!

Peanut Brittle

This is for you Nosferatu. Well not just for you, but you know what I mean.

2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water
2 cups raw peanuts
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. baking soda

Heat with medium to medium high heat, stirring sugar, syrup and water together in a heavy 3-quart saucepan until the sugar dissolves.

Once dissolved add salt.

Cook over medium heat to medium high heat to the soft ball stage (234 degrees).

Add peanuts at 250 degrees.

Cook to hard crack stage (290 degrees), stirring constantly.

Remove from heat as thermometer approaches 290 degrees.

Quickly, stir in butter and soda.

Beat to froth for a few seconds.

Pour quickly onto a well-buttered cookie sheet pan, spreading with spatula.

Allow brittle cool completely.

Break up when cold.

Tips and Tricks

Raw Spanish peanuts are the traditional choice of nut for brittle, but you could use just about any nut you like.

I like to add a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to my brittle and the same time as the salt. (It gives it a little kick!)

While spreading the brittle onto the cookie sheet use a fork to help stretch it into the corners, but you need to work quickly.

Enjoy

Chocolate Covered Toffee

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter (+ extra butter to grease pan)
3 tablespoons light Karo syrup
1 tablespoon water
1 Large Hershey bar (7oz I think)
Chopped Nuts (optional)

Generously butter a cookie sheet. Cook first 4 ingredients in heavy saucepan, stirring constantly over medium high heat until hard crack stage on a candy thermometer (300° F). Pour cooked mixture into buttered sheet pan. Place Hershey bar on top of toffee while it is still hot. Smooth chocolate out with a spoon when melted. Cool about 30-60 minutes. Turn out of pan and break into pieces like you would with peanut brittle.

(Optional) If desired, you could add nuts either to the cookie sheet before pouring the toffee, or the nuts could be added on top of the melted chocolate like Almond Roca.

This is an easy recipe and it gets lots of compliments.

Enjoy

Caramel Popcorn Balls (Revisited)

They were yummy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am so making these this weekend!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or corn oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips



Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and butter the paper. Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the chips.

Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. You could also simply use a 1/4-cup measuring cup if you don’t have a scoop. Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 16 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Caramel Popcorn Balls

I got this recipe from vibhandaka over at the Zombie Pumpkins forums. We made a batch Halloween weekend and they turned out delicious.

Caramel Popcorn Balls

5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups un-popped popcorn OR
3 bags of Natural Microwave Popcorn
1/4 cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1) Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to a 4 quart saucepan, and heat over high heat. When oil is hot, add 1/2 cup of popping corn. Keep pan moving constantly. When corn stops popping, remove pan from heat. Place popped corn in oven safe container in the oven to keep warm. Repeat until all corn has been popped. Set aside. OR Microwave your popcorn, place in oven to keep warm.

2) In a medium saucepan with a candy thermometer inserted, combine butter, sugar, and corn syrup. Stir well and bring to boiling over medium heat. Stir in condensed milk; simmer, stirring constantly, until thermometer reads 238 degrees F (114 degrees C). Stir in vanilla.

3) Pour caramel over popped corn and stir to coat. Butter hands lightly; shape popcorn into balls about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Work quickly but be careful because it is very hot at first.

Enjoy!

Sugar Skull Tutorial

Cool blog with a awesome tutorial for making Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) sugar skulls. I want to try this really bad! The link is in the title above the picture.

Die-In

Yummo

Delicious microwave smores! Note to self; 30 seconds is way to long to nuke a marshmallow.