Squashed or Not - Wonderful Flavor

The mixture of sausage, bell pepper, black beans, spices and Swiss cheese make a great filling for Acorn Squash....or not.  I used turkey sausage, but you can use any variety of hot or mild Italian sausage.

1 to 3 acorn squash (optional)
6 ounces spicy Italian sausage
1 cup diced red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbl chili powder
1/2 tbl cumin
15 ounces petite diced tomatoes
15 ounces black beans, rinsed and drained
hot pepper sauce, to taste
shredded Swiss.

If using Squash, roasting instructions will appear separately.

Lightly oil a large skillet and fry sausage until browned.  Add garlic until fragrant then add the peppers and cook about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, beans and hot sauce.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer until heated through.

Serve topped with shredded Swiss.

Toasted Nut Cookies

Cookies with Dr Pepper.

 3/4 Cup Butter                                                                         1/4 Cup Dr Pepper

  1/3 Cup Brown Sugar                                                              1 Teaspoon Almond Extract

  2 1/4 Cups Cake Flour                                                             1 Cup Almonds, Toasted & Chopped

  1/8 Teaspoon Salt                                                                    1 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Cream butter, add sugar and beat until fluffy.  Add flour and salt alternately with Dr. Pepper.  Add almond extract, pecans and chocolate morsels.  Shape into ball, bar or crescent.  Place on un-greased baking sheet.  Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven.  Roll in powdered sugar.

Week 44 - 44.42

It is official, I have arrived in Montana.  Due to my circuitous route, I am afraid I may not meet my goal, but who says I have to stop?

From one of my favorite sites, 50States.com, you can learn the following about Montana and much more:

• Montana has the largest migratory elk herd in the nation.  
• The average square mile of land contains 1.4 elk, 1.4 pronghorn antelope, and 3.3 deer. 
• The Freezeout Lake Wildlife Management Area contains as many as 300,000 snow geese and 10,000 tundra swans during migration.  
• The Montana Yogo Sapphire is the only North American gem to be included in the Crown Jewels of England. 
• The moose, now numbering over 8,000 in Montana, was thought to be extinct in the Rockies south of Canada in the 1900s.
•  Montana has the largest grizzly bear population in the lower 48 states. 
• Buffalo in the wild can still be viewed at the National Bison Range in Moiese, south of Flathead Lake and west of the Mission Mountains.  
• In Montana the elk, deer and antelope populations outnumber the humans.

Pumpkin Poke Cake

There are lots of options out there for 'poke cakes' - poke holes in a hot cake, pour something on top, refrigerate and frost.  This one is a wonderful fall treat.

1 package butter recipe cake mix

1 cup pumpkin purée

2 large eggs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup oil

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

TOPPING

14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

2 jars hot fudge topping (about 24 ounces)

1 container whipped white frosting OR 8 ounce tub cool whip 

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom only of 9x13 cake pan.

Mix cake mix through nutmeg.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes until cake springs back when lightly touched.  Remove from oven and poke all over with a wooden spoon.  I space my holes about 1 inch apart and 1 inch away from the sides of the pan.  Pour milk over cake.  Let sit for at least five minutes.

While sitting, heat hot fudge until pourable.  Pour over cake, pressing into the holes.  Refrigerate at least two hours.  Frost with the frosting or cool whip.  If using cool whip, top right before serving.

Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin butter is a nice change on toast, pancakes, rice cakes - any place 

you would use jam or apple butter.  Better yet, it is easy to make and 

freezes easily.  T make clean up easy, use a slow cooker liner.

You will need:

8 cups pumpkin purée

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 Tbl cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

Combine all ingredients.  Put into a large slow cooker and 

cook on low for 8 hours.

When done, move to containers and refrigerate.  Freeze any 

that won't be used in a week or two.

Week 43 - 38.97

This week I learned about the Dakota Prairie Grassland.  These are not the normal, contiguous National Parks Service type of park.  These are preserved areas intermingled with other national and privately owned lands.  From the website:



Welcome to the Dakota Prairie Grasslands, where pristine vistas inspire the imagination; where the rugged unspoiled beauty of the land invites exploration; and where the sights and sounds of the wide, rolling prairie stimulate the senses.

Stretching over 1,259,000 acres, the Dakota Prairie National Grasslands offers visitors the opportunity to view elk, antelope, whitetail and mule deer, bighorn sheep, coyotes, sharptail grouse, pheasants, wild turkeys, eagles, falcons, and the busy prairie dogs. Recreational opportunities offer hiking, camping, horseback riding, photography, canoeing, fishing, hunting, and backpacking.

Apple Coconut Pie - Kathleen Ronk

This is a great way to use fall apples - especially if you like coconut.  

1 Tbl Butter                                                                1 Tbl Butter

  1 Tbl Sugar                                                              ---Topping---

  4 Cups Apple, Sliced                                                    1/2 Cup Sugar

  1 9 Inch Deep Dish Pie Crust                                       1 Tbl Butter

  1/2 Cup Sugar                                                             1/4 Cup Milk

  1 Tbl Flour                                                                  1 Cup Coconut

  1/2 Tsp Salt                                                                             

Put pie crust in a dish.  Brush with 1 Tbl butter, sprinkle with sugar.  Put into refrigerator until well chilled.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together sugar, flour, salt and butter.  Remove crust from refrigerator, add apples to the pan and top with the sugar mixture.  Bake for 20 minutes.

While baking, mix remaining ingredients, place on top of first mixture and bake for an additional 30 minutes.