Pumpkin Bread

1 1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs (2 T. egg powder + 1/4 c. water)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. pumpkin
3/4 c. milk (3 T. powdered milk + 3/4 c. water)
1 3/4 c. wheat flour
1/4 c. corn starch
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 c. nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips, optional

Yield: 1 loaf

Recipe from Wheat Cookin' Made Easy

Preheat solar oven with reflector while baking batter.

Cream together sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.  Combine pumpkin and milk in a small bowl.  Sift dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin mixture.  Fold in nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips if desired.

Pour into greased bread pan.  Bake at 280-300 degrees for 1 hour 1 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.

Remove from pan and cool on rack.

Homemade Wheat Thins

1 c. wheat flour
1 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter or oil
2/3 c. milk
Kosher or sea salt for the tops, optional
Ranch, taco, sour cream and onion seasoning, optional

Yield: 6 doz. crackers

Place solar oven out with reflectors to "preheat" while making the dough.

Combine flours, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.  If adding seasoning add 1-2 Tbsp. seasoning of choice to dry ingredients.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Slowly blend in milk (you might not use all of it), to form a soft ball.

Divide dough in half.  Roll dough onto ungreased baking sheet about 1/8 inch thick; thinner crackers come out crispier and thicker crackers come out chewier.  Prick the dough with a fork all over.  Score into desired shape and size with pizza cutter.  Sprinkle with Kosher salt or additional seasoning if desired.

Bake  in solar oven with reflectors 250-280 degrees about 40 minutes-1 hour or 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.

(In conventional oven at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.)

They are so yummy the kids ate them as soon as they reached the cooling rack.

Chcolate Swirl Banana Bread

2 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. mashed bananas (about 3)
2 eggs
1/3 c. sour cream
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat solar oven to 250-280 degrees while mixing ingredients.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together in large mixing bowl.  Add bananas, egg, and sour cream; beat until blended.  Add flour mixture, beat on low spread just until moistened.

Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring after each until melted.  Cool slightly.  Add 1 cup batter to chocolate and stir to combine.

Spoon chocolate mixture alternately with plain batter into large greased loaf pan.  Swirl batters with knife.  Bake in solar over 250-280 degrees for 1 hour 30-45 minutes, until center is set.  Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack, remove from pan and cool completely.

Texas Sheet Cake

Yield: 12 servings

1/2 c. butter
1 baking square chocolate
1/2 c. water
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Frosting:
3 Tbsp. milk
1 square baking chocolate
1/4 c. butter
1/2 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat solar oven  to 250-280 degrees while making the batter.

Lightly grease a half-sheet pan or 2 cooking pots.

Combine butter, chocolate and water n a small saucepan.  Heat until chocolate is melted.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, buttermilk, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Add chocolate mixture.  Add flour, and baking soda; mixing very well.  Pour into prepared pan (or divide between 2 cooking pots).  Bake in solar over at 250-280 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.  Five minutes before cake is done make frosting.

Frosting: Combine milk, chocolate, and butter in a medium saucepan.  Heat until bubbly around the edges.

Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.  While icing is warm pour over cake.

This is light and fluffy and seriously chocolaty!!

Applesauce

Fall harvesting is in the air...time for apples-- apple pie, applesauce, apple cobbler... mmmmm!

I found a great deal on a bushel of apples from a local farmer's market.  Time to can applesauce.

1. Wash, peel, core and slice apples.
2. Add prepared apples to a large stockpot with enough water to prevent sticking, about 1 1/2 cups.  Heat over medium until softened.
3. Remove apples from heat in batches and puree in blender, food processor or food screen.
4. Add hot applesauce to warmed canning jars.
5. Clean rims, add lids and rings.
5. Process quarts in prepared water bath or steam canner for 20 minutes.

Try adding cinnamon or pureed strawberries to applesauce when eating.  Applesauce is a great substitute to oil in many baking recipes.

One bushel yields approximately 14-16 quarts.

Gardening

If you live in a warmer climate it is time to put in your "Fall" garden.  Check online at your local county extension office; they have great information specific to your area, climate and growing zone.

Don't let a limitation of space stop your gardening efforts.  Be creative in the containers and areas you use to grow.  If you are hesitant to start begin with one crop.  Next season plant a few more.

Try planting a "pizza" or "salsa" garden.  Included the vegetables needed to make pizza sauce- tomatoes, basil and thyme or for salsa- tomatoes, a variety of peppers and cilantro.

Fruit Coffee Cake

Serves 8


1 Quart jar fuirt pie filling
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. butter
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Topping: 1/4 c. flour, 1/4 c. sugar, 2 Tbsp. butter

Combine 1 1/2 c. flour, 3/4 c. sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in 1/4 c. butter to coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.

Combine egg, buttermilk and vanilla; add all at once to flour mixture. Stir to combine with wooden spoon (batter will be lumpy). Spread two-thirds of the batter in a ungreased cooking pot. Spread pie filling over the top. Drop remaining batter in small mounds on top of filling.

Combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle over top of coffee cake. Bake at 280-300 degrees for 1- 1 1/2 hours, until lightly golden.