Southern Beauty
My beautiful mother sent me these pics and I am so happy to share them with you.
Mums in a whiskey barrel.
The mums in Mama’s whiskey barrel are all volunteer. They have been coming back from last year now!
Mums and petunias in a whiskey barrel.
The petunias have been coming back since two years ago. Aren’t they pretty. She is not even sure where they came from. However, there were petunias in this barrel at one time many years ago.
Pumpkins at Silver Dollar City.
Mama and her husband, Chester and my step-sister and her husband and their two beautiful daughters Danielle and Lydia went to Silver Dollar City last month. They took this picture there. That is one large cornucopia!
Mama and the pumpkins.
That is Mama in the red top standing next to the pumpkin cornucopia! What a great fall outing!
What to do with all of that pumpkin. Make your own pumpkin puree for pumpkin pies, soups and more. It’s easier than you may think!
1. Select a ripe and firm medium pumpkin. Larger pumpkins can be used, but they begin to take on a grainy texture the larger they get.
2. Cut open the pumpkin and remove the seeds and fibrous strings.(We call them pumpkin brains)
3. Cut the pumpkin into four to eight pieces.
4. Line a large baking pan aluminum foil. This will minimize the cleanup task.
5. Place the pumpkin pieces onto the baking pan.
6. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for one to 1 1/2 hours, or until pulp is soft.
7. Remove the pulp from the rind with a spoon and discard the rind.
8. Blend the pulp until smooth using a blender, food processor or mixer.
9. To create a really thick puree, put the pulp into a cheesecloth and squeeze out excess water.
Make and use fresh puree whenever possible for the best taste and freshness. Leftover puree can be frozen for a short period of time. Canning of pumpkin puree is not recommended by the USDA.
Today’s Lagniappe: Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
A great use for that pumpkin puree!
| 1oz (30g) | butter |
| 2lb (1kg) | Pumpkin – peeled and cut into inch square pieces |
| 1 | medium onion |
| 2 cloves | stuck into the onion |
| 2 tsp | sugar |
| salt | to taste – pinch |
| 2½ cup | Chicken Stock – make your own, use cubes/powder, or use ready made (this is our choice) OR Vegetable Stock for a Vegetarian Recipe |
| 1 cup | Milk |
| Nutmeg to sprinkle on top | |
| Optional | Bacon or ham bones
Dollop of Sour Cream when serving |
| 1. | Place butter and pumpkin in crock pot and put onto high. When butter has melted, stir to coat pumpkin and cook for 1 hour on high. (If in hurry, just wait for butter to melt, stir and go to step 2 ignore the hour cooking – still turns out great just slightly less intense flavor). |
| 2. | Add onion, sugar, salt and stock. Cover and cook for 8-9 hours on Low OR 4-5 hours on High. |
| 3. | When ready to serve, remove the onion. |
| 4. | Puree soup in a blender or use a hand held device. |
| 5. | Add milk, to achieve correct consistency. (DO NOT add milk if intending on freezing – just freeze as is. Can add milk when thawed). |
| 6. | Serve with a sprinkling of Nutmeg and a dollop of sour cream. |
| Notes | |
| Serves 4 Make extra and freeze Don’t add milk if going to freeze |
|
A little outdoor red for Outdoor Wednesday with A Southern Daydreamer and Rednesday! with It’s a Very Cherry and today’s lagniappe is a great idea for Crockpot Wedneday with Dining with Debbie.
Tags: Southern Pumpkins, Southern Seasons
October 27th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Your Mom’s mums are amazing! She’s so lucky she doesn’t have to spend any money on filling that big whiskey barrel with flowers!
Oh how I miss Silver Dollar City! I remember going there when my sister lived Missouri. So much fun!
Happy Rednesday!
Carol
October 27th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Beautiful flowers – perfect for that barrel! I can’t believe the size of that cornucopia! Wow!
October 27th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
I really enjoyed blog today. Those flowers are beautiful and to think they come back regularly. You featured one of my very favorite places, Silver Dollar City. In the past, we went to Branson almost each year. We loved it up there.
October 27th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Mums are one of my favorites, so colorful and easy to grow, and its the season for them now, so I’m going out tomorrow to find some of those pretty red ones! Thanks for the pumpkin recipe, too…looks tasty!
Happy Wednesday!
Mary
October 28th, 2009 at 1:20 am
Fantastic photos… I really love those perfect Mums in a whiskey barrel! Beautiful!
~Tis the Spooky Season~
~Really Rainey~
October 28th, 2009 at 1:38 am
Beautiful mum, and a very unusual color. Thank you for sharing these recipes,as I will soon be cutting my pumpkins up and baking them.
Sue
October 28th, 2009 at 2:31 am
Beautiful mums and love the picture of your Mom and the pumpkins.
Happy Outdoor Wednesday
October 28th, 2009 at 4:06 am
Your Mom’s mums are amazing! How I wish i could get my mums to grow that big year after year!
October 28th, 2009 at 4:25 am
Wonderful photos, I love the pumpkins and basket. Great photos.
October 28th, 2009 at 5:25 am
Love those mums and pumpkins. Thank you for the tips and recipe!
Have a glimpse on the nature of Chinhae, S. Korea
October 28th, 2009 at 6:04 am
Gorgeous colors!!! These photos are super fantastic.
My Outdoor Wednesday is a “Lethal Beauty”. Come by and see if you will….
Click HERE
October 28th, 2009 at 7:43 am
Wow! what great pictures! Those mums are gorgeous and so is the cornucopia. Thanks for soup recipe; love pumpkin! Happy REDnesday!
Blessings,
Sandi
October 28th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Wow…such pretty pictures of fall. Thank you for the soup recipe. Looks super.
October 28th, 2009 at 9:08 am
That photo is amazing! I have never seen anything like it. And the pumpkins are huge!
October 28th, 2009 at 9:43 am
I love the pumpkin cornucopia! There is just something about the pop of color in a whiskey barrel. My mom has one in her yard also.
Thank you for sharing your photos with us.
~ Tracy
October 28th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Hi Girlfriend…
How are you doing today? I loved getting to see the photo of your mama…she’s just as pretty as her beautiful barrel of red mums!!! You know…I think mums will always come back the next year but I sure didn’t know that petunias would! I’ve never had any luck with them doing that! But I agree, someone…sometime…planted petunias in that big ol’ whiskey barrel! Girl, I just love that humongous cornucopia with all of those darling pumpkins! Wouldn’t you just love to have one of those in the front yard? Hehe! I sure would! It would be interesting to see how they made it.
Thank you, for including your recipe “how to’s” for pureeing pumpkin! I agree, anything made with fresh puree is so much better than the store bought canned stuff! Hmm…speaking of canned…wonder why you couldn’t can pumpkin puree? We can everything else like that! Strange! Well my friend, have a wonderful Wednesday!
Warmest wishes,
Chari @Happy To Design
October 28th, 2009 at 10:07 am
I love the cornucopia with the pumpkins! I went to Silver Dollar City many years ago with my children. Great post.
October 28th, 2009 at 10:35 am
What wonderful photos and they’re all perfect for Outdoor Wednesday. That cornucopia is the largest I have ever seen. Have a great day.
October 28th, 2009 at 11:17 am
GREAT!!! photos, the flowers are so beautiful.
Your recipe for pumpkin soup sounds wonderful.
Geri
October 28th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Your Mom’s photos are so great!!!
October 28th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
the pictures are beautiful and seem to scream out autumn.
October 28th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
You cooker-type people are amazing to me!
You spend all day cresting a work of love just to have it devoured!
That’s love!
Pretty blog! I won’t eat it! 🙂
October 28th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Wow! That cornucopia is huge! Those mums are big too! Hope you are having a great Outdoor Wednesday!
October 28th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
The mums are bright and cheerful.
We enjoyed Silver Dollar City while on vacation to Branson. We enjoyed the whole trip! It might have been one of those once in a life time places to visit, though;[ I would love to go often.
The recipe sounds yummy! Thanks:)
October 28th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Great photos! Your mom’s flowers are lovely. I’ve had mums come back, but I had no idea that petunias would. Certainly none that we’ve every planted here, but perhaps it’s too hot/dry? Love the cornucopia full of pumpkins, what a great picture. Happy Outdoor Wednesday!
October 29th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
OMG! That’s a bunch of pumpkins:) I could use some of those around my house since the groundhog ate all of mine!!! Thanks for the link up to Crock Pot Wednesday. I think we are all thinking pumpkin foods these days. I just love it.