Thursday, October 22, 2009

Menu planning

I've started working on next week's menu and shopping list. During the summer, we shop on Fridays after my hubby gets off work so that our cupboards are full for weekend cooking. Now that sundown is earlier, we shop on Sundays. I prefer early mornings but sometimes we don't make it out the door until the afternoon.

Next week, I want to try Baked Chimichangas. I'm still pushing myself to try at least one new recipe each week. The ingredients in our chimichangas might be a bit different than the recipe calls for but the actual cooking process is new to me.

I'm also researching pumpkins. I'm trying to determine if the regular pumpkins available in stores right now are recommended for cooking. According to most websites I've visited, those pumpkins aren't that good for cooking because they aren't as sweet and the texture is rougher than cooking pumpkins. If that's the case, now I have to determine where to buy cooking pumpkins. So far, all I've seen are pumpkins for carving.

I want to make pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie... the list is extensive. I love fall and all the seasonal flavors. I just have to figure out where I can the pumpkin and how I cook it! Anyone know where I can get a cooking pumpkin?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure where to get a cooking pumpkin but my hubby grew a bunch or jack-o-lantern pumpkins and they do work ok. I have made pumpkin butter just like you would make apple butter! Try this site for more info. I found it very helpful.
http://www.pickyourown.org/statelist.htm

Happy cooking!

Lynsye Louise said...

the smaller, but not tiny, pumpkins are good for cooking. they are darker orange and have less texture to them and usually have shorter stumps because their vines grow in a more straightforward fashion. they are sweeter and have more flavor. I found some at walmart for my classroom (the big ones wouldn't fit in my windowsill) and the grocery stores sometimes have them, but not for long. good luck finding them!

h2ovapor said...

Sounds like you're going to have lots of fun with your pumpkin recipes. I can't wait to see pictures & here your updates on how they turn out :)