Baking with Pumpkin & a Fly trap

No, I'm not baking with a fly trap...lol   Two separate things, but it got you wondering ..hey?

I have been baking with pumpkin today...I said that I had to get some baking done. When I woke this morning I found it was raining outside...there goes my plans for planting....so I did the next best thing to gardening....Baking!!!!

I was given two large Pumpkins and a Marrow two weeks ago....so knowing they are there, waiting for me...I thought I better use up some of the stock of mashed pumpkin I have in my freezer...
When I cut a pumpkin I steam the rest of the pumpkin and put 1 cup of mash in each press-seal bag.(which I wash and re-use). I use the sandwich size...last time I did this...I put away 12 bags of pumpkin...they stack neat in the freezer and are defrosted in a few minutes because I keep them all nice and flat while they freeze. I also do this with bananas...(when they were cheaper)...before the floods.

So first in the oven was the Pumpkin bread loaf...but as I want these for work and school snacks...I used my trusty mini loaf pans...

Made 15 with 1/3 cup of mix in each pan

 Then I made the Mini Pumpkin Mufffins recipe....but last time I made these, they were disappearing 4 or 5 at a time, so now I will try this size....and "No, you can't have two" is what I am saying now...

Made 23 with 1/2 cup of mix in each pan

Then I added more heat to the oven and cooked a batch of Pumpkin Scones...They are just so light and yummy....DS16 walked n the door from school...and raced to the kitchen with his nose in the air..yelling, "I can smell scones....., Where are they, Can I have one?"  Such exciting, It makes me feel good.

Made 14 scones.

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While browsing through some more blogs today...I came across an ingenious way to get rid of those little fruit bugs that can hang around in your kitchen...Err...maybe I left a bowl of food scraps on the bench uncovered,  which attracted them and now I can't seem to get rid of them.....

I even resorted to spraying fly-spray, which I hate using....and they just relocated to the other end of the kitchen....I have a sticky strip hanging for flys...they can land on that and still take off....and yes...it's still sticky.

These little creatures have been annoying me for two days now...

.It's time for them to leave...The holiday is over!!!

So I say a huge thank-you to Lindsey Evans at Passionate Home Making for sharing the idea of how to trap them.

Here is a photo of the finished trap...I also added some yeast too.

Apple Cider Vinegar,
a few pieces of Banana (I only had dehydrated Banana)
and a teaspoon of yeast.

Too easy, and its working already. Yayyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SCONE RECIPES - DIFFERENT VARIETIES

PLAIN SCONES – ALWAYS DOUBLE THE RECIPE, to fill the tray

2 Cups Self Raising Flour                     
1 tblspn butter
¼ tspn salt                                           
¾ cup milk

Set oven to 200oC.
Rub butter into flour and salt until texture of bread crumbs
Mix milk into flour quickly with the blade of a knife. Don’t over mix and discard excess flour in bowl.
Roll out to 1 inch thickness, cut into rounds.
Glaze with milk.
Place in oven for 10 minutes or until golden.


SAVOURY SCONES

1 pkt French Onion Soup Mix                
1 cup milk
3 cups Self Raising Flour                      
1 tspn baking powder
2 oz butter                                           
1 egg
2 tblspns chopped parsley                   
1 tblspn dried mixed herbs

Put onion mix and milk in a bowl and let soak for 15 minutes.
Sift flour and baking powder into mixing bowl.
Rub butter into flour until it resembles bread crumbs.
Make a well in centre, add slightly beaten egg, parsley and onion mixture.
Mix into a soft dough with a knife blade, knead lightly on floured board.
Pat dough out into 1 inch thickness. Cut into rounds with an upside down drinking glass.
Put on lightly greased tray and bake in a very hot oven of 200 oC for about 12 minutes.


LEMONADE SCONES

4 cups Self Raising Flour                      
300ml tub thickened cream
1 cup lemonade (cheapest)                   
¼ cup milk

Sift flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add thickened cream and lemonade.
Stir gently with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a soft, sticky dough.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Dust with extra flour and knead gently until smooth.
Gently roll dough until 1 inch thick, using an upside down drinking glass, cut rounds from dough and place on an oven tray lined with baking paper.
Cook in a hot oven 200oC for about 12 minutes, or until lightly golden and cooked through.

PUMPKIN SCONES

2 cups Self Raising Flour                      
1 cup mashed cooked cooled pumpkin
½ tspn salt                                           
30g butter
¼ cup caster sugar                               
1 egg
Extra milk for glazing

Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Rub in butter, add pumpkin, sugar and egg. Mix into a dough, and knead with a little extra flour. Pat dough to 1 inch thickness and cut into rounds.
Place on a greased tray brush with milk and bake in a very hot oven 200oC for about 15 to 20 minutes.