Here we go!

Sometimes I really enjoy reading other people's blogs, and I have tried multiple times to find the motivation to make my own, and here we go.

I plan to blog about a few different things... right now baking because I have been doing a lot of that. That, and complaining about being snowed into my Grandma's house, so I think that is what you will be currently observing. I would love feedback, so feel free to leave comments.

I am going to try my darndest to get this set up and get it connected to some other people's blogs in the next few days. It's Christmas Eve, and I am wishing like hell I was in Juneau. C'est la vie.

You should know this about me as a baker:

1. I make modifications all the damn time. I like to use applesauce or yogurt instead of butter and oil, so feel free to switch it back.
2. I always use whole wheat flour, it's the only way I can justify eating it.
3. I try to sneak in more grains/fibers with oatmeal and bran.
4. I have a major sweet tooth, but I don't like things TOO sweet, so I often use way less sugar than called for. I like the sweetness from fruit.
5. I like it spicy. I don't care what it is, I want flavor. I tend to add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and sometimes ginger to all things that I bake, unless the dish is supposed to be savory, then I like garlic and lots of peppers.
6. and in general, I'm not the best at sticking to recipies.

I hope that is all alright.

I have started compiling recipies that I thought I might give as a booklet to some of my family and friends, so I will post one of those recipies right now.

SQUASH APPLE SURPRISE
Why is it a surprise? Because it tastes so damn good.

You can choose the size of your squash and how many apples you want to use depending on how much of this you want to make. If your squash is pretty big, I would use 3 or even 4 apples. I always think: the more the better. You can eat it as dessert, or with a meal, or as I like to eat it: as a meal. I made some last night and it is almost gone and it's not because my grandma pigged out on it. This stuff just disappears.

Ingredients:
1 winter squash (acorn or butternut)
2 or 3 apples - cored and dice (I like to leave skin on)
1 T butter
2 T brown sugar
1 to 4 T chopped walnuts (to your taste)
lots of ground cinnamon
some nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger

Directions:
- Put winter squash in pot of boiling water for 15 minutes. Pull squash out boiling pot. Sterilize apples in boiling water by dipping them into it for 10 sec. each (optional). Pour out boiling water and replace squash into pot covering with cold water, let sit 5 min.
- Peel squash (carrot peeler works). Put apples in large baking dish, about 8x12 or whatever. Cut squash in half and seed. Cube into bite size pieces and add to apples, mix them together.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Liberally sprinkle cinnamon over entire dish (I like to drown mine). Lightly sprinkle nutmeg, cloves and ginger over entire dish
- Chop walnuts and sprinkle evenly over dish
- Evenly spread sugar and butter over dish (if you have time you can cut them together which makes it more even)
- Cook for 50 minutes or so and voila!

Original Recipe:Don’t add any spices except for cinnamon. Microwave with in a bowl covered in plastic wrap with a few holes popped in the top for 7.5 min. Remove plastic and micro another 7.5.