Sort of a Recipe: The Three Oranges
G and I have been bemoaning A's lack of eating quite frequently lately. Unfortunately, our whining is getting us nowhere. So we decided to go covert. The kid likes muffins. So we're starting with muffins and taking baby steps... We also want to get some veggies into the kid. Pumpkin muffins? Maybe mini-chocolate chips to seal the deal? In all honesty, the kid LOVES pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips. So we thought we'd have an easy win.
Enter reality.
2009 witnessed THE GREAT PUMPKIN SHORTAGE. Last summer was cold and wet in the Midwest, resulting in a “catastrophic” pumpkin harvest. Meaning: G scoured our area for pumpkin yesterday and found three cans. What are we to do for pumpkin pudding? Pumpkin muffins? Pumpkin smoothies?!?!
Enter our old friend, the Three Oranges. When A was little, he *loved* carrots, sweet potatoes, and winter squash (butternut , primarily – as I was too lazy to peel acorn squash!). We finally just got to where we mixed them together and prayed that the kid didn’t turn orange.
The recipe, in all honesty, isn’t much of one.
The Three Oranges
2 lbs carrots (washed, ends trimmed)
2-3 lbs sweet potatoes (poked a few times; halved if they are big)
3 lbs butternut squash (cut in half length-wise and seeds and such scraped out)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, line two cookie sheets with foil. Put the carrots, potatoes, and squash on the sheets, and give the squash flesh a quick spray with nonstick spray (like Pam). Toss them in the oven and let them roast. The length of time will depend on the size of your veggies, but give them time to get nice and well-baked (not burned, of course).
Once they are cooked, remove them from the oven and toss the veggies into the refrigerator for about an hour. Peel the sweet potatoes and squash. Cut all the veggies into about 1-inch cubes. Pull out the food processor and put equal-ish amounts of carrots, sweet potatoes and squash in each batch. Puree until no chunks remain (at our house, chunks are BAD – A hates them).
In any case, put the puree into either small containers or ice cube trays and freeze whatever you aren’t going to use immediately. In addition to a handy substitute for pumpkin, we also toss a few cubes into just about everything, especially pasta sauce and fruit breads. Delish! Now, if only A will gain a few pounds!
Enter reality.
2009 witnessed THE GREAT PUMPKIN SHORTAGE. Last summer was cold and wet in the Midwest, resulting in a “catastrophic” pumpkin harvest. Meaning: G scoured our area for pumpkin yesterday and found three cans. What are we to do for pumpkin pudding? Pumpkin muffins? Pumpkin smoothies?!?!
Enter our old friend, the Three Oranges. When A was little, he *loved* carrots, sweet potatoes, and winter squash (butternut , primarily – as I was too lazy to peel acorn squash!). We finally just got to where we mixed them together and prayed that the kid didn’t turn orange.
The recipe, in all honesty, isn’t much of one.
The Three Oranges
2 lbs carrots (washed, ends trimmed)
2-3 lbs sweet potatoes (poked a few times; halved if they are big)
3 lbs butternut squash (cut in half length-wise and seeds and such scraped out)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, line two cookie sheets with foil. Put the carrots, potatoes, and squash on the sheets, and give the squash flesh a quick spray with nonstick spray (like Pam). Toss them in the oven and let them roast. The length of time will depend on the size of your veggies, but give them time to get nice and well-baked (not burned, of course).
Once they are cooked, remove them from the oven and toss the veggies into the refrigerator for about an hour. Peel the sweet potatoes and squash. Cut all the veggies into about 1-inch cubes. Pull out the food processor and put equal-ish amounts of carrots, sweet potatoes and squash in each batch. Puree until no chunks remain (at our house, chunks are BAD – A hates them).
In any case, put the puree into either small containers or ice cube trays and freeze whatever you aren’t going to use immediately. In addition to a handy substitute for pumpkin, we also toss a few cubes into just about everything, especially pasta sauce and fruit breads. Delish! Now, if only A will gain a few pounds!
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