Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Butter

October 27, 2011
Love apple butter? Give Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Butter a try!  It's so easy to make this in your crock pot at home.


Well, 1st grade has been cooking again!  This time, as you've probably already figured out, we made pumpkin butter.  And, oh, was it ever good.

Our vocabulary unit this week was centered around the job of a chef, and included the words 'utensils' and 'ingredients' ... among other words, of course.  I just couldn't resist incorporating a hands-on cooking activity!  And it just so happened that we were also learning about the pumpkin growth life cycle ... ya know, pumpkins start as a seed, then grow into a sprout, which grows into a plant ... remember learning that kind of stuff?

Hmmmm, combine cooking vocabulary with pumpkins?  Could it get any easier??  I mean, really, no challenge at all.  I decided this slow-cooker pumpkin butter would be perfect!

So, my crockpot once again made the journey into school, along with a few other utensils and the ingredients to make this rich, flavorful pumpkin butter.  Then my little helpers and I set about whipping this up.

It's sooooooo easy.  Easy-sneezy, as we'd say in our class.

Put two cans of pumpkin into a slow-cooker and stir in a bunch (quite a big bunch!) of brown sugar ...

In goes the brown sugar

... and some cinnamon and ground cloves.  (Two of my boys did a fantastic job stirring this up.  They really got into it!  Notice the two-handed grips on that spoon??)

In go the spices

Cook it for a while until it's a gorgeous and rich dark brown color ...



... and then slather a big ol' dollop on a biscuit (or other mouth-delivery vehicle of your choice).  We tried it on biscuits and graham crackers, and decided as a class that we liked the biscuit best.  Oh, but rest assured, there was certainly a fair share of us eating it straight up with a spoon!  Fabulously delicious.

Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!


how to make pumpkin butter, pumpkin butter recipe, slow cooker pumpkin butter recipe, crock pot pumpkin butter recipe
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Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Butter

Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Butter

Love apple butter? Give Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Butter a try! It's so easy to make this in your crock pot at home.
Prep time: 5 MCook time: 3 H & 30 MTotal time: 3 H & 35 M

Ingredients:

  • 2 (15 oz.) cans 100% pure pumpkin (about 4 c.)
  • 1 (16 oz.) box light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
  • Dash of salt

Instructions:

  1. Place all ingredients in a slow-cooker; stir until well combined. 
  2. Cook on low heat for 3 to 4 hours. (Alternatively: Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and cook over medium to medium-low heat until thickened and the color is dark brown, stirring occasionally).
  3. Serve warm or cold with graham crackers, chocolate graham crackers, biscuits, English muffins, toast, etc.
Created using The Recipes Generator

14

Corn Pudding from Hilda Crockett's Chesapeake House

October 15, 2011
Creamy & comforting Corn Pudding, straight from Hilda Crockett's Chesapeake House, Tangier Island, Virginia.  It's so easy to make, and sooo good!

Corn Pudding Casserole   www.thekitchenismyplayground.com


Last summer my husband and I took a trip to Tangier Island, Virginia ~ a small historic island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, 12 miles off shore and accessible only by boat or small airplane.  So why am I writing about a summer trip now, in the Fall?  Because I think this corn pudding dish we discovered while there is a perfect Thanksgiving side!  With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I figured now was a great time to share this find.

But before we get to the scrumptious corn pudding, let me tell you a little about this unique and interesting island. 

Corn Pudding Casserole   www.thekitchenismyplayground.com

Approximately 500 people make 0.2 square-mile Tangier Island their home.  There are no cars (well, we saw two), no city sounds, no traffic lights, no rushing around, no chain restaurants.  There are narrow quaint streets, lots of marshes and seagrass, the beautiful sounds of boat engines and waves, a laid-back atmosphere, bicycles and golf carts for transportation, and crabs.  Lots of tasty crabs.  This quiet island is certainly not for everyone.  My husband and I? - we loved it.

To be honest, Mark was immediately comfortable on Tangier, but I was a bit apprehensive at first.  It took me a couple of days to settle into the island way.  But Tangier certainly grew on me.  It's not easy to describe the island, it's people, the Tangier way of life, or exactly why we loved it.  And I'm sure I won't even come close to doing it justice.  But here are a few snippets of Tangier life to give a tiny glimpse into this unique place.

Water & Quiet:
I think these pictures speak for themselves!

Tangier Island, VA

Tangier Island, VA
The beach ... in JULY!!  If you want a private beach, here you go.
How beautiful is that?  And a beach in July with nobody on it?  Not many other places you can find that!

There's an airport on the island, accessible for small aircraft - it's quiet, too.  Have you ever walked to the beach on an airstrip?  Well, Mark and I have!  That's how quiet the airport is.  You simply need just look up in the sky before embarking on your walk to the beach.  All clear?  Then go ahead!


Tangier Island, VA
Our feet on the airstrip, walking back from the beach


Super-Fresh Crab:
Crabbing is the way of life on Tangier.  In fact, Tangier is referred to as the soft shell crab capital of the world.  I had crab in some form or another for every meal while we were on Tangier.  I love crab, and could eat it every day.  I swear I could.

Thanks to Ooker, a local waterman and mayor of Tangier, we had the pleasure of visiting a crab shack and learning about the soft shell crabbing industry.  From what I could tell, being a waterman is tough work, but also a tradition and labor of love for the residents of Tangier.

Tangier Island, VA

Tangier Island, VA
Crab shacks

Tourism:
During the summer, a couple of ferry boats come to the island each day, allowing passengers to explore the island.  The tiny streets would bustle with activity for a few hours each mid-day while these short-time guests visited the island offerings. 

Tangier Island, VA
Ferry coming in

Golf carts (one of the island's modes of transportation) would buzz visitors around ...

Tangier Island, VA
Island transportation

... and then the visitors would board back on their ferry boats and the streets would return to their  'normal' quiet.


Tangier Island, VA
Quiet street

Unique Dialect:
One of the most intriguing experiences on Tangier Island was hearing the unusual accent of the residents. Because of centuries of relative isolation, the islanders still speak in a unique island way that is similar to the speech spoken when Tangier was settled in 1686. The accent is still strong enough that some people are not able to understand everything that is said.  I was one of these people.  After several days on Tangier I was getting much better at conversing with the residents, but I admit that I had to concentrate.  Many videos and documentaries have been made about the island, highlighting the unique island dialect, if you'd like to learn more.


Hilda Crockett's Chesapeake House:
And, finally, let's talk about Hilda Crockett's Chesapeake House, one of the three inns on the island, and the only inn also serving lunch and dinner.  Family-style.  With lots of food.  Yummy home-cooking kinda food. 

Corn Pudding from Hilda Crockett's Chesapeake House   www.thekitchenismyplayground.com

John Crockett settled Tangier island in 1686.  Many of the inhabitants still have the surname Crockett - and I can only assume Hilda Crockett was descended from the island founder.  Hilda Crockett's Chesapeake House was started in 1939 by Hilda herself, and is now run by Denny and Glenna Crockett.

Thankfully, Hilda Crockett's Chesapeake House is willing to share it's recipes.  And, as you know if you're a frequent reader of this blog, I am a totally-obsessed recipe collector!  So, naturally, I gathered all the recipes I could while visiting Tangier.  I've made many of the dishes I learned about during our visit, and Hilda Crockett's Corn Pudding is one of my favorites.  I hope you enjoy it's smooth-and-creamy, sweet-and-tasty deliciousness as much as I do!  Thank you to Hilda and her family for graciously sharing her wonderfully scrumptious recipe.

(Visit Wikipedia to read more about Tangier Island.)

Check out these other super tasty corn dishes:
Corn Pudding from Hilda Crockett's Chesapeake House   www.thekitchenismyplayground.com
Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!


corn pudding recipe, corn casserole recipe, Thanksgiving side dishes
Side Dishes
Yield: 8-10 Servings

Corn Pudding from Hilda Crockett's Chesapeake House

Creamy & comforting Corn Pudding, straight from Hilda Crockett's Chesapeake House, Tangier Island, Virginia. It's so easy to make, and sooo good!
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 H & 10 M

ingredients:

  • 3 T. cornstarch
  • 1/2 to 3/4 c. granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 (14.75 oz.) can cream style corn
  • 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 T. butter, cut in small pieces

instructions:

How to cook Corn Pudding from Hilda Crockett's Chesapeake House

  1. In a bowl, combine the cornstarch, sugar, and salt with a whisk. Add eggs and beat well. Add corn and evaporated milk; mix well.
  2. Pour into a greased 1-1/2 quart casserole dish. Dot with butter pieces.
  3. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour, until set and golden brown.
Created using The Recipes Generator


You might also like these other scrumptious side dish recipes: 

Butternut Squash Gratin   www.thekitchenismyplayground.com

Classic Pineapple Casserole   www.thekitchenismyplayground.com

Cauliflower {Just Like} Loaded Baked Potato Casserole   www.thekitchenismyplayground.com

Baked Acorn Squash with Maple Glaze   www.thekitchenismyplayground.com

5-Cheese Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese   www.thekitchenismyplayground.com


Classic Corn Pudding ~ This creamy comfort food casserole is sooo good, & so easy to make! A perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, Easter or any everyday dinner. #cornpudding #corncasserole  www.thekitchenismyplayground.com


26

Slow Cooker Applesauce ~ so easy 1st graders can make it!

October 10, 2011
Slow Cooker Applesauce ~ Making fresh applesauce in the slow-cooker is so easy, even a 1st grader can do it!  And it's oh so yummy, too.
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Slow Cooker Applesauce image


Yes, this slow-cooker apple sauce is so easy, 1st graders could make it.

In fact, 1st graders did make it!

Well, except for the cutting-up-the-apples part - that part should be (and was) handled by an adult.  But don't let the ease of this slow cooker applesauce recipe fool you into thinking it isn't delicious.  It's absolutely delicious!  Just ask my first graders ... and me.

9

German Chocolate Chip Cookies

October 2, 2011
German Chocolate Chip Cookies are loaded with milk chocolate chips, chopped pecans, and coconut.  They bake up soft and tender, and ohhh so good!

German Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut and Pecans Image
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