This week, I’m sharing what I did with my extra pumpkin from carving this year. I roasted the seeds and with the pulp and flesh, I made treats for the doggos! Pumpkin is shown to help when your dog has diarrhea and constipation, plus most puppers I have encountered really love pumpkin!
Here is how I prep and keep the pumpkin ready to go for future use!
Step 1: Separate your pumpkin pulp and seeds.
Step 2: Using your blender, puree the pulp.
Step 3: Freeze your puree into small containers. I used candy molds and ice cube trays!
Step 4: After your puree is frozen, remove and place into air tight containers to prevent freezer burn and other smells and foods from permeating your doggo treats! I used the food saver to vacuum-seal the pumpkin into smaller portions so I could store a majority in the deep freezer.
Note: To remove my puree, I quickly ran the candy molds under hot water. For the ice cube tray, I placed in a small amount of warm water to help the puree slip out!
Pumpkin seeds are absolutely Keto, if they fit into your macros. Like with most things in life, if you eat a moderate amount of seeds, that can easily give you a good crunchy snack. 1oz, or 85 seeds still have 10 net carbs, so take that into consideration! When carving pumpkins, I save the innards and use for multiple purposes.
Step 2: Rinse your seeds. Place on a tray, and let dry over night.
Step 3: Preheat over 400F. Place your seeds in a bowl; coat in a little oil and salt. You want the seeds all lightly coated. If in doubt, use less salt. This crazy chick has learned a little salt goes a LONG way. For about 2 cups of seeds, you will want about a tablespoon of salt and two tablespoons of olive oil.
Step 4: Spread seeds onto a baking sheet. When over reaches 400F, place your tray in the oven. Toast for about 10 minutes, flip your seeds and toast for another 10 minutes. Oven times may vary based on your over temperature and the moisture in the seeds. Seeds are done when they are a nice golden tint!
This week has been crazy! No keto post this week because…..
I bought an RV!
I bought an RV!
There was some water damage, so I tore out the carpet and flooring and removed the rotted wood.
Removing all of the damage!
I redid the joists, insulation, and flooring.
The “storage” that was under the couch is actually not to be accessed.
Stuff!
The board that was on here was very flimsy, so I cut 2x4s and made a frame, and then reinforced this area.
Much more sturdy and still accessible!
Then I started to prime! It was pretty late at this point and moths stick really well to wet paint, so I called it a day. I also have tons of homework to do so a break was needed!
This week, I’m hoping to get the paint done and the floor in!
Making homemade laundry detergent is incredible simple and will save you money and help avoid some harsh chemicals. So – here is how to make homemade laundry detergent!
Ingredients:
Castile Soap (e.g. Dr. Bronner’s or Kirks)
Washing Soda
Borax
Step 1: Grind your soap. You can use a food processor, a cheese grater, a hammer and rage; whatever you chose to get your soap into even sized bits.
Step 2: Mix your ingredients. Ratios are 1 cup of washing soda: 1 cup of borax : 1 bar of soap.
Directions for use: Use 2 teaspoons to 1/4 cup of detergent per load, depending on load size.
• 1 cup skinless almonds OR 1/2 cup apricot/cherry/peach/nectarine/plum pits, roasted and cracked (roasted is VERY important) • 8 oz vodka / rum (at least 40% or 80 proof)
Note: If using fresh blueberries, more vodka needs to be added as the moisture in fresh fruit will lower the proof of the alcohol. There is a chance of the pectin being activated at this point of adding more alcohol and making a fruit extract sludge. Therefore, most extractors will tell you to use dehydrated fruit.
Place the fenugreek seeds in a non-reactive frying pan. Stir and toss regularly for even heating. Do not let the seeds brown, or the resulting extract will take on a acidic flavor.
Put the seeds into an herb grinder while they are still warm. This helps release essential oils in the seeds that provide more flavor! You want a consistency similar to drop coffee grounds.
Warm the vodka with the vanilla bean. Use the lowest setting on your stove to avoid boiling. Put the seeds into a glass jar, then add the liquid so that it covered the ground seeds completely. Place lid on container.
Put the closed bottle in an area that remains cool and dark. Shake daily for three to four weeks. Strain. Return the clarified extract to the bottle. Use as desired.
Note: Vanilla extract will be ready in at least 3 months. You can keep the beans and alcohol mixture indefinitely – just continue to add more beans and vodka on occasion.
Today included several projects, but one was homegrown, homemade sauerkraut! We planted the cabbage a few months ago, and considering it is our first year growing cabbage, it has done surprisingly well.
We freshly harvested the cabbage today, and rinsed the leaves. I pulled them apart and made sure to clean thoroughly between each leaf. After cleaning the leaves, I stacked them and julienned the leaves (cut in long strips).
After cutting the cabbage, I put into a large bowl. You will want to then sprinkle in 1.5 tsp of salt onto your cabbage. Then gently caress your cabbage leaves until the water (or brine) begins to leave the cabbage.
My cabbage took about 10 minutes of caressing to expel a good amount of water. You will then put your cabbage into a mason jar, and let it ferment! It’s only going to take a few days for your sauerkraut to ferment and become delicious, but longer is okay! You want to keep your cabbage submerged to prevent it from spoiling. You can purchase a weight to place inside of your mason jar, however, I place a plastic bag into the mason jar, and fill it with water. This acts as a reusable weight that doesn’t require additional storage! Once the cabbage looks like sauerkraut, remove the bag, remove any funk on top, put a lid on, and stick in your fridge to enjoy with grilled bratwurst!
NOTE: I clean the plastic bag and reuse it many times!
Be sure to “burp” your fermenting items, and if your container is close to full, I recommend placing a cloth underneath of it for quick clean up in case of any spillage.
There you have it! I will be sure to update in a few days with my yummy sauerkraut!
