I was combing the farmers market a few weeks ago and spied some of the most beautiful pumpkins. One of the vendors commented on how much her husband loved a pie made out of these particular blue pumpkins, Jarrahadale (I just call them BLUE pumpkins :-).  So I bought a blue pumpkin and then a small regular pie pumpkin. 

The inside of the blue is a gorgeous orange.  After I cut open the pumpkin I just put it on a cookie sheet and baked about 30 min. in the oven to soften the meat.  I did the pie pumpkin the same way and then ran each “brand” of pumpkin through the food processor to make the mash.  I bagged them in 2 cup increments, which is usually what a pie calls for, and froze them for later. 

Then I had a FABULOUS idea!  How ’bout a PUMPKIN PIE PARTY where the guests each bring a pie made with different types of pumpkin.  This is what we did…..same crust, same pie plate, same recipe (oops, we used duck eggs and I bet no one else did!), DIFFERENT pumpkin. 

We had the blue pumpkin (the darkest brown in color), the regular orange pie pumpkin (light orange), the Libby’s canned pumpkin (far back) and then we threw in a frozen pie for real taste comparison (FYI-Marie Calendar’s).

We did some very serious tasting :-)  Whipped cream was NOT allowed until we had tasted the raw pumpkin pie.  We tagged each pie with a color tab and then put that same color tab on each plate on each piece.

Lots of discussion went into each taste……

And after all the tasting, cussing and discussing, we arrived at a majority answer to our question….

What IS the best pumpkin for the ultimate Pumpkin Pie??

Canned Libby’s won!  We all decided it might be because our generation is used to the canned product.  We thought that the Libby’s had the best texture and flavor of them all.  We did agree that if you didn’t taste them side by side, there might not be much difference.  Sadly, the frozen pie lacked flavor next to the others.  I secretly was hoping frozen might be a contender!

So, next time you’re looking to go all out homemade, save yourself some time and use the can AND the Libby’s recipe!

PS… NO, Libby’s has no idea who I am or where I live and did not pay me for this adventure  ;-)

Have you ever thought about EATING a duck egg? I don’t think most people do. When I tell folks that I have ducks in my backyard for the eggs, they scrunch up their face and give me that “why would you want to do that?” look. We’ve had 3 more eggs in the yard this last day, therefore, we needed to have the celebratory egg on toast for breakfast.

Very fresh, free-range duck eggs are similar to very fresh free-range chicken eggs, in both appearance and flavor. The yolks are deep orange; the flavor is rich; and fresh eggs “stand up” when cracked into a pan.

Duck eggs have a slightly higher fat content and a bit more cholesterol than chicken eggs. I don’t plan to survive exclusively on eggs, so I don’t see this as a big problem.  One health benefit with duck eggs is that most people who are allergic to chicken eggs are able to eat duck eggs without allergic reactions.  Another recent study found that free-range eggs are much higher in omega-3 fatty acids than eggs from birds raised in confinement.  I’m all about omega-3!

Duck eggs also have more albumen (the protein in the white) than chicken eggs, which gives them more structure when cooked. For this reason, lots of folks really like duck eggs for baking.  The extra protein creates additional loft in cakes.

When fried, duck eggs set up firmer than chicken eggs (especially if they are very fresh). Many people call the result “rubbery” and recommend steam-frying them, but I think this is an exaggeration. I really don’t see much difference.

The shells of duck eggs are thicker than those of chicken eggs, which makes them harder to crack. I was used to cracking eggs on the flat counter to prevent bits of shell getting into the egg, but I’m going back to using the edge of a bowl.

Now, if you really want the nitty gritty, check out the nutrition comparison of a duck egg versus a chicken egg.  The flavor of a duck only varies slightly from a chicken egg.  They are rich, and their flavor is a bit darker than that of chicken eggs. That’s the best I can describe it and I think they are pretty darn yummy!

When it’s all said and done, what I have in the end is one damn ugly fried egg on toast.  It ain’t pretty, but it sure is good!  AND, I know where it came from…..

 That not so pretty hen, sitting outside, chomping on a  TOMATO PLANT!!!!!!!!  AHHHHH!!  Gotta run!

Nowadays, almost every town has a local farmer’s market. If you haven’t visited yours, you must put it at the top of your “things to do” list. I hardly ever miss a Saturday morning market in Lawrence, Kansas. We left for TEXAS yesterday to help our baby move to grad school, but first we had to make her last run through the market. And for some reason it isn’t complete unless you take your dog….

And everybody else takes their dog….

And all the dogs meet each other…..

And the smart dogs take their owners…..

Directly to the booth that sells the homemade dog treats, in many tantalizing flavors, of course!

My good friend, Friday, happens to date farmer, Avery.  No matter, I would still think his greens are the best and purdiest at the market.

Then there are the beautiful flowers, everywhere!  Peonies are in season now and I think may be my fav!

There are always musicians about, usually playing some good bluegrass.

OMG, who can resist the homegrown tomatoes that can only be found this early in the season at the market!

Friends Joe and Jenny make fabulous Green Tea and Chai cakes and the best Granola bars you will ever taste.  All vegan, wheat and gluten free. 

Lately, I have heard their bars nicknamed “JenJoeLa”.  They are GGOOOOODDDD!!  Joe is also taking good care of the ducks while we are away, thanks Joe and Jenny!

Finally, if you think you’ve seen all there is to see, try going the next week because you never know who might appear with something that you need SO badly…….like WORM CASTING TEA.  I’ll leave you with that!

Dempsey’s Irish Pub, your one stop bar and burger joint in Lawrence, Kansas!  Great gourmet burgers on the regular menu, but the daily special burgers are fantastic.  My numero uno has to be the kobe burger, no wait…maybe it’s the black and blue burger, or……..maybe the ……DUCK burger (don’t tell you know who!!).

Well who cares, they are all great!  Then there are the fantastic fries…..regular, truffle oil fries (my fav!!), DUCK oil fries and sweet potato fries. 

My big girl, Kendall, shows off her kobe burger with truffle oil fries, yuuummmyyy!!

Check it out if you ever find yourself driving that lovely stretch of I-70 through Kansas, or maybe visiting the Universtiy of Kansas.  It’s just downtown, not too far off the highway on the south end of Vermont Street.  Well worth the stop!

This would be my favorite springtime meal!  And it’s so quick and easy.  It takes just 10 minutes TOTAL time to cook.

                          Start with some fresh caught crappie……or anything else you might be catching.

               The ingredients are simple….. half flour, half corn meal and some salt and pepper in a baggie.

      Heat up some oil in your skillet, I use half olive oil and half canola.  For pure health, use olive oil

          Now, put a bunch of your fish fillets in the bag and coat them (see, your fingers never get dirty!).

                                                                      They should look like this.

Start frying!  I think they cook about 3 or 4 minutes on each side.  Make sure they cook long enough so you can easily turn them over with tongs without breaking into a million pieces.

And while the fish are turning a golden brown, put your fresh picked asparagus into a glass dish and microwave with just a bit ‘o water for about 3 minutes.

                                                                  OMG!  Can you hear them sizzle??

                                                  And look what you have in 8 SHORT MINUTES!

                          Add a pad of butter and a little garlic salt to your asparagus and WA-LAH……

          There’s a PERFECT meal!  Then I started to think, did that really just take 10 minutes???  WELL……

                                                     I guess I didn’t include the afternoon of fishing……..

Or a morning of asparagus picking with my good friend, Henry, and his mom, Maggie.  BUT, I sure had a lot of fun getting my ingredients the good ‘ole fashioned way! (I know my pic is a little large, but Henry is just SO darn cute I wanted to show him off!)

PS.  If you don’t have a pond or lake nearby, don’t fret, fresh/frozen white fish fillets from the grocery will do just fine!

                                                                                                                     ENJOY!

Smack dab in the middle of the state you’ll find the Bunker Hill Cafe in Bunker Hill, Kansas, population 167 (and that might include all dogs and cats :-).

Open for 30 plus years, it’s a favorite for locals and those of us who get there just once in awhile.  The steaks are out of this world and the meal that goes with is fabulous as well.  BUT, don’t be in a hurry because I think they start baking your bread when you order.  And PLEASE make sure to order the twice baked potato because you would be sorry if you didn’t!  My steak is below, a nice 4 oz. You can even get a 2 oz., if you just aren’t that hungry.  No worries, they also have the big ones that are lots of ounces!

It’s not a big place so you might want to make reservations.  Oh, and they are only open Wed. thru Sat. for dinner.    

http://www.bunkerhillcafe.com  For more information and the all important phone number!

So if you are driving that long drive across Kansas and you need to stop right in dead center, pull off I-70 at the Bunker Hill exit and drive north.  Just make sure not to blink because you would surely miss the whole town!  Enjoy!

And not to forget the girls……goodnight!