Drum roll please!

And the winner of Dining on a Dime is Mrs. Mecomber at Freaky Frugalite. Mrs. M is one of the busiest blogger type ladies I know. I have such difficulty keeping up with my lonely few blogs, but she has a plethora of blogger venues.  Tawra will be sending the book toMrs. M as soon as I get her address sent.Congratulations Rebecca!

For those of us who did not win, Tawra has an exceptional sale (ends today) on the Dining on a Dime Cookbook and on a set of three great books that includes DoD,  Penny Pinchin’ Mama and  Dig Out of Debt.  I could benefit from all three.

Thank you to everyone who participated. Stay tuned for my 200th post Giveaway…which actually happened several posts ago…but I did not want to run it at the same time as Tawra’s.

Tawra Kellam at Living on a Dime has graciously offered her book, Dining on a Dime, as a great giveaway to kick the year off right. Living on a Dime is having a 50% off sale on all their books and 63% on sets.  Dining On A Dime has never been on sale for more than 25% off so this is a great deal.

I personally have three of the Living on a Dime books and cannot believe the amount of information packed into one book, especially for such a reasonable price.

So here’s the technical stuff.

The contest will run from January 1-7 and is open to United States residents only. Tawra will send the Dining on a Dime book directly to the winner.

Visit the Living on a Dime website at http://www.livingonadime.com/books/nys.html  and take a look at all of the money saving books offered, then come back here and post a comment about your favorite. One first comment entry per person.

Receive a second entry for writing a post on your blog and  include a direct link back to this post, then come back here to let me know by leaving the link in another comment.

You can get a third entry by posting the following widget into the sidebar of your blog.

Hurry! The week will be over before you know it!

♥

To Roast or Not to Roast!

By Tawra Kellam

http://www.LivingOnADime.com/

Peter Piper Picked a Profoundly Plump Pumpkin — Now What does he do with it?

Every fall I get many questions about what to do with pumpkins. Many people find curious fascination in imagining what it would be like to grow these versatile little gems, as if growing something that produces a large fruit is somehow more respectable than growing, say, a serrano pepper. Many people eventually venture into pumpkin experimentation. Some succeed and many fail. Much like a dog that chases a car, many people never give thought to what they would do if they actually succeeded in successfully raising a patch of these fall favorites. Whether you have found yourself with more pumpkins than you know what to do with or you are one of the people who had to buy pumpkins and duct tape them to the vine, these tips for roasting and using pumpkins are sure to help you make the most out of them (no matter how you acquired them)!

How to Roast a Pumpkin

You can only do this with a freshly carved pumpkin! Do not use on a pumpkin that has been

carved and sitting out for several days.

To bake a fresh 6 to 7 pound pumpkin, halve the pumpkin crosswise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Place halves, hollow side down, in a large baking pan covered with aluminum foil and add a little water. Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until fork‑tender. Remove. When cool, scrape pulp from shells and puree, a little at time, in food processor or blender. Mix with a little salt.

To freeze pumpkin puree. Put 1‑2 cups in freezer bags along with spices and use in pies.

To use pumpkin puree for recipes: Line a strainer with a double layer of  cheesecloth or a flour sack dish towel and let the pumpkin sit to drain out the extra moisture BEFORE cooking with it. Pumpkin is very moist, so in order for your recipe to come out correctly, you MUST strain it.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Boil seeds in water for 5 minutes. Drain well.  Sprinkle with salt or seasoned salt. Place a thin layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 250 . Stir after 30 minutes. Bake ½‑1 hour more or until crunchy.

*Squash seeds may also be used.

. Pumpkin Smoothies

½ cup pumpkin

¾ cup milk or vanilla yogurt                       

¼ tsp. cinnamon                                     

1/8 tsp. nutmeg                                               

2 tsp. brown sugar                                      

4 ice cubes

whipped cream (optional)

sprinkles (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into 2-3 glasses. Serve with a small amount of whipped cream on top. You may also add orange sprinkles if you like.  Serves 2-3.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups flour                  

2 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed        

1 Tbsp. baking powder    

1 ¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice        

1 tsp. salt              

½ cup nuts, chopped (optional)

½ cup pumpkin

1 large egg

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1   cups milk 

Combine ingredients. Stir just until moistened; batter may be lumpy. Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat; brush lightly with vegetable oil. Pour ¼ cup batter onto hot griddle; cook until bubbles begin to burst. Turn and continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with Pumpkin Maple Sauce and nuts.

Pumpkin Maple Sauce

1 cup maple syrup             

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

1 ¼ cups pumpkin

Mix together until well blended.

In 5 years, Tawra Kellam and her husband paid off $20,000 personal debt on an average income of $22,000 per year. Tawra is the author of the frugal cookbook Dining On A Dime. Dining On A Dime has over 1200 recipes and tips to help you eat better and spend less. For more free tips and recipes visit her web site at http://www.LivingOnADime.com/.