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I have been reading, enjoying, and learning a lot from this site for over a year now. I have been making much of what my family eats from scratch, and we enjoy it so much - it tastes so much better than from a box. However, we have a few recipes that are favorites that rely on a cake mix - how can I adapt it to "from scratch" cooking. Here is the recipe I am talking about:
Pumpkin Delight
1 box yellow cake mix (reserve one cup of mix for topping)
1 egg
1/3 melted butter
Mix - and press into 9x13 pan.
1 lg. can pumpkin puree
2/3 c. evaporated milk
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
Mix and pour over base.
1 cup reserved cake mix
1/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. melted butter
1/2 c. coconut (opt.)
Mix and drop over the top of filling.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Serve with whipped topping.

Is there a way to adapt this kind of recipe?
Thanks!
Erin Hibshman

I am planning on baking an apple pie this week. Some recipe calls for shortening, like Alton Brown's. However, I prefer to use butter only when making the base and crust because shortening is often made with partially hydrogenated oil, which is unhealthy. Can I substitute the same amount of butter for shortening? Does that usually work when making baked goods, like biscuits or pocket pies? Thanks very much!

I just checked on my winter squashes in my cold storage room and most of them are getting moldy on the top! :-(

Can I salvage them by cutting off the bad spots and freezing them? I thought winter squash was supposed to last the whole winter?

Erin - how funny! I make an almost identical recipe, and I did already adapt it so that it wouldn't need a cake mix. I love this cake. The recipe I posted is made in little individual crumb cakes but there's no reason why you couldn't bake it in a larger pan. Here's the recipe:

Pumpkin Crumb Cakes

I like the idea of adding coconut to the topping; I've never tried that.

Thanks for the recipe - I think it's nearly identical to what I have made in the past. I will have to try it and compare! Thanks again!

@ spossberg: Are the stems on the squashes cut very short? That might have created an "open wound" and exposed them to faster decomposition. If they're salvageable I'd cut, boil, and freeze them.

Here's my question...

I rarely eat meat and consequently can't cook it to save my life, but when a friend offered me a leg of lamb from their farm I couldn't say no! I know I can roast it dry with some garlic cloves slipped inside, but beyond that I'm kind of stumped. I have visions of lamb curry and shepherd's pie, but every time I peek at it in the freezer I lose my nerve and use one of my trusty vegetarian recipes instead.

Any advice for a novice?

Can I make yogurt with soy milk?

I am expecting 20 for Thanksgiving this year. Any tips on keeping mashed potatoes warm? I'd like to make them ahead of time if possible.

@JuniperGreen,

A whole leg of lamb can be intimidating--if you are wanting to do something other than a roast, the trickiest part will be cutting the meat from the bone. You would have to carefully use a boning knife (skinny, pointy and sharp) to whittle the meat from the bone. After that, you can chop the meat up however you like and use for stew, curry, etc. You may want to check out youtube to see if there are any videos for "boning" a leg of lamb.

@kari-anne,

you could do a couple of things:

1. put the mash into thick oven safe container and put some butter on top, put a piece of waxed paper on top, then wrap in foil and keep in a low oven.

2. make a steamtable or bain marie on your stovetop. This would be a pot of simmering water into which you would place your smaller pot of mash into. Cover the top with plastic wrap.

3. Make the mash so that it is ready just before everyone sits down--you could give yourself a little more time by setting the finished mash on a warming tray like this:
http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=100305&CCAID=FROOGLE100305 (there are some more basic ones too).

Crock pot to the rescue for the mashed potatoes. I have used it for mashed potatoes and also for my mashed sweet potato casserole with good results!

My dad always makes mashed potatoes the day before a big family dinner. He whips them up, puts them in the fridge, and then heats them in the oven with butter on top after the turkey has come out of the oven. They are always moist and delicious. (but that might have to do with the amount of butter and sour cream he puts in them!)

As for me, I've been baking up a storm this past weekend. I tried a new recipe for a Herb Batter bread. It turned out really moist with a small crumb. We ate it with spaghetti for dinner, and the next morning we cooked up some savoury french toast.
I've been experimenting with the No-Knead bread as well. Adding 1/3 or 2/3 whole wheat flour into the mix. I find the 30% whole wheat ratio works quite well, though the dough does not rise as much as it does with all white flour.
I've also left it to rise for more than 24 hours. I find the flavour to be a lot stronger when it has risen for 36 hours.

Do you think I could take other artisan bread recipes (i'm thinking from Local Breads) and bake them in a dutch oven with the same crust results as No Knead? I'd love to try the Local Bread recipes, but I haven't found an affordable rectangular baking stone yet.

revolution9, I bake my sourdough bread in my dutch oven all the time. I don't have to mess with creating steam, and the crust comes out beautiful. I used to shape them into boules to fit better in the pot, but I don't always want a round loaf, so I started making smaller batards--it works great! Sometimes the ends get a little smooshed, but I don't mind. It's just for me and my friends.

Thanks sjbreeze! I'll have to try that out!
Mmmm, on these cool nights, I like nothing more than hot bread with butter. Yum!

After being inspired from some other posts about limiting waste, I've decided to challenge myself this week. I'm only cooking meals using items in my freezer, pantry, and fridge. I haven't been to the grocery store in 2 weeks (that is very unusual for me because I normally go several times a week).

Anyway, we've had some delicious meals and have saved a ton of money! Thankfully I still have tons of fresh & frozen veggies from my grandmother's garden as well as eggs from her chickens.

I do need your help though-- I have a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts to use up. I was thinking of Indian butter chicken, but I don't have any rice to go with it. What are some other sides that would complement the dish?

What was with the "Cassoulet Forever" sign(s) in Times Square last night? 3rd-party candidate?

I've been making bread- any ideas for how it should be best stored? Mostly it's been the no-knead type, which has worked out fabulous. But the only way I really have to store it is a ziploc bag, which makes the crust soft. What's the best way to store homemade bread so it will last the longest and remain closest to the original? And it needs to not cost $100! Any ideas?

Tiffany95, I've been using a perforated plastic bag from a bakery. Sometimes I just wrap the bread in a thin towel and cover the cut end with plastic wrap. The best thing is something that protects the bread but still allows it to breathe.

There are some good ideas in this thread too: How Do I Store Bread?

I store my sourdough bread cut side down on the counter, covered with a towel. It can sit out for up to 5 days without drying out much. However, breads made with commercial yeast dry out much quicker and are better stored wrapped in foil.

However you choose to store it, you can easily recrisp the loaf if necessary. Just rub the crust with wet hands and put in the 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.

crockpot recipes please!! indian food or asian!! spicy!

I would love to see a week's worth of dinner recipes, but the cheapest dinners possible. Oh but did I mention they need to still be delicious?

Recession recipes?

I would love to have a week's worth... or 5 weeknight's worth and to shop for all those recipes and see how cheap I could actually make everything. I feed a family of 5 and I'm totally overwhelmed lately at how much I pay for fresh fish or meat... I need something cheaper than starting out with $15 worth of protein every night of the week.

Suewanda, I tried salt port (inspired by yesterday's post) last night, and it was really good - I used a 2 pound bag of red beans (it didn't look like a lot in the bag, but once they cooked they filled my dutch oven) that was $5 and 1/3 of a package of salt pork that was $2. I used homegrown herbs, brown sugar, and 2 brown onions. I pre-packed lunches for the rest of the week, froze 8 cups (!!) of cooked beans, and have enough for dinner for a few nights.