Five My Favorite Pumpkin Recipes

October and November ALL about pumpkin. For the last several of falls, I had pumpkin overload. There were pumpkin smoothie, pumpkin latte, pumpkin doughnuts, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin rice pudding etc… I pretty much tasted EVERYTHING in pumpkin flavored….


This fall, I try not get into "pumpkin coma". I will control myself to only limit to these following five recipes 

When I cook pumpkin, I like to make my own puree. I never used the canned pumpkin puree, but that would work as well. HERE is a step by step video demonstrates how to make pumpkin puree. It is easier than you think. 

No. 5 Pumpkin Pancakes

The recipe can be found in HERE

I have eaten so many different kinds of pumpkin food, but I never experienced pumpkin pancakes. This is definitely going to my  pumpkin baking list because we all enjoy tender pancakes. This would be a great breakfast in the crispy fall morning. I can't wait to make them. 

No. 4 Pumpkin Cookies 

The recipe can be found in HERE

When I made these cookies with my friends on halloween two years ago, we had marvelous time. The kitchen turned quite a mess. The texture was like a bread rather than cookie. It is not the prettiest cookie, but they do have the yummy fall flavor. 

No. 3 Pumpkin Roll

The recipe can be found in HERE

First time I had pumpkin roll was in Southern Oregon University's dorm cafe. It was SUPER delicious. Then I found it at my local Wal-Mart store, so I let my family taste it, too. They like it as well. I love the cream cheese filling, which is not too sweet. I hope I can make it someday. I never roll cake, and it look challenging. 

No. 2 Pumpkin Bread

The recipe can be found in HERE

Among all my baked goods, my family likes the quick/sweet bread the best. It is perfect warm, sweet, and soft from the oven. We can eat it as breakfast and/or snack. It can also made into the muffins. This year, we gave several pumpkin muffins out. They all wanted the recipe and thought the muffins were the best gift ever.   

No. 1 Pumpkin Pie

The recipe can be found in HERE

My favorite is definitely the PIE!!  It was the first pumpkin treats I had. Before knowing the pie, I did not like pumpkin, so the it opened my taste buds to all the pumpkin world. I was very nervous when I first baked the pie because it sounded difficult. I did not expect it would turn that great. 

What kind of pumpkin do you like the best? Are you going to make pumpkin pie for thanksgiving? 

Zucchini Bread Recipe

Couple of month ago I made Zucchini Bread Bread, and the reaction from my family was unforgettable. When I bake something, they are usually happy to eat; however, this time they LOVED it. I was afraid to make this bread at first because we never cooked zucchini at home before, so I did not expect the it would turnout to be that good. Since I was extremely satisfied with the result, I decide to share the recipe in here. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of oil

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp of pure vanilla extract  

2 cup of shredded raw zucchini

1/2 cup of pecans or walnuts

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 

1 tsp baking of soda

1/4 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp of cinnamon 

1/2 tsp salt

Directions: 

1. Mix oil and two kinds of sugar together

2. Add eggs one at time and then vanilla

3. In another bowl, combine flower, baking soda, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

4. Scoop about half cup of the dry ingredients and incorporate it with nuts. This prevents nuts from sinking down in the bottom while baking.

5. Put zucchini, nuts, and dry ingredients to the oil/sugar/egg/vanilla mixture

6. Preheat oven to 350F

7. Grease 9X5 inch pan with nonstick spray

8. Pour the batter into the pan and drop the pan on the table for several times 

9. Bake for about an hour until a knife inserted center comes out clean

10. Let it cool, then ENJOY!! 

Here is the in side of the bread. Isn't beautiful? 
It was warm, soft, and mildly sweet. Nothing can be more perfect than home made bread just came out from the oven. 

Summer 2013 Part 2: I LOVE LOVE Lakes and Beaches

Besides all the mountains I hiked, I also went several lakes and beaches over the summer. There hiking trails as well. 

Lost Lake: like the name, it is literally Lost Lake. It was hard to find, and it took us forever to arrive to this elegant place. 

Water looked so fresh!! I wondered, I am allowed to drink the water or not. I wanted to swim in there, but sadly, I did not bring my swimming suit, which is a bummer. At least I put my feet in the water for a little bit. 

I did not get to swim in the lake, however, I learned how to row the boat. It is not my first time I rowed the boat, but it is my first I actually learned how to row.

 You can tell I am having fun rowing the boat at the same time, there were some struggles. Finally, being able to row the boat is my another success and accomplish for this summer.

Seaside: Each year, my family tries to make a trip to Seaside at least once. This year we went there twice. 

I admit that I LOVE to play in the water. I can stand going to the beach without getting soaked. 

We found a park called "Ecola State Park" near Seaside this year. It was a great hike a long the beach with all the trees, smell of the ocean, and wind. 

All in all, my summer was filled with sun, water, mountains and trees. Summer in Oregon is glamours!! Thanks mother nature for giving Oregonians a wonderful summer enjoy every year. 

Summer 2013 Part 1: I LOVE LOVE Hiking and Mountains

Well, summer is over. I can't believe it is October!! It is when Fall officially begins. I am sad that the weather is getting cold and days are shorter, but I am so excited to for next few months with holidays. I am looking forward to Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!! Before celebrating all the crazy holidays, I'd like recap my summer. 

I hiked a lot places this summer. We love to go hiking during weekends and we usually do it at Multnomah Fall, Washington Park or Forest Park. During summer we decided to explore several other places and some of them were quite challenging.

For example: Angel's Rest Trail  

The road was difficult due to so many steep route, but there were some easier path to take. The hike was very long. 

However, the view was worth looking at. The day was so lo hot, so I became so sweaty that day. 

Another one was Dog Mountain.

Same as Angel's Rest Trail, it was not an easy hike. There were a lot of stones and bushes to cross over. 

Is it beautiful? Even my legs were sore to death, this scenery made me forget about the pain. 

After hiked those places, Multnomah Falls, Washington Park, and Forest Park Hike are no longer challenging.

So, if you have a chance to come to Oregon, I recommend you to visit Mulnomah Fall, Washington Park, and Forest Park. They are absolutely gorgeous!! If you want more hiking challenging, please make a trip to Angel's Rest and Dog Mountain. 

GRE vs. SAT

Fact: I did NOT like taking standard tests.  

I am sure there are students out there who hate to take them as well. However, every one MUST take it if he/she wants to go to college and/or graduate school. Based from my experience, there some pros and cons about both tests, so not everything is bad . 

GRE
Pros
1. Does not take points off: I felt glad when I heard GRE does not take points for the wrong answers because SAT does. I can guess and mark all the answer spot freely. It is always better with answers than leave at blank. 

2. More flexibility in test dates: GRE are offer ALMOST EVERYDAY throughout the year. I am able to schedule any day I want. It even let people sign up at last minute if it was not busy. 

3. Release the score immediately: I know my raw score right after I finish taking the exam, so I do not have spend weeks waiting and worrying about the result. 

Cons
1. Testing Fee is expensive: Each test costs more than 100 dollars to take it. It is more than twice the price of taking the SAT. 

2. Limited Testing location: The test can be only taken at a Prometric testing center. There are only couple of locations each city, so a lot of people would feel inconvenient. 

3. Previous section affects next section: This might be only me; I did not like the part how my performance from previous section affect next section. GRE also sends score to the Universities directly. 

SAT
Pros
1. Testing Fee is cheaper: SAT is only 50 dollars, so it is more feasible for students who would like to take it multiple times. 

2. Previous section does not affect next section: Each section is independent. I was able to refresh from transitioning to the next section, and I did not have to worry about performance in the previous one. 

3. Convenient testing: The test is offer at ALL high schools, so it is easier to commute. 

Cons
1. Does Take points off: This made me scared of guessing the answer. I was only answered the questions which I was confident with. I hoped all the answers were correct, so no point would been taken off. 

2. Less often offered: SAT is offer only several times in a year, usually once a month. 

3. Take time to know the score: I did not enjoy waiting for test result for several weeks back in high school.  There are also deadlines for application, so students have to schedule the exam date prior to the deadline. 

Fundraising and Bake Sale Tips

Since I was in high school, I liked to participate in a lot of fundrasing activities. My favorite one was Car Wash back then. I loved playing in the water in the hot sun. Now, my favorite is bake sale. I organized a Bake Sale back in January for Relay for Life. It is an annual fundraising event for cancer foundation at my school. Both my Bake Sale and Relay for Life were huge success. I'd like to share the tips I learned from participating those activities. 


1. Have a Crowd of People 

Do you know that crowd attracts crowd? If you have many members in the fundraising team, the chances of raising more money is higher. 

2. Make Everything From Scratch 

No matter if you are going to sell baked goods or other stuff, it is better to make them from scratch. I know it is a lot of work, but it will lower so much cost. (I'd like to thank my two helpers for my bake sale:) 

3. Decorate the Table Nicely

Be creative!! This is another way to attract more customer. There are different kinds decoration sold in various party stores. If you are tight on budget, you can go to Dollar Tree or hand craft the decorations. I feel grateful that I have team members who are talented. 

4. Going Chocolate

Do you know what were the best sellers on the bake sale? I sold four items and the rank would be 1. Brownie 2. Chocolate Dipped Shortbread 3. Chocolate Chip Cookies 4. Sugar Cookies. I was surprised that people LOVE chocolate regardless of their age, gender, and race. 

5. Keep the Price Simple and Low and Give Incentives 

People are short on cash, and I do not recommend using credit card for fundraising events. I made my cookies small enough to price them 25 cents a piece. My incentive was $1 for five pieces in order to attract people to buy more. Sometimes do not even price anything, and"Based on Donation" sign.  

6. Avoid Allergies and Give Vegan and Gluten Free Option 

Please do NOT USE NUTS. I did not put nuts in any of my treats. Not only there are people allergic to nut, but also increase the ingredient cost. I did not do the vegan and gluten free option, but I wish I did. It might cost more money by having the options; however if you have the budget, I recommend you do it. 

7. Doing Something Very Funny

There were some some laughable moments at Relay for Life. One of them was let the men dress like women and ask for money. People choose to donate to their favorite ones. Dressed men compete who can get the most donation. This event made the fundraising process fun and memorable. 

What I LOVE About Summer

You know me now, right? I like to write about what I love about each season. I wrote What I LOVE About Spring, What I LOVE About Winter and What I LOVE About Fall for the past year. Summer is officially began, so it is the perfect time to share my summer favorites. 

1. Sunshine and Beach: Sunshine makes me happy and productive!! I enjoy waking up early and work as I soak the sun. Sunshine also makes everything look beautiful like flowers and trees. I lived in Oregon for the last 11 years, where it rains most of the year, so sunny days are previous for Oregonians. I also enjoy going to the beach because I like to play in the water since I was little. I feel glad that I live in Portland where it is only one and half hour away from the seaside. 

2. Fresh Fruits and Vegetable: Summer is the time of harvest!! There are cherries growing in my backyard and I can make trips to local farm to pick up all the goodies. I tend to eat healthier during summer compare to fall and winter (holidays, you know...) because of the all the fresh produce.  


3. Dress Up for Hot: If you have read my last three posts, I always end the list with dressing up. My mother loves dressing up, so I get it from her. I like the fact that it is very hot outside, so I can wear less in summer, and I can change my cloth quickly. I love wearing simple things such as T-shirt, shorts and skirts everyday. 

After I publish all the wonderfulness in each season, isn't it so hard to decide which season to love the most?