Did you know Illinois is the #1 pumpkin producing state in the US?
It is now pumpkin season and that means all the local pumpkin patches are open for business as of this weekend! My family is going for our annual birthday party for my niece to the local patch and I am ready! I love the season and all it brings. The food, the weather, the colors, it's all wonderful! I am going to give you an overview of 5 local pumpkin patches within 2 hours from Springfield where you can take your family or go visit on your own.
1. Bomke's Patch: located at 605 Country Lake Rd. Springfield IL 62711 217-670-2470
Admission for Bomke's for kids under 2 is free, ages 3-65 are $8, and 65+ and military are $6. Bomke's was started as a Christmas Tree farm in 2002 and in 2011 they opened their pumpkin patch. They have 13 acres with over 50 varieties of pumpkins. You can choose to pick your own or choose from a selection of pre-picked options.
Activities offered include: a play area, corn maze, bean maze, wagon ride, petting zoo, and food truck. Plus, some unique activities like a pumpkin cannon (5$), barnyard bath, and new this year bocci ball! You can feed the animals at the petting zoo for 1$ per cup.
Pumpkin Creek farmstead is opened all week (Mon-Thurs 10-5, Fri-Sat 10-6, and Sun 12-6). They also offer a season pass for $22- or single-day tickets for $8, $6 for 65+ and $6 Mon-Thurs.
Pumpkin Creek has been operating for 10 seasons and offers a variety of activities like a play area, petting zoo, corn maze, U-pick, hayrides, country store, and food. This is one of my family's annual places to visit. I especially love the petting zoo with their chickens and highland cows and the apple cider donuts and apple cider slushie! Unique things that they offer are the Haystack Mountain, and new for this year: tug of war, tetherball, and a new game called the rat race.
Open Saturday and Sunday through October 29th- cost is $7 per kid for barnyard admittance, and adults are free unless wanting to go on a wagon ride for $3.
Indian Creek Farmstead is on 120+ acres and includes over 70 varieties of pumpkins. The property includes 4 buildings (barn, granary, shoppe, and memory barn) some of which are historical. You have an opportunity to see and pet animals, see crops in the field, and learn about the foods as well. This is experiencing farm life and the role of agriculture.
The Shoppe includes a food area including a vintage ice cream shoppe. I am very excited to check this out this season and this pumpkin patch has a lot of event space available for special events.
They also have a play area, wagon rides, and a safe alternative to a corn maze using MILO/ Sorghum instead of corn stalks.
Free admission and free parking and current hours are Mon-Sat 9-am-6pm and Sunday 11am-6pm. They instead charge per activity instead of a base admission price.
Free activities include a toddler area and petting zoo. They also include horse drawn carriage rides on Sundays in September and weekends in October for 5 Tokens. There is a restaurant called the Flying Monkey Cafe open 8/26-10/31 from 11am-2pm daily. There is also a store where you can find items like produce, apple products, and unique items.
The farm was founded in 1873 by the Curtis family and has gone through many changes since then. They started the orchard in 1977 and opened to the public in 1980, when a bad hailstorm prompted them to start making Apple Cider. Since then, it has been an award-winning favorite. The orchard still is a family run business today and is one of the area's most popular spots for Agricultural Tourism.
Open until 10/29, beginning 9/20. Wed-Sun 9-6. Weekday tickets for adults $7, 60+ $5, child 6-12 $5, under 5 free. Weekend tickets for adults $11, 60+ $7, child 6-12 $7, under 5 free. Season pass available for $22.
The patch is located on over 200 acres and includes over 300 varieties of pumpkins from 20 different countries. The property was started as a homestead property in 1859 and includes some historical buildings including an old schoolhouse. The family started growing pumpkins in 1989 and opened the pumpkin patch to guests. In 2006, they added the Homestead Bakery offering from-scratch baked goods.
They have a corn maze, wagon rides, pumpkin art (if you have been you know what I mean), trails, photo ops, animals (my favorite is the three little pigs), a bakery, shop, and thousands of pumpkins to see.
Not only is this a great pumpkin patch but you drive through the heart of Amish country to get there so it is an experience not to be missed.
I hope you have a chance to check out one or more of these pumpkin patches and enjoy this wonderful season! I know I plan to check out a couple of them myself! Bring on the apple cider donuts, pumpkin bread, and apple cider slushies!
For my family reunion this weekend, I made one of moms desserts with a twist. A chocolate cake with cherry pie fIlling. The cake was so moist and delicious! It has 1tbsp of almond extract which I love but if you are not a fan of almond extract you could sub vanilla extract.
I also did not make the homemade icing I just used store bought but my tip is to whip your icing with a mixer. It makes it so fluffy and a lot easier to spread. It was the best icing job I have ever done!
I honestly did not know what to expect with this recipe but it turned out so good but not your traditional chocolate cake and it was very easy and quick to make.
Football is in full swing, and I am sure many of you are enjoying game watching, tailgating, or will be attending the Superbowl later in the season. So, what appetizers can you serve that are good and can be eaten with your fingers? Sliders and rolls are great examples of snacks than can be eaten easily and quickly if need be and there are so many variations!
Sliders can be made of burgers, deli meats, or chicken. They also are relatively quick and easy to make.
Hot Italian Sliders
1 pkg Hawaiian sweet rolls
8 TBSP unsalted butter
1/2 TBSP + 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning separated
24 slices deli ham
1 pkg sliced salami
1 pkg sliced pepperoni
8oz sliced roasted red peppers
8 slices of Provolone cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rub 1 TBS soft butter on 9x13 pan and set aside.
Slice the rolls in half and separate the top from the bottom. Place the bottom in the pan.
In a small bowl combine 5 TBSP butter slightly softened and mix in 182 TBSP Italian seasoning and spread on bottom half of rolls.
Top with layer of folded ham, then salami, then pepperoni, then roasted red peppers, remaining ham, and provolone.
Place the top of the rolls over everything.
Melt remaining butter and add in 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning and whisk together.
Pour and spread over the rolls. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
Jalapeno Popper Crescent Rolls
8 oz pepper jack shredded
8oz cream cheese softened
4 oz diced jalapenos drained
1/2 tsp salt
16 oz of crescent roll dough- 2 cans
1/4 C melted butter
1 tsp garlic powder
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Shred 8oz block of pepper jack cheese add to mixing bowl with the softened cream cheese, diced jalapenos, and salt.
Stir to combine all the ingredients.
Roll out both cans of dough and press the perforations together.
Spread the cheesy jalapeno mixture evenly over the crescent roll dough.
Starting with the short side, roll up each sheet of crescent roll dough tightly over the cheese mixture.
Cut the rolls in 1 in sections with a serrated knife.
Arrange the rolls in a greased 9x13 baking dish.
Combine the melted butter and garlic powder in a small bowl then brush it evenly on top of the rolls.
Place in the oven and bake for 28-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
There are certain popular dishes found at most game day events like loaded potatoes, nachos, dips, etc. What happens when you change it up and try something different? You get a new tasty twist on classic recipes that you can make your own.
Loaded Potato Bites
2 large russet potatoes
1/4 c crumbled bacon
Salt
Cooking oil
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
Optional: sour cream and green onions
Preheat oven to 425.
Slice potatoes into 1/2 in thick medallions
Cover with cooking oil and place on baking sheet. Cover in salt.
Bake for 15 min. Then flip and salt other side and bake for 15 min more.
Remove from oven and top with cheese and bacon. Bake for 5 more min to melt cheese.
Remove and top with sour cream and green onion if desired.
With fall comes tailgating and sports. Food is always a part of the sports experience. Hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, and pretzels are popular. There are a number of recipes that are popular for game day events from tailgating to the Super Bowl. The recipes I am sharing today are all for popular game day foods using Bourbon in the recipes. The alcohol in Bourbon cooks off and the Bourbon gives the recipes a smoky flavor.
Bourbon BBQ Meatballs
Bourbon BBQ Lil Smokies
Bourbon Cider Chicken WingsChicken.
Mix all together and marinate Wings overnight then bake for an hour and a half at 350 degrees. I think this marinade would work better on breaded wings or even popcorn chicken.
Fall has some of the best produce in my opinion. Apples, pumpkins, and peppers oh my! Fall is a great time to try a new recipe or food! Recently, I tried a new way to make sweet potatoes. That was surprisingly easy! It's a time to make great desserts like pumpkin pie and apple pie, baked goods like chocolate chip pumpkin bread, and savory dishes like soups and chili.
Melting Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes sliced in medallions
4 TBSP butter, ghee, or coconut oil melted and cooled
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes in 1 in thick rounds.
Place in a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with butter and toss to coat. Arrange in single layer with 1/2 in between each round. Roast for 20 minutes. Using tongs flip and roast an additional 20 minutes.
Tip: 20 min actually burned mine so I would start with 10 min on each side and go from there.
Pumpkin Pancakes
1 1/4 C flour
2 TBSP light brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 C whole milk
1/3 C canned pumpkin
2 TBSP melted butter
1 large egg
In a large bowl whisk together flour, light brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together milk, pumpkin puree, butter, and egg until combined. Fold pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients and stir until fully incorporated. Avoid over-mixing. Let batter sit for 15 minutes while griddle heats up. Cook over medium heat using 1/4 C of batter per pancake. Cook approx. 3 minutes per side. Serve immediately with butter and syrup. A great addition would be to use cinnamon butter.
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
6 garlic cloves
1/2 C fresh parsley
1 lb dried spaghetti
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 C olive oil
1 TBSP salted butter
1 C parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 3 TBSP Kosher Salt. Stir in the pasta and cook according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, Add the crushed red pepper flakes and garlic and cook until garlic starts to turn golden, be careful not to overcook. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter. Drain the pasta and reserve 1 C of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Turn the heat to medium-high and stir in the cooking water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat to low and add the salt. Cook until reduced by 1/2. Turn off the heat and toss with parsley and shredded parmesan. Serve immediately.
This is one of my favorite pasta dishes. It is so flavorful and so easy to make. Pair with a good wine and some breadsticks and salad for a complete meal. You could even twist this up by adding things like chicken. A couple tips: use a good quaity olive oil and freshly shredded parmesan.
