halloween's over...

now what? i'm not thinking about any other holidays just yet. i want to stay in the moment of fall & fun & spooky goodness; or denial, denial, denial.

besides catching every “shout out to scary movie” marathons on the tele, i've been in the kitchen savoring october smells. my favorite ingredient...pumpkin!

did you save your seeds after carving your jack o' lanterns? we did. this super easy & healthy snack goes like this...
separate seeds from pulp
clean seeds & spread onto a cookie sheet
i sprinkled mine with cinnamon & sugar & baked at 350* for 25 minutes (flipping/moving seeds around at 10 minutes in)

 



the possibilities are endless. make them plain, sweet, salty (sea salt, perhaps) or any spice, usa; even toss them in something fun like taco seasoning...could be interesting.

holy pulp...what do i do with you?

 

i've never made a pumpkin bread before, so that's exactly what transpired today. i found a great recipe & had all but one teensy teaspoon of baking soda (which i borrowed from my pops)

i crossed my fingers & got to baking.

2 stick(s) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing pans-only i just used my standby non-stick baking spray
2.5 cup(s) all-purpose flour (plus a bit for dusting pans)
1 cup(s) light-brown sugar
1 cup(s) granulated sugar
2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
2 teaspoon(s) cinnamon
.75 teaspoon(s) ground cloves
2 cup(s) grated pumpkin (use a small-holed grater)
3 large eggs
.5 cup(s) buttermilk
1.5 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

does anyone else have these extra pats of butter in their fridge?

 



i was just shy a couple of tablespoons (thank goodness, the boys decided to get pancakes Saturday morning) oh, & i totally lied about other ingredients…i never have buttermilk, but i used the ole 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon vinegar (or lemon juice) let stand 10 minutes before incorporating into your recipe.

oh, yea…back to the bread…

preheat oven to 350°f. butter and flour two 9- by 5-inch loaf pans or two 8-inch cake pans and set aside. combine flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in a large bowl. add grated pumpkin and toss. whisk eggs, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl and stir into dry ingredients. transfer to prepared pans and bake on middle shelf of oven until a wooden skewer inserted into center of bread tests clean, about 35 minutes. (mine seemed "done" closer to 40-45 minutes) cool in pans on a wire rack. run a knife around edges to release bread from pans.

 



i definitely think you folks should try these two yummies out if it sounds good to you. actually, pumpkins have dropped in price already & may make for an inexpensive welcome to november in these next few day.

i’m sad to see it go, but i hope everyone had a wonderful halloween!

his & hers anniversary...

last week the hubs & i celebrated our wedding anniversary...13 years, or lucky 13 as we have coined it. someone asked me if it really felt like that long, to which i delicately responded "hell yea!" juuust kidding, i truly have found my very best friend ever. it's kind of cool...his sanity gets stronger as mine continues to have peaks & valleys. but, at the end of the day, we keep each other pretty balanced.

naturally, it was no national holiday & we still had to commence to work & school. some funny cards were exchanged tuesday night & i was gifted some gorgeous earrings...now, we would just have to wait until the weekend to do it up "date night" style. the hubs had made reservations at one of our very favorite fine dining spots, so the whole rest of the week was spent daydreaming about what would truly be a yummilicious meal!

saturday night (after the hubs spent a remainder of the day addressing chicken coop escape routes), we set off to solstice kitchen, located in the sparkleberry part of columbia. i have never been disappointed by the service or food, but for some reason, this meal was so much better than i had remembered. like, freaking crazy delicious! after a bellini cocktail & calamari appetizer, i would single handedly engulf the best salmon dish of my life. i was tempted to lick the bowl that it was presented in, but then came to my senses...i do possess some etiquette about me.

coriander-ginger roasted salmon...green apple chutney, zinfandel-marsala reduction, sweet potato-georgia pecan "hash," sauteed spinach...i know, right?!



once dinner was devoured, we drove back over to our side of town to grab a beer at the local british pub; then retired home early to watch a movie on our comfy couch! (this is how we "party" sans monkey...ha!)

the next day, still starry-eyed from dinner, we had a few hours to chill & go through the motions of sleeping in & sipping coffee...which is always a special occasion in itself. the monkey had given strict instructions on a 3:30 pick up time from memaw's house (lawd...that child, that child)

the hubs is always talking about me joining him on a trip to the shooting range. i don't exactly like guns, per se, but i felt that as a nod to him, i'd give it an old fashioned go. he was very thorough about explaining rules & ways of handling & clips & safeties & all that other jazz that i have no clue about. i was a bit anxious about this experience, but heck, i'll try anything once!

can i just say, i was absolutely...terrified!! omg, there were loud noises going off everywhere; those big honking ear phone muff thingys only slightly muffled the ka-pows going on. i jumped every single time. i cried a little. i shot the 9mm like 3 or 4 times...the other big, long one (rifle?) a few more than that. whoa, not my new hobby...no ma'am. but, now i can appreciate it...i guess. & it's something the hubs enjoys & he was pleased that i at least went to see what it was all about. (thank goodness, that's over. more validation that i'm a lover, not a fighter!) after the fact, it's quite comical, but at the time...a super-sized om & a woosah!

do i look put together? cause i was shaking like a leaf!!



 

i'm pretty sure that this is what marriage is all about. looking forward to good times, food, & spirits together, taking an interest in the other's likings, & having stories & inside jokes to share for a lifetime (boy, do we have some good ones!).

overall, it was a his & hers & ours wonderful time. it's been quite a ride so far (18 years all together), & i can hardly wait for many more adventures!

**for a treat to your taste buds (while in the columbia, sc area) check out solsticekitchen.com. have little ones? they occasionally offer a "babysitter's night!" is that cool or what?!

comfort food...

this could mean a variety of things to many people, moods, & preferences. for me, today, it was an "om" moment & end to a wild & unruly day.

not even 8:30 this morning & the neighbor text me "are your chicks supposed to be out?" my half full cup of coffee would suddenly be in competition with the laps around the yard, hollering at the beagle dog, & near panic attack i was encountering (yes, i said hollering...i'm southern, y'all) anyhoot, after that fiasco, my morning proceeded to go downhill. who's the guy that turned everything to gold with a single touch...midas? yea, i was the opposite of him! just my whole body, mind, spirit, & voice was exhausted, worn out, & hoarse...all before lunchtime. (this week had been so amazing up until this point. what the heck happened?)

i have to admit, my one constant when i'm fighting off the negative voojoos of the universe is food...as bad as that sounds. i totally eat my feelings, hence the comfort part.

today i really needed something creamy or cheesy...a dip & chips...something warm & savory. i checked out the pantry to see what loveliness i could whip up. i saw a can of crabmeat. eureka! crab dip. i've never actually made crab dip before, but i do love it. a little bit of this, a block of that...here's what i came up with:

nonstick pan lightly coated with cooking spray (it's non fat, ladies...wink)
about 1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (real or imitation) 6 oz crabmeat (i used the bumblebee brand pink crabmeat)
1 8 oz block neufchâtel cheese softened (or cream cheese)
1 10 oz can rotel, drained (hot with habanero)
worcestershire sauce

after the raw onion starts to sauté a tad, add the next 3 ingredients & marry together until everything is nice & creamy. stir in a few healthy drizzles of worcestershire. but wait, there's more...

pour the mix into a small baking dish. on top, add a mixture of panko & grated parmesan, a sprinkle of monterrey jack shredded cheese, & a few jalapeño peppers. bake 10 minutes at 350* or until cheese is melted.

a warm, yummy end to a most wonky day. clearly the kitchen gods were looking out for me, at least!

try it out if you have no crabby dip recipe yet & experiment to your own taste buds. as always, i never really measure, but you folks get the gist, yes?!

ah, comforting...i see some artichoke in the next batch...mmm! cheers to a much better tomorrow!

my little soapbox...

*disclaimer: i wouldn’t dare try to impose my personal opinions on anyone or attempt to sway them to follow “my way” or arrogantly boast my beliefs. but, you see, that’s the beauty of where i live…freedom of speech & expression, right?!*

"history will repeat itself, for it is the doom of man that he forgets" (churchill?) this was often quoted by my middle school history teacher (er, coach), 20 some odd years ago, & i'm not sure why i always remembered this, but it's very true. if only to have witnessed it in my lifetime alone, even though it profoundly precedes my generation. (scary, huh?!) but, it got me thinking, & maybe that's one of the reasons why i took an interest in history, politics, government. (& all things; victories & missteps alike, that foreshadow the future of our country.)

i've never much considered any political stance based on a straight ticket party. i've always found a common bond with the person that was campaigning for the job (i know, how weird am i?) how will this candidate affect my life; my surroundings, my needs? the very first election that i was able to vote, oh my goodness, was super exciting. i was well read on the issues & ready to consummate my adulthood; my citizenship. my opinion counts, dammit...i still believe this. every vote counts!

it was the clinton era! (roll your eyes if you must, but i, to this day, revere this man & find him genius.) the years would follow & even more, i would become engaged in what was manifesting around me. my one would become two, & then a little one would enter the picture. what's the most socially, environmentally, economically, & educationally sound choice for our family? who cares about us? these are the things i would concentrate on. granted, you have to break a couple of eggheads to make an omelette (is that how it goes?) i still continued to make it on election day with baby monkey in tow. & although i adore the hubs & we are almost always on the same page, i would feel (& he agrees) lost as a citizen & an american (as dreadfully cheesy as that sounds) if i solely relied on his npr loving-msn reading-"man of the house" point of view. our household doesn't work that way. i am fortunate to know & love a man who respects me as an equal. albeit, goofball, i am actually a lot smarter than folks give me credit or even realize. & now, as i grow even older, i choose to act for those who are no longer here on this earth, but would be glad that i spoke for them...hmm, these are the thoughts that motivate my voice.

now, i won't say who i am voting for, but i will give you a hint. i've decided to vote for the candidate who DOES NOT dismiss...women; with thoughts, expression, & intellect, animals, big bird, tree huggers, tree planters, love, "gays", the homeless, the poor (semi, demi, paycheck to paycheck, robbers of peter to pay paul), middle class (is that not essentially the majority? just saying) mimes, wounded (mentally & physically) soldiers, minorities, the elderly, peace makers, liberal arts, immigrants (who built this country, no?), shared opportunities for every person, health care, the thought of life in the 21st century, hope, perseverance, separation of church & state, religious freedom. (okay, so i may have gotten carried away...he may actually be freaked out a bit by mimes.) but, yea, that guy!

i genuinely still think choosing the best person is important versus labeling oneself to a particular party. am i still left of center...yes. but does the world & social issues & needs change? most definitely. for example, my grandfather was a die hard democrat until the day he died...straight ticket all the way. of course, he came from a time when basically, democrats were "republicans" & republicans were...wait for it..."democrats!" but, really, who was gonna argue with a man who survived ww2? (or, not to discredit, was raised in a slavery loving rural south who hosted dixie/democrats at the local baptist church?) see, the times are constantly changing.

& no matter who you vote for, please vote. it counts. read, pay attention, find out exactly what suits your situation now & 10-20 years from now (because one single person cannot totally fix a decade of work that waits for them before even entering office) don't be intimidated & don't feel like you can't make a difference! see you at the polls, folks!!