I love a good pumpkin recipe! Who doesn't? In fact, over the years I've posted several of my favorites right here. Today I want to recycle a few of my family's top pumpkin recipes and add a few new ones I've found online and plan to try soon. Enjoy!
Oldies from my archives...
Curried Pumpkin Soup (we're having this tonight!)
New stuff I can't wait to try...
You know, I could go on and on, but I think I'll stop there. Too much of a good thing could leave you feeling poorly.
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Well, as I said, onions were one of my big garden success stories. I didn't plant too few, or too many, they grew well and didn't get any little buggies. I harvested 26 nicely sized medium yellow onions. Of course, then I had to figure out how to store them. Enter Google...
I brushed off most of the dirt, trimmed the root ends to about 1 inch, pulled off lots of the outer shoots, and left them in the sun to dry for a few days. Then I used this tutorial to braid the the onions. It was very simple and makes for a really lovely way to store them.
Don't you think?
Works with Garlic, too!
They'll stay out in the sunshine for a few days longer, then go down in the basement for a while since it's the coolest place in our house.
In a few weeks, when temperatures start to stay low during the day, they'll go into the garage for the winter. The two braids of 13 onions each won't last the whole winter but we'll certainly get to enjoy eating from our garden even as the snow is piling up outside! And that's pretty cool.
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We've started toying around with a new evening ritual: "sleeping potion" before bed.
Can you excavate the desperation out of that statement?
Sometimes we have Nighty Night Tea, which is a mild herbal blend made by Traditional Medicinals especially for children, with milk and honey. But recently we tried something new I learned abut during my Spring Cleanse.
Warm Almond Milk
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
pinch of Cinnamon
I usually stir all the ingrdients together in a small pot with a little spout on the stovetop, but you can also warm it up in the microwave.
Most of the time I buy almond milk at the store but it really is easy to make. Try this recipe or this one or maybe this one or this one is good too. There are a lot of them out there and the main difference is amount of water and the sweetener used, if any. It's all a matter of persoanl taste. I did homemade when I was on my cleanse and it really does taste even better than store bought. Plus, you can use the leftover almond milk in all kinds of tasty baked goods, which many of the links above elaborate on. Despite all that, somehow making almond milk regularly just hasn't made it into my weekly schedule. Maybe this winter.
But here's what I really need to tell you about the new sleeping potion thing...
It works.
I say it isn't really "drugging" them if it's natural, but Stephen pointed out that opium and marijuana are 100% natural, too. So I guess I have to admit it, I'm drugging my children at night. I don't do it every night, just the nights when Mima has taken an afternoon nap or they seem particularly keyed up and we need something a little more ritualistic.
Besides the calming warm blend of milk and spices, you have to sit very still when you're holding a warm mug. This act alone is sometimes all that's necessary to let sleepiness creep up on them.
They also both love to have a scented eye pillow (seen above hanging over Mima's bed rail). It feels good, it smells good, and again, you have to be still to keep it on.
They've co-opted a few really old ones I had that don't have a ton of scent left to them. This fall I'm planning to cut up an old silk dress of mine (a size 2, so it has hung in my closet unmolested for about 10 years now!) and make them their own eye pillows filled with buckwheat, flaxseeds, chamomile and lavender. I think there are also instructions for eye pillows in Amanda Soule's Handmade Home.
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Whether you have your own backyard herb garden or you belong to a CSA, you may end up with more fresh herbs than you know what to do with. I recently had this problem because I got a share from a wonderful organization that provides fresh, as local as possible, affordable produce to people in 13 Western States (Kansas, Oklahoma & Texas are as far East as goes).
Bountiful Baskets is a food co-op that pools contributions to buy high-quality seasonal produce. Each basket costs $15 and it's quite a nice haul--it usually fills a laundry basket, which is what everyone brings with thm to cart home their produce. I recently added-on ($10 extra) an "Herb Pack" to my standard basket and got good a big bunch of each of the following: Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Parsley, Rosemary, Mint, Tarragon, Chives, Sage & a head of garlic. Definitely check them out.
So, back to my advice for when you find yourself up to your ears in herbs. You need to invest about half a day in preserving them. Here's what I did with mine:
1:: Meal Plan
First, I got out the cookbooks and pulled out what herbs I thought I could use in meals over the next week. Parsley, a little thyme, some rosemary, some oregano, and all the basil. I wrapped them loosely in plastic and placed them in the crisper. Except for the parsley, which I trimmed and put it in a small jar of water like fresh cut flowers.
2 :: Make Pesto
I usually do my Big Batch Spinach Pesto recipe, which does call for 2 cups of Basil as well. I've tried it with various rations of spinach to basil and it's always just as good, a little more or less basil-y is fine. But next time I do pesto I'm planning to use Rachel's technique of using a cookie/ice cream scoop to make the individual pesto servings to freeze. Her recipe also uses garlic scapes and looks awesome!
3 :: Make Compound Butters
This is super fancy-schmancy and it will impress people but it is dead easy. Soften a stick of butter, add some fresh chopped herbs. Whip it together with a wooden spoon until it's well-blended. Form it roughly into a log on a piece of wax paper then roll it up. Refrigerate until firm. Like regular butter, you can also freeze these and thaw them when you need them.
4 :: Dry Herbs
You can dry herbs several ways.
Once dry, store the leaves in small glass jars in your cupboard. I save McCormick Spice jars for this and also use 1/2 pint Ball jars.
5 :: Freeze Whole Herbs
Separate herbs into bunches you will use at one time. For instance, if you have a favorite recipe that calls for 6 sprigs of thyme. Place exactly 6 springs of thyme into several individual sandwich or snack bags. Place those bags into a freezer bag labeled Fresh Thyme. Thaw in the fridge. But once they are thawed, take them out, pat dry and wrap in paper towels until needed. Use with a day or two at the most.
6 :: Freeze Chopped Herbs
Clean and chop herbs as if you were going to use them immediately. Place 1 Tbsp of chopped herbs in an ice cube tray and cover with 1 Tbsp of water. Freeze. Pop the cubes out and store them in the freezer in labeled freezer bags. Thaw in a small bowl in the fridge or on the counter and drain before using.
With the half day of preparation I did, we will be using fresh herbs way into the winter months! And if you don't have a garden or belong to a CSA, hit the local farmers market on a day when you know you've got the time to put in this effort. Fresh herbs cost a fortune at the store so stocking up now and preserving them in these ways will really save you money in the coming months.
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In May I did a Ayurvedic Spring Cleanse with our local Yoga Healer. About 100 people participated in the cleanse from all around the country. Most of the support is done online with a chat group, call-in conference calls and videos so look into it if you're interested. Cate is awesome.
For me the cleanse consisted of cutting out caffeine and eating waaaay more veggies than usual over a 2 week period and then drinking nothing but green smoothies, and vegetable juice for 4 days. There was also a big change in self-care--tongue scraping, sinus cleansing, self-massage and yoga. I have to say that it did a lot for my energy level and gave my immune system a nice reboot. I could really tell a difference in how I felt.
Unfortunately, abut a month later I went back on coffee. And again, I could tell a big difference. And it wasn't an "Ahhhhh! Thank God things are back to normal and I have my coffee" kind of difference.
It made me feel awful.
Even so, instead feeling like my relapse was a "bad thing", it's felt more like a gift. It was only going back ON coffee that helped me realize how bad it made me feel. I was so draggy and exhausted in the mornings.
So, I've gone back OFF coffee again and, with the clear comparison under my belt now, I'm planning to stay off it this time. The problem (besides the fact that Stephen did not quit coffee, so there's always a pot on the counter in the morning) has been finding the warm, comfort drink I still crave in the mornings.
And I think I have finally found it.
Chai.
Homemade Chai
6 Cardamom Pods
6 Whole Allspice
1 Whole Cinnamon Bark
1 tsp Whole Black Peppercorns
1 tsp Whole Cloves
1 tsp Fennel Seeds
1 tsp Anise Seeds
1 inch piece of fresh Ginger Root
2 bags of Decaf Black Tea
4 cups water
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp brown sugar, or honey to taste
1) Put all the spices in a mortar and grind them enough to break open the seed pods and peppercorns to release their full flavor.
2) Add the spices to 4 cups of water and bring to boil.
3) Turn off heat, cover and steep for 10 minutes.
4) Put in the 2 tea bags, bring to a boil again.
5) Turn off heat, cover and steep for 5-10 minutes.
6) Strain out the spices and tea bags.
7) Return tea to pot and add 1 cup of milk & 2 Tbsp of brown sugar.
8) Warm back up to almost boiling.
When my chai is finished I pour myself a cup and put the rest in a thermos to have over the morning or take with me. I do also keep a carton of Tazo or Oregon Chai concentrate in the fridge for mornings when I don't have the time or wherewithall to make it homemade.
But trust me, homemade chai is waayyy better than storebought.
It's spicier and less sweet. This brew is flavorful and peppery! You can play with the spices to make this more or less "peppery" if you prefer, but I like it with some kick.
So far, it's the only thing that leaves me quite as satisfied as a nice morning cuppa.
Yep, even without the caffiene. Try it.
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Despite that fact that Idaho has more acreage of Wilderness than any other state besides Alaska, Potatoes are what the state is famous for. Usually anyway, people seem to often confuse Iowa with Idaho. For clarification, Iowa is corn. Idaho is potatoes. See it even says so on our license plates.
And you better believe we planted some.
Sunday, I decided to make Roasted Chicken with Aspaprgus, Potatoes and Lemons for dinner (because it is SO good!). I had everything on hand except for Thyme and Potatoes. So I substitued Rosemary and figured it was time to head out to the garden and dig up some new spuds.
With a little bit of help.
Yes, even after this, I still have about 5 heads of lettuce out there. Sheesh.
As you can see, we planted our Yukon Golds in a half whiskey barrel as suggested in Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children
Jemima really loved digging in the dirt for her little treasures.
And dinner was delish!
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I know the Dog Days of Summer are really howling for many of you. It's hot here too, but nothing to write home about. Houses here don't even have AC because we only go over 90 for about one week a year. But this idea is a little gift to those of you still suffering through 100 degree heat.
When it's super hot and we just don't want to turn on the stove or oven, or I just don't feel like cooking, we have what I have dubbed as "Board Dinner."
A board dinner usually consists ofthe following:
1 meat (usually smoked salmon or trout, but a dry Salami or anything leftover would work too)
2 cheeses (one hard like a nice cheddar, one soft like goat cheese or St. Andre')
2 or 3 fruits (grapes, apple or pear slices, avocado, olives)
1 or 2 finger veggies (broccoil, carrots, blanched haricot vert)
Nuts (pecans or almonds)
A dip or spread (Adriatic Fig Spread is our fav and it's awesome with goat cheese)
Baguette or Crackers or both (melba toasts and mini pumpernickle are nice, too)
A fruit smoothie
I lay everything out on a giant cutting board and we all go after it. It's light and healthy and if I keep a piece of smoked fish in the fridge we usually have everything else on hand so it's perfect for those nights when you just forget to plan anything.
Besides not having a hot kitchen here are a few more awesome things about this easy "meal":
1) It's really easy and to put out for an impromptu get together, but feels sort of fancy.
2) It's a dinner your kids can make for the family 100% on their own.
3) You don't even need silverware.
4) Clean up is super easy. In fact, the kids can do that, too.
5) It's perfect for a night when you are going out somewhere after dinner and need to get going fast after dinner.
6) It will make you feel all Continental. I have a friend who calls this French dinner. It's also similar to a traditional Italian anitpasto plate.
7) It's very light so you won't feel over-stuffed in the hot summer months.
Enjoy and stay cool!
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Personally, I can take or leave meatballs, but as a Mom, I love them. They are easy to prepare in bulk, easy to freeze, easy to thaw, easy to grab and easy to add to pasta on nights when cooking just isn't easy. They are also an easy delivery device for chopped herbs and veggies making them a healthy, homemade addition to pasta night.
We've been making our Turkey Rosemary Mini Meatballs forever and both the kids still love them. But we often have pasta and meatballs with pesto and those meatballs can be a little dry if you aren't thawing them in, or at least eating them with a wetter sauce. So I started trying out some new recipes and this creation is my solution to the dry baked meatball issue.
They are super moist and flavorful and they are our new favorite meatball.
Makes 42 meatballs of about 1 1/2 inch diameter
1 lb ground Turkey
1 egg, beaten
1 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. onion, chopped fine
1/4 c. flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 tsp oregano
salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
Put turkey, egg, 1/2 the bread crumbs, onion, parsley, parmesan & spices into a large mixing bowl and mush it all together with your hands. Try not to forget where you put your wedding ring. Roll out as many 1 1/2 inch meatballs as you can get (about 42-45).
For toddlers make you can make minis, but remember they will cook faster!
Place the other half of the bread crumbs (you can use seasoned crumbs and skip the oregano) in a shallow bowl and roll all the meatballs in it to coat.
Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the meatballs, turning as needed. Then lower the heat, add the broth 1/2 a cup at a time, and cook until the liquid is absorbed--15 minutes or so.
Remove the meatballs to a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess moisture. Add them straight into a pot of sauce or onto a pile of pasta or refrigerate for later.
TO FREEZE: Allow the meatballs to cool completely. Take the plate or baking sheet they are on and pop it in the freezer for about 30 minutes to flash freeze them. This will keep them from sticking together when you put them all in a freezer bag or container together.
TO THAW: Microwave or put them frozen into a pot pasta sauce you are cooking or heating on the stovetop. If you aren't putting them in sauce and don't like nuking food, then thaw them in about a 1/4 cup of chicken broth on the stovetop.
Enjoy!
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Today is brought to you by the color GREEN. Kale and Leeks. Two underused veggies and both packed with all that good stuff you know you should get a little of every day. I've been making these crispy kale and leek snacks for a while now. We all love them...except for Huck. He's my picky eater. Fortunately, he he's been programmed to try one bite of everything and that's good enough for me. Jemima loves them both.
Kale Chips
1/2 a bunch of Kale
1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 350F. Wash and thoroughly dry the kale in a spinner or with a clean dishtowel. Break it into uniform, bite-sized pieces. Toss in a bowl with olive oil. Lay out in a single layer on a baking sheet and cook 15 minutesuntil crispy but not brown.
Salt to taste AFTER cooking! If you salt them before, the salt will draw out moisture and make the kale limp instead of crispy.
Leek Chips
1 or 2 Leeks
1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 250F. Chop off the first 1/4 inch and the dark green ends of the leeks. Slice into 1/4 inch pieces and put in a bowl of cold water. Separate the rings and swish them vigorously to clean out the grit that often gets between the rings of leeks. Strain and dry them (spinner or clean towel). Toss in bowl with Olive Oil then put them in one layer on a baking sheet. Cook for 30 minutes until crisp and golden.
These are really great to have in small bowls on the table when you just want to reach out and grab a little snack. It keeps me out of the potato chip bag!
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Roasted Chicken, Potatoes & Asparagus
This dish was delish. We will be having it weekly while the asparagus is in season. Plus it's easy, though you do have to add the ingredients to the pan at different times over the course of about an hour. But clean-up is fast--1 roasting pan, 1 knife, 1 cutting board. Boom. Done.
1 pound New Potatoes (red or yellow--but I prefer yellow in this)
6 Tbsp Butter, cut into small pieces
1 8-piece cut Chicken
1 bunch of Aspargus, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 Lemon, cut into 8 wedges
6 sprig of Fresh Thyme
Salt & Pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 475F and then do your chopping. Use about a 2-inch deep roasting pan. Place the halved potatoes and half of the butter in the pan and roast for 20 minutes, tossing once.
Pull the pan out and arrange the chicken on top of the potatoes, skin side up. Season with salt & pepper. Roast for another 20 minutes, until the chicken is starting to brown.
Pull the pan out again and toss on the asparagus, lemon wedges and thyme sprigs. Roast for another 5-20 minutes until the asparagus is tender and the chicken juices run clear.
Serve in the pan. Drizzle pan juices on top of each portion.
And really, you can use whatever herb you have fresh. The second time I made this (yes, we've already had it twice!) I didn't have fresh thyme so I used rosemary instead. Every bit as good. It'll really take what ever you have: parsley, sage, rosemary or thyme. Or Oregano.
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