Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Everything Pumpkin . . .
It's that time of year when the scent of any kind of spice almost instantly has one thinking about pumpkin. Pumpkin pie tops the list of favorites and is super simple to make. In fact, I don't even have to post the recipe because when you buy a can of pumpkin, it always has the recipe listed on the label. There are a lot of variations on the standard pumpkin pie but this one is a keeper. I do get a tiny bit creative with the recipe, however, and have been known to add a smidge of ground cloves, and a couple of tablespoons of brandy to my diviation from the stated recipe.
I did discover that pumpkin can show up in soup. Here is a recipe I'm planning to try in the near future.
Pumpkin Soup
2 cups chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed, and chopped
3/4 cup green onion, finely sliced
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups canned pumpkin
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups half and half milk
Saute the onion, garlic, and green onion in the butter. STir in the broth, pumpkin, parsley, bay leave, salt, curry poweder, and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for approximately 15 minutes, stirring as needed. Remove the bay leaf. Put small portions of the soup in a blender, cover, and blend until smooth. Repeat until all the soup has been done. Returnto the pot, stir in the half and half, and heat thoroughly but do not boil!
Makes about 6 servings.
Ideas . . .
Some spicy croutons would go well with this.
Chopped cilantro sprinkled before serving would be interesting.
Fresh, homemade bread from the oven would never go amiss.
Some tortilla chips on the side would add some crunch.
I did discover that pumpkin can show up in soup. Here is a recipe I'm planning to try in the near future.
Pumpkin Soup
2 cups chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed, and chopped
3/4 cup green onion, finely sliced
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups canned pumpkin
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups half and half milk
Saute the onion, garlic, and green onion in the butter. STir in the broth, pumpkin, parsley, bay leave, salt, curry poweder, and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for approximately 15 minutes, stirring as needed. Remove the bay leaf. Put small portions of the soup in a blender, cover, and blend until smooth. Repeat until all the soup has been done. Returnto the pot, stir in the half and half, and heat thoroughly but do not boil!
Makes about 6 servings.
Ideas . . .
Some spicy croutons would go well with this.
Chopped cilantro sprinkled before serving would be interesting.
Fresh, homemade bread from the oven would never go amiss.
Some tortilla chips on the side would add some crunch.
Bible Instructions . . .
The Bible is always a good place to go and look for an answer to some of our difficult questions of the day.
B=basic
I=instructions
B=before
L=leaving
E=earth
B=basic
I=instructions
B=before
L=leaving
E=earth
Party food - Chili Cheese Fondue!
This is a recipe that usually always appears at any dinner event we have or for parties. It is simple and everyone likes it. I make sure that besides the tortilla chips, I have a large tray of crisp, raw vegetables to dip into the fondue, too.
Chili Cheese Fondue
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tablespoon. butter
1 8-oz. can tomatoes, drained
1 4-ounce can diced, green chili
2 Tablespoon chili sauce
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 lb. processed American cheese cubes
Saute onion in butter in pot. until golden. Add tomatoes and peppers. Mix cornstarch in chili sauce and heat at medium. Add cheese by thirds, stirring well after each addition. Serve with French bread, crackers, tortilla chips, etc.
You can keep it warm for a party buffet in a crock pot.
Chili Cheese Fondue
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tablespoon. butter
1 8-oz. can tomatoes, drained
1 4-ounce can diced, green chili
2 Tablespoon chili sauce
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 lb. processed American cheese cubes
Saute onion in butter in pot. until golden. Add tomatoes and peppers. Mix cornstarch in chili sauce and heat at medium. Add cheese by thirds, stirring well after each addition. Serve with French bread, crackers, tortilla chips, etc.
You can keep it warm for a party buffet in a crock pot.
Nature's beauty . . .
Protests should be better planned . . .
The recent protests in New York on Wall Street and now in Los Angeles need some better information and/or guidence. What strikes me as amusing is the fact that these people are protesting the corporate world, CEO's, and big business. Just watching the news, you see some of them toting a StarBucks cup of coffee (Big Business), talking on cell phones (Various Big Businesses), and working on laptops (really a big business world.) I also heard their big sign is rented from a . . . corporate business.
It seems to me that if you are against something, shouldn't you make the people you deem to be in error 'hurt' by not using their products?
There is a major protest against the banking industry especially over the recent $5 increase in using the ATM, etc. They say they want the government to intervene yet it is legislation by the government that made it necessary for Bank of America and other banks to raise their rates in order to survive. The housing market problem is not the entire fault of the banks, either, as the government wanted everyone who wanted a house to buy, to have that option . . . even if the banks ended up taking bad loans. Now, everyone is paying for that stupidity.
The uninformed protestors have a list of demands. One of them is that all financial obligations be forgiven - credit cards, mortgages, loans . . . They think this will stimulate the economy and increase the job market. How? Many of these people are college educated but don't seem to have a grasp of supply and demand, the market place, free enterpise . . . Very scary that they have the right to vote.
That seems to be the problem with the world today. Everyone wants something for nothing and doesn't seem to be concerned about letting the government step in on various situations. I wonder how they will feel when the government takes over more and more of their freedoms, controls their thinking, and cuts down on their texting and gourmet coffee drinks?
It seems to me that if you are against something, shouldn't you make the people you deem to be in error 'hurt' by not using their products?
There is a major protest against the banking industry especially over the recent $5 increase in using the ATM, etc. They say they want the government to intervene yet it is legislation by the government that made it necessary for Bank of America and other banks to raise their rates in order to survive. The housing market problem is not the entire fault of the banks, either, as the government wanted everyone who wanted a house to buy, to have that option . . . even if the banks ended up taking bad loans. Now, everyone is paying for that stupidity.
The uninformed protestors have a list of demands. One of them is that all financial obligations be forgiven - credit cards, mortgages, loans . . . They think this will stimulate the economy and increase the job market. How? Many of these people are college educated but don't seem to have a grasp of supply and demand, the market place, free enterpise . . . Very scary that they have the right to vote.
That seems to be the problem with the world today. Everyone wants something for nothing and doesn't seem to be concerned about letting the government step in on various situations. I wonder how they will feel when the government takes over more and more of their freedoms, controls their thinking, and cuts down on their texting and gourmet coffee drinks?
Sad dog . . .
My dog did not approve of either the rain, yesterday, or the colder temperatures today. She is a big dog so is only allowed in as far as the inside of the backdoor and she has to stay on her blanket. She didn't do so the first invitation into the house this morning and that is the look I got from her on the right. When she seemed to have realized the errors of her way, she was allowed back in and immediately snuggled into her blanket but continued to try and make me feel guilty about banning her in the first place.
Rosary-Making Day!
I got out my box of supplies, yesterday, and found that I still had plenty of beads. To make it a perfect time to start in with it was the timely delivery of the necessary cord that arrived in the mail. I cut cord, dipped the ends in nail polish to make a workable point to go through the beads, and got started last night while I watched television. I got eight of them done. This morning, I wasn't feeling well so aside from dishes and laundry, I rested and got another seven Rosaries completed. It felt good to be doing it, again, and it was amazing how all the knots and rhythm just came back to me. October is Rosary month so it has been a good time to renew my efforts.
Anyone interested in more information, let me know. I also have a couple of places where you can buy inexpensive and pretty beads to use. I learned a long time ago that it has to keep my interest so I always keep a variety of colors on hand with which to compose Rosaries.
Quotes for Autumn!
Can't let the beginning of a new season go unannounced. Not too much a change in Southern California but we enjoy what colorful leaves we can find and hope the beginnings of brisk weather settle into some holiday chill. I do not want to have to run the air conditioning on Thanksgiving!
Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. ~Albert Camus
For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad. ~Edwin Way Teale
It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life. ~P.D. James
Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter. ~Carol Bishop Hipps
Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot
Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. ~Albert Camus
For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad. ~Edwin Way Teale
It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life. ~P.D. James
Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter. ~Carol Bishop Hipps
Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot
Lentil Soup with Flair
I love soups of all kind and thought this one would make a good edition to most any home menu. I'm thinking it needs a sprinkling of Parmesan before serving!
Lentil Soup with Flair
1 medium, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
Tablespoon of olive oil
3 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
1/4 cup red wine - optional
1 - 14.5 ounce can beef broth
1 cup dried lentils, rinses
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 red pepper (green would work, too!), finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
1 - 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 - 6 ounce can tomato paste
2 cups cooked rice
In a large pot, saute onion and garlic until tender but NOT browned! Add the water/broths, lentils, wine, carrots, pepper and herbs. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for approximately 25 minutes or until lentils are JUST tender.
Stir in the tomato products and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes longer to meld the flavors. Serve in bowls over rice. Remember the garlic bread!
Lentil Soup with Flair
1 medium, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
Tablespoon of olive oil
3 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
1/4 cup red wine - optional
1 - 14.5 ounce can beef broth
1 cup dried lentils, rinses
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 red pepper (green would work, too!), finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
1 - 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 - 6 ounce can tomato paste
2 cups cooked rice
In a large pot, saute onion and garlic until tender but NOT browned! Add the water/broths, lentils, wine, carrots, pepper and herbs. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for approximately 25 minutes or until lentils are JUST tender.
Stir in the tomato products and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes longer to meld the flavors. Serve in bowls over rice. Remember the garlic bread!
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