Some of my favorites. They transport me to a time and place where I couldn't have ever imagined I would arrive here... where I could have ended up in Calgary or Scotland or Tanzania or Greenland... where I might be an artisan bread baker or metro chic indie hipster or seaside-cottage-writer or even a self-sufficient straw-built home gardener. They're my daydreams.... Welcome to "Set Yourself On Fire," the album that became the soundtrack of my undergrad life.
the autumn colors are already here
and we're not impressed, maybe
it was the way we forgot to watch
them gradually when afternoons
were orange and our noses blushed more
red than maples. The poplars are
that impetuous yellow; remember how
you thought they must have been ill-
mannered children in another life? maybe
it was my father who said that. They're
yellow this year and we didn't really notice
them or the purple of sumac or even blue
in the October sky. And yet we knew it was so,
sensed they had arrived, wondered how
cruel nature must be to steal away our hours
and end our afternoons. You keep driving and I
think these things as the yellows quarrel
with purples as children often do.
I know, a weird way to start the day. Since the husband left for the morning for a little duck hunting, I made myself busy with a couple of "chores" for the day - check on the orange slices in the dehydrator (done! check!), use Thanksgiving leftovers to make soup, and use Erin's recipe for cinnamon applesauce ornaments over at Apples for Poppy Anne to prepare for the Christmas tree.
Since it is Wyoming and all, we can pick up Christmas tree permits from the Forest Service for a measly $5 and head out into the foothills of the Wind River Range to pick out our little pine wonder. Or fir. You know, whatever strikes us at the time. And I say little because I mean it.... in a 700 square foot dwelling you can't get too crazy! We will pick one up sometime over the weekend and I am so excited to decorate it with my cinnamon and dried orange slice & clove ornaments. The trick will be to convince our dog that they are NOT treats :)
Now on to the soup -- using the After-Thanksgiving Turkey Soup recipe found here, I jazzed it up a little bit with corn, garlic, green beans, some mashed potatoes, and brown rice and am looking forward to topping it off with some of the cornbread/sausage/apple stuffing from yesterday. If I only could find a good use for all that leftover pumpkin pie...
It's simmering now while the cinnamon ornaments are in the oven... and since the husband just walked in with his first mallard you can imagine that we have a smorgasbord of smells going on at the moment -- I guess it just wouldn't be the holidays without cinnamon, ducks, and soup.
This year the husband and I are celebrating at home - and doing it right! We picked out recipes last night and split up our duties... he's in charge of the turkey (involves an entire bottle of champagne), homemade cranberry sauce, garlicy green beans, and mashed potatoes-- while I'll be doing homemade dinner rolls, traditional pumpkin pie, and an apple/sausage dressing.
We are, on average, recipe-getters from the net. It's easy and relatively fool-proof when you can see reviews and ideas. And yet, we have some really lovely cookbooks. This Thanksgiving I decided that I would capitalize on our recipe resources. I am making the pumpkin pie and dressing a la The Silver Palate, a cookbook I grew up seeing in my mom's cookbook cupboard. Yum -- can't wait to share how it goes!
No matter how you celebrate Thanksgiving ( or did last month!), I hope it's warm, tasty, and filled with laughter!
I have a secret passion... snagging sweet online deals and discounts. From Christmas and Birthday gifts to household supplies and grocery staples-- I find it all. And Since I frequently pass the info along to family and friends, why not here? "Sweetie Pie Deals" is born. Whenever I find a deal so blog-worthy that I can't help myself, be rest assured that I will share it with you :)
For my first deal, I have to let you know that you can receive a FREE Betty Crocker "Let's Bake a Moment" 2010 calendar--complete with recipes-- for signing up for BC e-mails. Simple as that.
Visit the link or click on the photo below and get your calendar!
Looking for a tasty fall treat last week, it occurred to me that I had yet to make anything with pumpkin yet this year! Of course, this might be because I am in total denial that we are more than halfway through November... what happened to August? Arg!
I first made this recipe in grad school when I had a few friends over for a "Pumpkin Fest." And, well, they are irresistible (friends and the cookies)! One of the things my husband might tell you about being married to someone who loves to bake is that the house seems to be constantly filled with delicious-smelling concoctions... not that he's complaining, mind you, but he's used to the whirl of the Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, oven timers going off... it's not really such a momentous occasion when something warm and delectable comes out of the oven around here.
But... behold! Apparently I had never made the iced pumpkin cookies for him before! It was a delightful surprise-- and I was shocked to hear that they are his new favorite. It might not have meant a lot to him, but I was just tickled :) Here's the recipe:
Iced Pumpkin Cookies
You'll Need:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I did mostly wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.
To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.
Apologies, I can't remember where this recipe is from originally-- but I will be sure to give credit where credit is due when I find the source!
I've made some great leaps in getting in gear for the craft fair next Saturday - 9 days and counting! Last night I packaged up 50 packets of herbal bath teas in heat-sealable tea bags--- including a run to the store at 9 pm for Epsom salts--- finished sewing the pieces for 45 baby shoes except for the soles, and hole-punched then tied business cards to 48 shopping bags with raffia. Whew! What happened to the days when staying up until 1 am was easy???
Lucky for me, work today is going to be super fun! We're hosting an event for 40+ kids in an afterschool program and watching a half hour of the BBC's Planet Earth and doing a craft... apple earth printing! Can't wait for this wonderfully fall craftiness!
On a side note, I was watching the clip of Planet Earth this morning on freshwater and was so excited/engaged/emotional when I saw the part on the Mara River and the animals crossing. I've stood there! I breathed there! I saw a monkey climb in a truck and eat my lunch there. I have lived! And since it is the month of thanks, I am SO THANKFUL to know and remember that.
Smiles.
My Sample Apple Earth Print
Me in Lamu (Coastal Island of Kenya)
Note: I do have a photo of me standing at the point
It was unfriendly, to say the least. And, of course, after a week of being out of the office, it was another week and a half before I got back on track!
Luckily, I have been a little crafty lately and have some great upcoming posts:
Tea Cup Candlemaking - Part 2
Beer Bread Recipe
Iced Pumpkin Cookie Recipe
Considering Christmas
Holiday Craft Fair
I registered for a booth at my first craft fair this week -- and have been frantically trying to figure out what to sell, how much, what price, what supplies I need, how I'm going to package and display.... ahh! It's exciting and overwhelming.
I have decided to sell goat milk soaps, bath teas, and baby shoes. The supplies are ordered -- one of the hardest things about living in the middle of nowhere is the ability to mobilize quickly! Almost all supplies have to be purchased online except for fabric. Eeek-- those shipping costs! I will end up with some fun new things --- gingerbread men and embedded rubber duck soaps--- and I can't wait to share it!
