Pumpkins

I'm gona start off with a recipe perfect for now:

Best Baked Mini-Pumpkins

Cut off the caps, scrape out seeds, season, re-cap, and bake. That’s all it takes to give each diner a yummy little pumpkin, custom-flavored. Bake while you roast some meat or vegetables, or both! Or, for an all veggie meal, serve with braised greens and toasty baked grains. Make sure you cook dull skinned (not shiny coating like the supermarkets do just for decoration!). As the Cinderella coaches bake, natural oils surface and they turn as glossy and bright as painted and shellacked decorations.
For Each Serving:
1 mini pumpkin
pinch of ground coriander, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, or garam masala or big pinch of dried savory, sage, or thyme, crumbled to powder
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1 teaspoon butter or nut oil
1 Tablespoon prune, apple, cranberry, or orange juice
1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
1. Set oven to 350 degrees to 375 degrees. With sturdy sharp knife, cut a square (or 5-6 sided ) cap around pumpkin stem, poking into the heart of the squash to cut the fibers. Pry out the cap. With melon ball cutter or grapefruit spoon, scoop out and scrape interior to remove all seeds and fibers. Trim fibers from cap.
2. Sprinkle spice (or herbs), salt, and pepper inside and tap to distribute. Add butter, juice, and sweetening. Set cap back in opening, but do not press in fully (or it may slip inside). Place in baking dish.
3. Bake until creamy-soft inside, about 30 minutes for small squash, 45 minutes for larger ones. Test with knife tip - it should slide through easily. Let stand 15 to 60 minutes, as convenient.
I just realized I never posted about the opening of HOME GOODS.... When I was there they had some fabulous pumpkins and fall deocorations! I didn't get any, tho'.
I just realized I never posted the opening of Home Goods.
It was great!
They had lots and lots of fall and Halloween decorations.... But I didn't get any.....What's wrong with me..... But today, I'm in a fall mood. Except for pumpkins and Thanksgiving Fall isn't a favorite season for me.
I've never wanted to go see the changing leaves.... It just means winter is on the way and I don't care for temps low enough in areas where they really change.
But I really do love pumpkins!!!
Looks at these KNUCKLEHEAD PUMPKINS.... I kinda like 'em.

 These are pretty terrific... Even tho' I'm not sure they're real.
If they are, that's a lot more work than I'm willing to tackle.

 These are Fall Leaves for me! A favorite sugar cookie recipe and mingled fall colors of dough.

 I wish these people were my neighbors!

How about a nice recipe?

Cinderella Pumpkin Soup

4 cups cooked pumpkin


2 cups chopped onions


4 Tablespoons olive oil


4 cloves garlic


4 cups chicken broth


2 cups white wine freshly ground pepper


kosher or sea salt


1 cup heavy cream (special occasion) OR 1 cup milk (weeknight dinner)


Optional garnishes:


grated nutmeg


chopped crystallized ginger


croutons or


freshly popped popcorn


Lightly brown onions with the olive oil in a thick-bottomed soup pot. Add garlic and cook until it softens but doesn't brown, about 1-2 minutes. Add the pumpkin, broth, and wine, stirring to blend. Add S & P. Cook for 30 minutes or so over medium heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Puree soup. Serve hot with 2-3 T cream in each bowl. Garnish as desired. Serves 8, or 4 with yummy leftovers.


 Can you imagine? I believe these are studs all pushed into the pumpkins. I love them!

 And maybe the simplest way to decorate your pumpkins..... Stencils. These are great, too!

 I do love pumpkins ! ! !

So Sad!!!

I wish I had some photos to post and I almost took some thru the windows at HOME GOODS yesterday morning about 7:50 while I was down there, having gotten ready for Sunday School and Church early so I could do the GRAND OPENING only to findout that they have postponed the GRAND OPENING to NEXT Sunday!!!!
There were PLENTY of FANTASTIC things I could see as I pressed my nose up against the windows! :(
It's gona be so good but I'm very disappointed! Woe is me....... But the anticipation grows!

My sister, Carol, in Alaska sent me another box of homemade jellies and goodies. These are a few....

My favorite's the Rose Petal Jelly. Iggie's is the Fireweed Jelly.

She sent some Nutty Rhubarb Hot Fudge Sauce. Haven't tried it, yet.

Some Rhubarb Butter as well as several other yummies.

 I decided I needed something fresh and hot to go with my Rose Petal ..... So, I made some Orange Cranberry Muffins....................

 To make it all better I grilled the muffins in butter (naughty, naughty!).

 Made myself a cup of hot Black Current Decaf Tea.

Now that's me being good to me!

Some of my goodies were made by Carol's friend, Margaret...... Margaret is the daughter of a gentleman, Mr. Johnson, who Carol used to take care of before Carol had her transplants.
Margaret and her husband, Leroi, were driving from their home near Anchorage to the Denver for their son's graduation from medical school this past weekend when they hit a patch of ice and had a terrible accident. Margaret's injuries were minor but Leroi was killed immediatly.
Please keep Margaret, her family and their friends in your prayers.
These people have been so kind and loving to my family.
This is so sad!