The Great Pumpkin

Happy Halloween everyone!  I hope you all enjoy this time to celebrate with Jack O' Lanterns, Costumes, Candy, and Trick or Treating as well.  I love this time of year, anytime to step out of the ordinary and celebrate the extraordinary actually.  In preparation for a busy afternoon and evening I made some soups: Chicken Matzo Ball and Green Potato.  What could be better to accompany these than some sweet and spicy Pumpkin Bread?

And I had a thought.  Why not combine two of my favorite things from this time of year: Pumpkin and Chai?  Today is just the day to give it a try.  Instead of using the standard spice combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, I'm going to substitute a very spicy Chai blend.

All that's stopping me from this task is waiting on another egg.  Maybe if I bribe the girls with their own pumpkin celebration I'll get that egg earlier??????

 

 Pumpkin Chai Bread

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 3/4 cup sugar OR LESS
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoon chai blend  OR 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) chopped walnuts OR MORE

1 Preheat oven to 350°. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda.
2 Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs,  and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts.
3 Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack.

Can easily double the recipe.

Best Laid Plans

It being Friday (my day off) I was so looking forward to a swim and hunting for costume stuff. After spending half the night coughing I think I'd rather join the pups. They're moving at my speed this morning:

Pepper and Lucy do a take over on the bed

Rest assured there is still time to find the right get up to take up to the Pearl St. Mall.  It's quite a fun time up there this time of year: munchin' parade, decorations, everyone in costume.  Heck that's Boulder on most days.  I even hear that a dance studio is planning on doing a Flash Mob of Thriller tomorrow night.  Being a teen of the '80's I sure hope I catch it.

What are some of your Halloween plans??

Skirting the Issue

I really meant to just post a picture of a sewing project that I somehow managed to squeeze in, but the post title that came to mind brought my attention to the election.  I won't say much, enough has already been said, but I will encourage you all to get out and vote.  It's so important for everyone's voice to be heard.

OK - now I can move forward with some photos of "the skirt."  I saw this flippy corduroy skirt in the Boden Catalogue:

Very cute, rather fun and flirty, but  for $78 bucks before Tax, S/H, tempting, but I don't think so.  Not when I had this little pattern tucked away in the sewing cabinet:

A trip to Joanne's for fabric and I was good to go.  I think it turned out nicely, don't you?

Simplicity 3881

What's keeping you busy these days?

Falling into Autumn

Oh what a busy bee I've been.  So busy I've been neglecting poor Mommy Chicken.  Actually, I think I've been avoiding her.  It's kinda hard to explain, but I find myself slipping into a character of sorts when writing posts about life here in Brigadoon Glen, and it's not as natural to find her voice since we lost our hens in August.  Life is still glorious, but there is a shadow of loss that colors my perception here at home.

So how do I still connect to that Mommy Chicken?  Well, I guess a peek at my little "about me" blurb is a start.  In it I describe life as a caretaker and crafter of a beautiful life.  I still appreciate all the beauty that life offers, but I must admit I'm a bit haunted by it's temporal nature.  However, there's not much to do but press on, so I'm back to share a little of what's been keeping me busy, what's been chasing those ghosts back into the shadows.


We've been blessed with lots and lots of pie pumpkins!  I've been roasting, toasting, baking and freezing.  There has been enough to share with friends and neighbors as well.

I

I've been exploring new ways to keep my water bath busy by canning lots of Bread n' Butter Pickles, Pickled Green Beans, Pickled Peppers, etc. . . all kinds of ways to hold onto Summer's bounty.

And even though we've had our first little bit of snowfall, the raspberries will go on producing through the end of this month.

The fall colors have been wonderful, and I'm so lucky to be able to share them within my updated banner.

I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead of you!

Hold on to what is good, Even if it's a handful of earth.

Hold on to what you believe, Even if it's a tree that stands by itself.

Hold on to what you must do, Even if it's a long way from here.

Hold on to your life, Even if it's easier to let go.

Hold on to my hand, Even if someday I'll be gone away from you.

A Pueblo Indian Prayer