Cooking Directions

It's pumpkin and squash season in the US. I've been searching for different ways to use the pumpkin I picked up at the store. Last week I cooked my spaghetti squash and froze most of it for future use. This week I've checked out numerous recipes for pumpkin.

I was searching for something that didn't require a ton of sugar or flour...and wasn't pie. Am I the only one who really doesn't care for pie? There's pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin latte, pumpkin butter, pumpkin...

Anyway, the interesting part of recipes picked up on the Internet is the directions. Some leave out temperatures or cooking times like you're just supposed to know. Some list calories per serving--but not what a serving consists of. Some (especially the ones for HUGE quantities) have no suggestions for storing the leftovers. Freeze? Refrigerate? Can?

I suppose that's because no one plans for leftovers anymore. That's the problem when the hunk and I cook...leftovers. Anyone out there have a great pumpkin recipe? I received a wonderful paleo-bread recipe from my friend, Amarinda Jones that I plan to make, but the pumpkin is fairly big so I need two or three recipes before I start cutting it up.

How do you deal with leftovers? Or do you ever have any?

anny

Summer Past

Fall is here. It still looks pretty green except when you walk into a store or mall. Then all you see everywhere is a sea of orange and black. As usual, the retailers are anxious to make as much money on Halloween and other fall activities as possible. Not only is the frost on the pumpkin in some parts of the country, but thousands of pumpkins are ready to be sacrificed in the annual Jack O'Lantern orgy.

Bags of candy corn are piled high. If that's not enough to put you in a sugar coma, there are "individual/bite size" chocolate candy bars in an endless variety. Next to them are big bins of plastic pumpkins in colors never designed by nature.

For some reason fall also kicks off a blast of baking... primarily pumpkin oriented breads, cookies, cakes, puddings, pies. It seems it would be cheaper to buy a pumpkin spice candle or tart and light it, instead. Same scents with none of the calories.

From Mabon (autumnal equinox) to Halloween is one of my favorite times of year--not for the pumpkins though I truly have nothing against them--but because I love the color as the leaves turn and the crisp, scent of winter approaching. Far more than the actual New Year, fall has always signaled a new beginning for me. Perhaps it's because the kids go back to school. Perhaps it's because we take one last fling at the outdoors before we hunker down for the winter.

In any case, I'm looking forward to this fall and winter. Whatever you have planned, I wish the heartiest blessings for you and yours.

anny