11.07.2007

Sliced Ginger, Pumpkins and More...

Some days I just love being in the kitchen.
Today I have been chopping and slicing, boiling and baking since eight this morning. And for no other reason save the fact that I thought it would be fun. Plus the kitchen would get all lovely and warm and if you have an ancient drafty house you know how to cherish heat.
Not much cleaning has been done though, so you can imagine my mountain of domestic-ness. I am saving the cleaning for after. After posting. After...well, just after. The cleaning part is my least favorite of the parts.

One part I really enjoy is the food gathering part--the part where say, you might go to the pumpkin patch with good friends and chose a pumpkin...

...bring it home and after enjoying the beauty of it's color and shape for a few days cut it up and bake it...recognizing the smells of the baking pumpkin from years past...
Wash and dry the seeds. Save some for your own garden next year but roast the rest with oil and salt. Yummy! After the pumpkin is all nice and soft you might puree it with a little water into a pretty mash and make muffins with a crispy streusel topping.

Also made today: Homemade ginger ale. Shrimp tortilla soup for tonight's meal. Black beans and rice for tomorrows dinner (we have a crazy rushed day and won't be home til evening tomorrow---unusual for me, this thinking ahead, but I like it!) and cheese and tomato paninis for today's lunch---I added dijon mustard to mine. Oh my, was it good!

Hope you enjoy the recipes!

I am off to clean.....

xoxo,

8 comments:

Unknown said...

i am with you there on the after part.

Julie said...

YUMMO - thos muffins look so good! I enjoyed visiting your blog!

carla said...

I love pumpkin anything! And I also love those rare days when I have the time to spend cooking... making soups and chili and things to freeze for the busy weeks that seem to pile up, one after the next. I agree that the whole cycle of food preparation - starting with the gathering - is just very comforting. I am with you on the cleaning part, though... I'd like to have a "bewitched" nose when it comes to that!

Unknown said...

TRICIA! All I can say is YUMMY girl!

Somehow, I have lost connection with you, and just stumbled upon your site today. I'm so glad I did, as I've been reading and enjoying it this morning!

Hope you are having a happy fall!

~Jes

http://sweetpeas.motime.com

Laura Gunn Studio said...

love the pumpkin ideas! Can you come over and whip all that up for my kids?

Bridgette Guerzon Mills said...

i wish i could join you in the kitchen! I love preparing food- the chopping, the stirring-it's all very meditative for me.

Anonymous said...

Yummy! I am coming to your house! There is something so healing about cooking, baking, chopping, stiring, etc... I find it very grounding. It sounds as if you had a great autumn day!

Amy said...

Shrimp Tortilla soup sounds great!!!
As always, I enjoy seeing your art!
Amy