Up the Water Spout

Yep. This not-so-eensy-weensy spider crawled up the water spout. Outside. Then she laid her eggs and made the egg sack to protect them. She looks exhausted from the chore. Just like Charlotte. I would have freaked if I found this inside my house. But I felt compassion for her outside. Until my daughter-in-law and her friend convinced me that it might be poisonous, given the bright color. Poor Charlotte II then met her fate by my hand. So did her egg sack. I felt mean. I am so sorry.....

Wilbur: I think you're beautiful.

Charlotte: Well, I am pretty. Nearly all spiders are good looking. I'm not as flashy as some, but I'll do.

Saved By the Rain!

Our fuzzy baby ducklings from this spring grew to be a flock of true characters this summer! They waddled around the yard and settled nearby whenever we were working outside. Even if it meant by Darrell's saw as he cut through the pavers for the patio! They quacked and chattered as if in conversation with us. Ping, the pure yellow Indian Runner that I hand-trained to follow my lead, gallantly led the others in and out of their enclosed pen each morning and evening. The pond dried up early on this year and stayed empty, as it was the hottest and driest summer I have ever experienced in the Pacific Northwest! Unfortunately, that left the ducks vulnerable to the wild animals that hunt during the daytime. We lost 5 ducks as they hung out on the lawn, including my dear Ping, to a bobcat during that time frame. I was heartbroken. The rain returned in earnest 2 weeks ago, the pond is filled to overflowing now, and the remaining 7 ducks are now enjoying the safety of the water during the days. After Ping met his fate it took a bit of work and coaxing to train the ducks to return each night to the pen for safety from the raccoons and other nighttime hunters. They seem to have it down pretty well now, and are happy once again :-)

Gift of Friendship

What a fun surprise to find a brown paper-wrapped package in the mailbox on this cold afternoon! The return address told me that it was from my dear friend in California. Not my birthday; too early to be a Christmas gift........ a 'just because' gift!

These are but a few of the wonderful photos contained in this unique cookbook full of different recipes from all cultures around the world! She reads my blog and now thinks I am a gourmet cook! Silly girl! But I will have fun trying out some of the terrific recipes! Bon appetít!

Thank you, my Friend!

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things. ~Author Unknown

Mushrooms: Another New Hobby?

We are stumbling upon so many different varieties of mushrooms in our yard this year! My curiosity has been peaked to the max now, and on my list of things to do is to check out some library books on the subject of identifying the species of the Pacific Northwest.

This one is particularly fascinating!

Never seen anything quite like it!

The cap is shaggy-scaly, a pretty shade of tannish-orange, with delicate black curls on the edge.

It is precariously supported on a tall stalk, yet stands perfectly straight. I tried searching on-line for its name, unsuccessfully. Does anyone know the name of this beauty?

Trying to take over the garden by my greenhouse and now invading my lawn, these mushrooms are a nuisance! The first picture shows them before they burst open; the second shows them having already exploded. When I scoop handfuls of them out of the ground, a copious, fine yellow powder escapes to cover the surrounding 5 foot radius. Probably assuring a heavy crop for next year.......

More newcomers to my yard this year.......... you cannot tell by the photo, but the cap on the middle one is about 3" tall! Pretty interesting!

I hope to be able to report back to you with the names of these and perhaps other mushrooms soon! Meantime, if you recognize any of them, clue me in!

Fantastic Weekend

This past weekend brought my sister and two of her daughters and one granddaughter here for a fun visit! Her daughter Kari (who was here 2 weekends ago with her family) stayed home with the swine flu. The entire family came down with it shortly after their visit here. Jodi also elected to not make the trip from Oregon. Along with my DIL Bethany and friend Krystle, we all busily crafted Christmas cards, tags and gift boxes.

Ginny and Molly

..... my boys, Ryan and Scott, joined us for dinners and some visiting-with-cousins time! And yes, that is Scott you see helping Lela finish a project! Ryan even made a couple of cool items :-)

The star of the weekend was, of course, baby Megan, whose adoption was finalized in the courts on Friday! She is 6 months old now, but Lela and her husband were able to be there for her birth as well as take her home from the hospital!

She has cute little ladybug pajama feet, and the smallest pair of mittens I have ever seen!

There was plenty of time for hugging and kissing on her, as well as enjoying apple cider with some of that delicious pumpkin biscotti :-)

Thanks to all of you for making it a wonderful weekend! That includes my terrific husband who made some fantastic meals for us, and did all of the KP duty to boot!

Chubby Leo

Now that Leo has lost all of his baby stripes, can you see why they call them leopard geckos?

Pumpkin Butter

I love the big orange pumpkin on the front of DeeDee Stovel's Pumpkin Cookbook! This is where I get many of the pumpkin recipes I cook up. I think I have a thing for cooking with pumpkins this fall...... it must be my new comfort food ;-)


Monday night's creation was Pumpkin Butter. Something a bit off the norm to top your toast with, for a break from jam or cinnamon :-)

Very pretty while it is cooking.......

Serve over waffles, pancakes, on toast, oatmeal, yogurt, frozen yogurt, or whatever you please!

Autumn Daze

Colorful vine maple leaves fell in swirling clusters in the storm that visited us this past weekend.


We were doing a bit of yard clean-up, were thoroughly soaked in the pounding rain, yet found it somewhat exhilarating to be out amongst the beauty!

Our Burning Bush, taken 2 weeks ago.

Fall asters grow up by the mower shed.

This bowl is sporting 12 cups of huge, luscious raspberries that I picked on Monday. I find it so odd to be picking the bulk of my raspberries in the fall! Every 2-3 days I go out in the wet and harvest a big bowlful of the red buggers, and it will continue until the first hard frost hits, whenever that may be. One year it wasn't until mid December! Who has some delicious raspberry recipes for me?

Biscotti II

Hazelnut-Pumpkin Biscotti

Iced with Chocolate

I have discovered that the strong taste of hazelnuts is not one of my favorite flavors. Just as well. Have you ever tried removing the skins from the nut meats? A royal hassle. I do hope somebody likes them this weekend, though ;-) The fixer-man that was here today from the pellet stove place liked them well enough!

Sunday Dinner

This is one of the biggest coyotes I have seen in our yard! I climbed out of bed Sunday morning, looked out of the upstairs window to the North, and there he was, big as a German Shepherd, eyeing the chickens that were loose! He had his Sunday dinner out of one of them......... Later in the evening, he sat outside the duck pen and howled up a storm. That's the bobcat's territory, though. Mr. Bobby has had 5 dinners of fresh duck this fall.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Home from church and my husband in the kitchen willingly preparing a nice Sunday dinner, what better time for me to kick around trying out some fun cards and crafts on my new QuicKutz Silhouette Digital Craft Cutter?

Cards

Gift Boxes

Pillow Boxes

Ornaments

Favor Bags

Maybe we can whip us up some of these next weekend, too, when my sister and her girls come up? Maybe a few ideas for some classroom crafts for the teachers in the family? Hmmmm. I had a lazy, good time :-)

Cooking Fresh Pumpkin

Most of the pumpkin recipes I use call for canned unsweetened pumpkin. All that is, is cooked and mashed fresh pumpkin. The easiest way for me to cook a fresh pumpkin that I will be mashing, is to put 1/2 inch or so of water in a baking pan and set the seeded and fiberless pumpkin halves upside down in the pan. Bake at 475 for 20 - 30 minutes, until the pumpkin is nice and soft, easily pierced with a fork. You can also use lower heat and cook longer. Sometimes I do them at 300 for a couple of hours.

Like so. Once they are cooked, scoop out the soft, moist flesh and either mash with a masher, or puree in a food processor. It is then ready to use in your favorite pumpkin recipes that call for canned, unsweetened pumpkin. I do several pumpkins at a time, keeping a ready supply in a tupperware container in my refrigerator. Fresh pumpkin Pie made out of this tastes way better than if you use actual canned pumpkin from the grocery store :-)

So are you ready for a couple more pumpkin recipes?

Pumpkin Pizza with Gorgonzola

Pumpkin Pizza with Gorgonzola

Crust:
1 cup warm water
1 RB active dry yeast
1 TB canola oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

1. Combine the water and yeast in a medium bowl and let them sit until the yeast is dissolved, about 1 minute. Whisk in 1 cup of the flour, the oil, salt and sugar. Continue whisking until the mixture is smooth.

2. With a wooden spoon, stir in another cup of the flour, until flour is thoroughly Incorporated.

3. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup flour on your working surface and scrape the dough onto it. Sprinkle some of the flour onto the dough and knead at least 10 times, until it is soft, smooth and no longer sticky. Cut in half, cover with a clean towel and let it rest 10 minutes.

4. Heat oven to 450 degrees F.


Topping:
4 cups fresh sugar or cheese pumpkin, seeds and fiber removed, peeled and diced
1/3 cups minced shallots
3 TB brown sugar
2 TB olive oil
2 tsp dried, crumbled sage
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin
2 TB cornmeal
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese


5. Toss together the fresh pumpkin, shallots, 1 TB of the sugar, oil, sage, salt and pepper to taste in a roasting pan. Roast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is easily pierced with a fork. Slightly mash the pumpkin and set aside.

6. Raise the oven temperature to 475 degrees F.

7. Mix the canned pumpkin with the remaining 2 TB brown sugar.


8. To assemble pizza, roll out half the dough into a 14-inch circle. Dust a baking sheet with 1 TB of the cornmeal and lift the dough onto the sheet. Crimp the edge to make a small lip. Spread half the canned pumpkin mixture over the top and scatter half the roasted pumpkin on it. Dot with half the Gorgonzola cheese and cook until slightly browned and the cheese is melted.

9. Repeat with the other piece of dough. OR if you are like us and don't need two 14-inch dinner pizzas, cut the Topping recipe in half as you make it. Then just make one pumpkin pizza and either freeze the other half of the dough or do like I did and make a dessert pizza from it. I made mine with butter spread on it and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Yum!

At any rate, once your pumpkin pizza is cooked, slice and eat it! Very different form of pizza, yet tasty. It is perhaps best used as an appetizer, as the taste does not merit the eating of large amounts at one sitting :-)

Chicken-Pumpkin Tacos

For the record, yesterday's recipe post, as well as these next 2 pumpkin recipes, are taken from DeeDee Stovel's book Pumpkin: A Super Food for All 12 Months of the Year. If you like pumpkin, this is a cookbook for you!

Chicken-Pumpkin Tacos

Tacos:
1 TB Canola oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless Chicken breast halves (or tenderloins)
2 red peppers, seeded and chopped
1 lb. (about 2 cups) fresh pumpkin, seeds and fiber removed, peeled and diced
1/4 cup canned (or fresh cooked and mashed) unsweetened pumpkin
1/2 cup canned tomatoes with juice (I used fresh tomatoes plus tomato juice)
2 tsp chili powder
t tsp ground cumin
Dash of hot sauce
1 tsp salt
1 TB freshly squeezed lime juice
1 TB minced cilantro
6 flour tortillas or crisp corn taco shells

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Ann the onion and cook for 3 minutes, or until wilted. Add the chicken and peppers and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in the fresh and canned (mashed) pumpkin, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce and salt. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the chicken is tender and no longer pink, the pumpkin easily pierced with a fork, and the sauce thickens, about 10 - 15 minutes. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it and return to pan. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro and let mixture sit while you warm the tortillas.

On a griddle over medium heat, warm the tortillas for about a minute on each side.


Spoon chicken mixture onto the tortilla and top with any or all of the following toppings:

1/2 cup plain yogurt and 1/4 cup sour cream, mixed together
Grated cheddar or jack cheese
Avocado
Lettuce
Salsa


Fold them in half and consume :-) THEY. ARE. GOOD. !!!! REALLY!

Almond-Pumpkin Biscotti

I have started using my sugar pumpkins from the garden in earnest this week! This is something I baked for the crafting weekend with my sister and nieces and DIL, Bethany. Darrell and I enjoy a snatch of these delicious treats with a hot cup of Mixed Mint Tea, made from my harvest of varied mints.

Almond-Pumpkin Biscotti

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups dark brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin (or freshly cooked)
3 cups flour
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground allspice
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups almonds, coarsely chopped

1. Beat together the butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in the pumpkin.

2. Sift the flour, cinnamon. allspice, baking powder, ginger, salt and nutmeg together and mix into creamed mixture until well mixed. Stir in almonds.

3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

4. Divide dough into 2 equal parts. Turn one out onto floured surface and shape into a 1/2-by-3 inch wide loaf. Repeat with other loaf. (I used a lot of flour on my board and had to work some into the dough, as it was really wet and sticky). Put both loaves onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

6. After cooled, slice loaves diagonally and place cut-side down on the cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 -20 minutes. Turn pieces to other side and cook an additional 15 - 20 minutes, until they are completely dried out.

7. Cool completely and store in a loosely covered container for up to 2 weeks.

Enjoy with a steaming cup of tea or coffee :-)

Pipilo Maculatus

Otherwise know as Spotted Towhee.

I have spied a new type of bird at my feeder the last 2 days! As most of my summer birds have flown south for the winter, I was delighted to see something of a different variety, and quite a pretty little bird to boot! They are mainly ground birds, both for foraging for food and nest building. Before winter, they move to higher elevations, so I suppose that is why I am just now spotting them.

This picture is courtesy of Birds of Washington Field Guide, by Stan Tekiela.

Incentive

This one's for Ginny, Jodi, Kari, Lela and Molly..........

Bethany Lynn and I have made these cute little matchbox drawers for each of you ..... in a variety of Christmas colors. Our plan is for each of you to come join us the 24th for a time of stamping/crafting and fill up these drawers with Christmas tags that you make!

Who's comin'?

Rolly Polly Joelly

Final summer project: conversion to a pellet stove/re-do bricks to river rock. Completed!

Due to Darrell's knee (3rd replacement of the same knee this past March, with bone grafting included this time), his orthopedist thought it mandatory that he no longer cut and split wood. Thus, the conversion to a pellet stove. Ryan is taking our wood stove, along with any remaining wood we have ready to go :-)

We raised the base up to create more seating area. It is a popular spot ;-) Actually, my niece and her family were here with us this weekend, so I wanted a family picture. It was great to see them with their four cute and fun kids!

Joel is their most recent addition, and at 5 months he weighs in close to 20 pounds! Chunker. The kids call him Rolly Joelly :-) He smiles with his entire body, and is a very content 'little' fella!