0 Something About Pumpkins

What is it about Pumpkins?

Is it because it's SEASONAL that we like them so much?  At our house, we are into them. I love to look at them,  decorate with them, carve them, bake with them, cook with them, even drink them!

And pumpkin stuff only comes once a year...it's an Autumn tradition!

I think we connect pumpkins with the turning of colorful leaves, the cooling weather, pulling out sweaters, and anticipating the holidays.  

kind of fuzzy photo of the cool pumpkin branches
at Trader Joes

The other day, I walked into Trader Joe's and saw these Mini Pumpkin Branches.  How terrific are they?! I wish I had an event to justify purchasing them for an arrangement!  They are real (though they look almost fictional).  In addition to these beauties,  there was a food rack with all manner of pumpkin items including: pumpkin butter, pumpkin spice bread mix, pumpkin spiced tea, and even pumpkin spice granola.

The farmer's market is brimming with pumpkins, gourds, squashes and mums...of all shapes and sizes.

And then, there are Pumpkin Spice Lattes.  I imagine they top the list of Pumpkin Favorites for most people.

On September 4th, Starbucks sent out the word (via signs, tweets, etc.) that Pumpkin Spice Lattes were back.  I think for some people, this announcement meant that the season of autumn officially began.  People flooded the stores evidently, because the news reported last month that the onslaught of customers caused a shortage of Pumpkin Spice Syrup at many Starbucks stores. Customers were despairing!

The Jam's Pumpkin Pie Latte

My friend Melissa sent an Instagram of the Pumpkin Pie Latte that she had at the Jam (a local coffee/tea shop near Belmont) a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't get it out of my mind.   I made my way there a few days later and the sign on the counter said, "Pumpkin Pie Lattes are back: Made with Real Pumpkin...Epic".  I have to agree.  Theirs are EPIC.






Last fall, my friend, Sharon, made  pumpkin syrup for some home-made lattes at a gathering and it was delicious! I was inspired to try to make some myself, so I started digging around on Pinterest to find a recipe for homemade Pumpkin Coffee Syrup. I found a lovely one on Annie's Eats (always a lovely BLOG to peruse).  I made a batch, tried it out, approved it, and then filled a glass bottle with it to give as  an October birthday gift.

I made a latte for Asher, at his passionate request, who loves a coffee drink whenever he's "allowed".  He gave it a thumbs up.  (Of course he loved the whip and extra pumpkin pie spice sprinkled on top!)

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

borrowed from Annie’s Eats

1½ cups water


1½ cups sugar


4 cinnamon sticks


1 tsp. ground nutmeg


½ tsp. ground ginger


½ tsp. ground cloves


3 tbsp. pumpkin puree

Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved.  Toss in the cinnamon sticks and whisk in the remaining spices and the pumpkin puree.  Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, without letting the mixture come to a boil.  Remove from the heat and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes. (Annie says to strain syrup through fine mesh, but I didn’t have to do so). Pour in your container of choice.  Store in the refrigerator.

To make a pumpkin spice latte: combine 2 ounces of hot coffee or 1 shot of hot espresso (about 1-1½ ounces) with 5-6 ounces of steamed low-fat milk.  Stir in 1½-2 tablespoons of the pumpkin spice syrup.  Taste and adjust amounts accordingly.  Top as desired with freshly whipped cream, ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. (You can even drizzle with caramel sauce)!

(If you need a jar and you live in Nashville, my husband would love for you to have one of our jars.  I have a thing about keeping jars for repurposing, and the space under the kitchen sink is teeming with them!)

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October
O hushed October morning mild, 
thy leaves have ripened to the fall; 
Tomorrow’s wind, 
if it be wild, 
Should waste them all. 
The crows above the forest call; 
tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild, 
begin the hours of this day slow, 
make the day seem to us less brief...
 - Robert Frost

(thanks to Margaret for this beautiful excerpt 
that you shared this week via your blog... I just had to pass it along)

Detail: Something About Pumpkins

0 In Memory of My Beloved 3rd Grade Teacher

This week I got the news that my beloved 3^rdgrade teacher, Mrs. Stookbury, died after a valiant fight with cancer.  It saddens my soul that this bright shining light in the world has passed on.  I know her family and close friends must be aching with loss.  I heard that her last months were painful and debilitating.  And in light of this fact, I am glad that she no longer has to suffer.  I'm so thankful that I got to be one of her many, many students in her years as an educator.

I have been thinking about her all day.  I have only fond memories of her.

She was SUNSHINE at Sequoyah Elementary School.  She was an ANCHOR in my childhood.

Mrs. Katherine Stooksbury

Now that I am a mom and have had children this age, I feel even more indebted to Mrs. Stooksbury.  What a significant influence teachers are in the lives of children!!  

Two years ago, when Asher was in 3^rdgrade, I wrote a thank you letter to his teacher letting her know how significant my 3^rd grade teacher was. I expressed how important and memorable I know she will be to my son.  I also wrote a letter to Mrs. Stooksbury to let her know that now I have a 3^rdgrader of my own.  I reminisced in the letter about my favorite memories of her.

The most significant was how she stood at the classroom door and welcomed us to the day.  She offered hugs and bright shining smiles.  I loved it.  It was such a comfort.

At one point in the year, she had been on a diet and had lost a substantial amount of weight. None of the students were happy about that, as she was not nearly as “squishy” and soft when we hugged her!

I remember her reading aloud The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, over a couple of weeks. We were captivated.  It is still one of my very favorite Christmas books.

I remember she was a safe place for me.  My cousin died, tragically, during that school year and it was my first death to experience.  I remember her being so in tune and compassionate. 

I loved her great big smile, twinkling eyes, and wonderful laugh. 

When I wrote to her a couple of years ago, she wrote a 3 page letter in response.

It was such a treasure to hear from her.  She wrote about the fond memories she had of our family at the school during those years.  She reminisced about her years of being in the classroom. It was so fun to hear from her.

It's hard to believe her life is over.  She will be missed and forever cherished. 

I want to continue to show appreciation to my kids' teachers.  They give so endlessly to their students.  I am so grateful for all they do.  I am astounded by the indelible mark that a teacher can make in these impressionable years. 

I try to love my teachers through notes, and prayers, and baked goods.  These Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies are ones I made for Lainey’s teacher a few weeks ago. (Lainey is in 3^rd grade this year).  [Of course, at our school, I had to attach a note with a warning that “THESE CONTAIN PEANUT PRODUCT”].  The recipe is from The Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook,  a cookbook filled with peanut butter recipes from the peanut butter sandwich shop in NYC.   I think these cookies are terrific!  They are crispy yet chewy, rich and chocolate-studded.   I can’t think of anything much more comforting than a Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie.  I wish I knew what Mrs. Stooksbury's favorite kind of cookie was so I could make it in her honor! (I may just have to start calling these the Mrs. Stookbury cookies in memory and honor of her.)

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 cup (or more) semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, stir together the flour and baking soda and set aside. 

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla.  Add the egg and continue mixing.  Add the dry ingredients, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until the dough is firm.  If the dough is too dry, add water by the Tablespoon (but no more than 1/4 cup) until it is moist and easier to work with. (I haven't found the need to do so, but it depends on the kind of peanut butter you use.  I use creamy natural.)

Fold in chocolate chips.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap in a log OR in in covered bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350˚. Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and cut into 1/4 inch slices (if a log) OR scoop with spoon or scoop.  Place cookies on a cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart and bake for 10 minutes or until fully baked.  Allow cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes, as they easily break when hot.  

Allow to cool before serving. 

I encourage you to LOVE A TEACHER THIS MONTH: a teacher from your past, or present – or your child’s teacher or grandchild’s teacher, or neighbor-friend who is a teacher.  Give the gift of GRATITUDE and maybe even some cookies!

Detail: In Memory of My Beloved 3rd Grade Teacher

0 Chicken Bryan A.K.A. a party in your mouth

At the beginning of my blogging adventure, two years ago, I wrote about a tradition of ours called "The Celebration of Daves". It's a celebration meal honoring Dave Hunt and David Thomas – two incredible, food-loving men, prepared by their food-loving, food-preparing wives.  This tradition has stood the test of time.  (We think it's been about 14 years). The four of us (David, Connie, Dave and I) are all highly motivated to continue this sweet annual ritual. We love this tradition because it is food and friends, period. We don't get to spend much time together, especially as couples.  And we all love good food, so this dinner is one we cherish and anticipate all year long.

connie and me a decade ago
aproned and cooking for the
Celebration of Daves

(In addition, Connie and I love to work together in the kitchen and it's such a rare treat).  We most often hold this celebration in late July or early August.  However, this year, with schedules and an early start to school, we just finally had our dinner last week!


When Connie and I were on the phone discussing menu options, we were tired and stumped about what to make.  We decided to ask our honorees if they had any requests.  When I asked Dave, he said, "Oh, it doesn't matter!" and then, "What about Chicken Bryan?"  I said, "Oh that would be delicious and special, however, it requires grilling, which I fear will be tricky for us to pull off with all of the rest of the cooking inside without someone to monitor the grill."  (I wanted to protect him from managing the grill on his birthday celebration meal.)




Then Connie asked David to which he replied,  "What about that chicken from Carrabba's restaurant that yall have made before?"

OKAY! I think we have a clear sign, what we should make.
So we decided to make Carrabba's Chicken Bryan.
Have you ever been to this restaurant? It's an Italian chain. The food is really tasty.

If you have been there, have you ever ordered the Chicken Bryan?
I must admit I would NEVER, NEVER have thought to order a grilled chicken dish at an Italian restaurant.  Maybe chicken parmesan, but when I think Italian, I think pasta: baked ziti, ravioli, linguini, or lasagna, but grilled chicken wouldn't be a thought of mine.
However, one day I was with a friend and her mother who ordered it and I tasted it.
And my taste buds celebrated! It's grilled chicken with a white wine/butter/onion/garlic/fresh basil reduction poured on top with sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese.  I'm telling you.  It's special.

I dug around online a few years ago and found a recipe for Chicken Bryan and it's a darn good replica.  It's not an all-the-time dish, as it requires some effort AND lots of butter!
Dave describes this dish as a "a party in your mouth".
It is so flavorful and complex in its textures and tastes.  It is creamy and tangy and rich.

We chose to serve Pasta Raphael with the Chicken, which is a delicious tomato, onion, artichoke pasta sauce recipe from The New Basics Cookbook.  Connie was served this dish by our friend Whitney years ago and she introduced me and it's a favorite of ours.  It is a superb sauce.  I highly recommend you try it sometime. It's more work than a simple red sauce, but it is a beautiful and flavorful dish.

If you are looking for a special dinner menu, this would be great.
Dave told me the other day that this dinner was one of the best meals he has had in his life.
To which I scoffed. To which he said, "I'm for real." I do think there were other contributing factors: We were sitting on the screened porch on a lovely night (David T. actually commented that it was the temp he would like his house to be set on if electricity bills were not a concern), with dear friends, eating a special meal.  I'm not so sure these other factors didn't play into his bliss.  After all, my mom always said, "it's the company that seasons the meal."




The Menu
Bruschetta - a staple of the Celebration of Daves
(served while we are preparing the main course)

Simple Green Salad tossed in lemon vinaegrette
Chicken Bryan
Pasta Raphael
Artisan bread with dipping herb oil

and for dessert- one of the favorites of the Daves: Ooey Gooey Butter Cake


Chicken Bryan

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp. minced yellow onion

2 Tbsp. butter

½ cup dry white wine (or cooking white wine)

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

2/3 cup cold butter- sliced

the butter and wine 

1 ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. pepper

6 skinless chicken breasts

olive oil for brushing

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

8 oz. goat cheese

Sautee garlic and onion in 2 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium heat until tender.

Stir in wine and lemon juice into skillet, increase heat to medium high, and simmer to reduce by half. 

the party

Reduce heat to low and stir in cold butter, one slice at a time.

Stir in tomatoes, basil, kosher salt, and white pepper; remove from heat; set aside.

Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grill chicken on hot grill 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

Immediately after removing from the grill, place equal amounts of cheese on each breast.

Spoon prepared sun-dried tomato sauce over chicken.

the beginnings of Pasta Raphael

Pasta Sauce Raphael

borrowed from The New Basics Cookbook

2 jars (6 oz. each) marinated artichoke hearts

¼ cup olive oil

2 cups chopped onion

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

½ tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. dried basil

1 Tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper

½ tsp. salt

pinch of dried pepper flakes

1 can (28 oz.) plum tomatoes, with their juice

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

the last addition of fresh, flat leaf parsley

¼ cup chopped fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley

Drain the artichoke hears, reserving the marinade.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.  Add the onions, garlic, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, red pepper flakes, and reserved artichoke marinade.  Saute´ over medium-low heat until the onions and garlic are soft and translucent – 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the artichoke hears, Parmesan and parsley. Stir gently, and simmer another 5 minutes.

Enough for 1 pound of pasta

dinner is served

Unfortunately the photos are limited and aren't the best at capturing this dish (as it was busy, dark and the honorees were anxious to eat, not have their plates photographed). 

  

Detail: Chicken Bryan A.K.A. a party in your mouth

0 A Girl in love with Puppies!

Our friend Amy has been talking to our kids about getting a dog for years!  I remember her telling Lucy that she was going to get a dog sometime and Lucy took that as, "Amy's getting us a dog".  How do you break the news to a 3 year old that that dog will be Amy's dog not her dog?  That was a couple of years ago.  There has been countless online searching for dogs, video watching of dogs (on Amy's iphone), dreaming about "the day", thinking about breeds and sizes and colors and names.  Ironically, since the beginning of this Amy-dog pursuit, we got our first family dog, Scout, and have entered the world of dog-love.  So, the time finally came for Amy and her sister, Ashley, to get that long-sought after puppy.

They found the breeder and decided on the dog, and then we all waited for this puppy to enter the neighborhood.  Amy decided on the name Patsy Cline for her girl Golden Doodle puppy. It really is the perfect name.  Amy, lover of country music, farm girl at heart, clever in all she does, named her puppy Patsy Cline.  Well, Lucy had to have a quick education about this name sake.  So one Sunday afternoon, we had a Patsy Cline YouTube overview and spent some time seeing, hearing, and singing some Patsy.  Lucy studied her outfit and tried to replicate it.  She began to dream about the day she and Patsy would meet.




Come to find out, this puppy has a sister too.  Amy's neighbor decided he wanted to buy the sister and then the sisters could stick together.  The plan was in place until the week the puppies were to arrive. A new wrinkle was added.  A couple of days before they came, he opted out.  So, Amy and Ashley opted in!  Now... 2 dogs were coming to their house! Double excitement!!

Lucy accompanied Amy to PetSmart a couple of days before they arrived to get the necessary dog stuff - 2 of everything! As they made the list of all they needed to purchase, Lucy added a "big crate" to the list. She said, "we have to get a big crate for them to climb on." We were confused and asked why they would climb on it?  She answered, "Well, her name is Patsy Climb".

Love it.

Then process of naming Patsy Cline's sister ensued.  After many options considered ("Rosie" being Lucy's vote),  they landed on June Carter.  Perfectly apropos.

When the day came for the puppies to be picked up, Lucy woke up, came downstairs and declared, "This is my luckiest day ever!".  The challenge was that we had to wait until late afternoon to meet "the girls".  We decided to make some homemade dog treats for them – something fun and productive to do to pass the time (the waiting time).

puppies, love and country music were the shapes we chose

Homemade Dog Treats borrowed from A Cozy Kitchen

1/2 cup peanut butter (I used creamy natural)

1/4 cup honey

1 Tbsp. coconut oil (or olive oil)

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup wheat wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350˚. Whisk together peanut butter, honey, oil and chicken broth.  

In a separate bowl, combine flours and oatmeal.  Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. 

Place dough on flour dusted surface.  Roll or press dough out to about 1/4" thick.

Use a small cookie cutter to cut our cookies. Place cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet.  

Bake for 14-16 minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack.

Place in tightly sealed container.  

[Use within a week, as they will become moldy.  If you have more than you can use, freeze some in a ziplock bag, or share them with a dog friend]

Then we received the text message that we could come over.  The girl was GIDDY! We rushed over to Amy's house and met the adorable puppies!

loving June Carter

hugging Patsy Cline

fast friends

Love at first sight!

P.S. I must admit, being new to dog life, that I never had considered baking for dogs before this year.  However, when we adopted Scout, I felt so compelled to bake for him, that I immediately started searching on Pinterest for homemade dog treat recipes.  It was the most natural instinct for me to want to bake for him as a way to express my love and welcome to him.  I guess it's my default love language - I love to take cookies to welcome new neighbors, and muffins to appreciate teachers, and cakes to celebrate birthdays, and meals to honor friends.  So, I guess peanut butter dog treats for puppies just feels right to me!

Detail: A Girl in love with Puppies!