Pumpkin Bisque and Cracked Wheat Bread

Today was cold and rainy. I liked today! Fall has officially settled in and with it the leaves are starting to turn all those beautiful jeweled colors. On cold days like today I think soup is one of the most warming foods, it nourishes body and soul.

I chose to make Pumpkin Bisque, don't you just love the sound of it? Bisque instead of SOUP, much more lovely of a sound! In truth I still have not made it to Green Bluff so I settled for the canned type, and while its not my favorite it did oh so well in this divine bisque!

Of course I got the recipe off the internet and I would give it to you save for the fact that I didn't follow it~~well I did but then I added more to it because it tasted bland. I will tell you of this delightful spice that not many know of, its called Fennugreek and it looks like this. It has a wonderful flavor. I find it in the bulk section at WINCO.

So along with my Bisque I made a home made Cracked Wheat Bread. Cracked wheat is a traditional favorite food in my family since I was a little girl. Today I boiled up some and put it in my bread along with flax seed and then I topped it off with sesame seeds. It was a very sticky bread but turned out wonderfully!




Then a friend stopped by with a huge bowl full of Plums! I just love these little bits of goodness! They are green and before you go thinking that they were not quite ripe let me just tell you that yes they were, they are green plums. I had never heard of them before a few years ago! My friends brother had a tree FULL of green plums so we made jam out of them and it was the best jam I have ever had! Chris calls it liquid gold! Alas back to my story...SO I thought I would make a dessert for our dinner and came up with this!
Plum Cobbler....it was so tasty!!!

Grandma's Tapioca

I know. I know...I go ON and ON about pumpkin time and then my next post is about TAPIOCA??? Well I have a confession to make. I don't have a pumpkin yet.
THERE I said it. I weep now as there are SO many yummy foods I long to make. Ok really I am not weeping BUT I feel like it. I will go to Green Bluff soon and get me one! I just cant stomach the thought of using canned pumpkin but if it gets to be too long I will!


Ok NOW for the good stuff! Tapioca Pudding. I grew up going to Gma's every week and she ALWAYS made this jellied delight that was so light and fluffy.  I have not yet mastered her trick and alas she has passed before I became nostalgic about it so I cant ask her about how she made it! Therefore I do what I do best and googled it. I came accross this recipe http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/tapioca-pudding-recipe.html and found heaven. Now you know me I tend to tweak recipes as I love to do. WARNING: DO NOT attempt to save egg whites by putting them into this recipe. It calls for 2 large egg yolks and THAT'S what you should put in there. NOT the whole egg as it turns out a bit gritty and while I don't mind that while its fresh, its not a fun texture cold!

I made the first batch and while it was good, the second batch disappeared before I could snap off a picture so you will just have to do with the website photo for now!

ENJOY!!!

Its PUMPKIN time!!!!

Alright, I admit I didn't grow a garden this year. A fact that has me a bit more than sad, but alas I will live on! I have never even planted pumpkin anyway~I get mine on beautiful Green Bluff. We are going this weekend, and then I will bake it and freeze it to make MANY pumpkiny delights! One of my most favorite things to make are those Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese muffins! Here is the recipe and I challenge you to only eat one....I myself could eat the whole PAN! They are a bit more work than a normal muffin but OH so worth it!!

http://www.food.com/recipe/pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins-like-starbucks-189156

Unleavened Bread

I grew up using this recipe for communion bread and today I made it. It is VERY easy and quite tasty. The only problem is there isn't enough :)

1 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Sesame Seeds
1/4 Cup Quick Oats
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Oil
1/3 Cup Water
1 Tablespoon Honey

Mix dry ingredients together and add rest of wet ones. Roll thinly out on baking stone score and bake 10-15 min. at 400 degrees!

Catching up...

This summer was quite a summer, marked by pain, suffering, and deep grieving. My best friends husband lost his 3 1/2 month battle with an undiagnosed cancer on August 21, 2011. I cant even begin to tell you all the wonderful memories and stories I have from 20 years ago til this summer. This isn't quite the place.
I will say that it has taken a lot out of me and my zeal for baking~just hasn't been what it was.

Today I felt life coming back into me though baking in my kitchen again. I began to bake again and feel somewhat normal. In fact I have an excitement for fall and all the fun baking that comes along with those cold dark days......

Life will go on....painful at times but I cant wallow in the pain for I know Peter is in such a better place. I must carry on, like his sweet children who are marked by his death yet, are able to find true happiness in the day to day life.

Therefor I bake....


The Apple and Pumpkin are here!

Here is a hint

Canola oil.......

Its the BEST. period. end of sentence. DO NOT attempt to use any other for baking.

OH and dont accidentally go buy vegetable oil instead. I did...the BIG guy from Costco too....YUCK!

Need a quick recipe for a lazy day????

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_curry_in_a_hurry/



TASTY!