Happy Halloween!

Me and Paul with Adam as: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe!

Happy Halloween everyone! This is such a fun time of year when the holidays start up! We really love celebrating Halloween and my husband Paul loves coming up with fun costumes for us to wear as a family. This year we were the "Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" as you can see in the photo above. I love how creative Paul was with his wardrobe costume. It really looks like a real piece of furniture!
Suburban Garden:

The other day Adam and I took a walk around the neighborhood on a sunny afternoon and enjoyed seeing the changes in the leaves. I love the photo below as it contrasts nature and urban landscapes with the small rocks inserted in the concrete sidewalk and the lovely single red leaf! This time of year is so magical! I have not done a lot in the yard as we have been focused on lots of holiday, cooking and indoor activities but we try to get outside as much as we can to kick around a ball or go for a walk and see what is around us.

A leaf we encountered on a walk through the neighborhood.

A leaf "flower" I made from our neighbor's fallen leaves.

Country Garden: Last Harvest:

This past Friday we were able to visit the country garden and see what my folks have been up to harvesting the last of the fruits and vegetables from the garden and orchard. They have worked very hard and made the very most out of the large harvest. This year was especially good for apples and pears. It is wonderful because not only we enjoy them as applesauce and cider but we are also able to wrap up and save pears and apples to eat throughout the winter fresh. What a gift!

While we were there we all went out to the orchard to pick the remaining apples off of two trees. The separated the ones for "storage" apples and the ones to make cider out of. It was such a lovely, sunny afternoon and Adam had fun picking up apples and putting them in the buckets as well as playing in the nearby woods. Later on, we all worked at the cider press to make 5 gallons of cider for us to take home! What a lovely treat! Adam was such an amazing helper with the cider. He worked alongside Grandpa Dale for nearly 2 hours putting apples into the hopper of the cider press and helping him press the apples to make the juice. My mom and I worked together to strain the juice and put it into a large container for us to take home to pasteurize and can.

Below are some pictures of the harvest and all of the fun we had that sunny fall day together:

Comice Pears laid out on the table ready to be packed up for winter storage.

Adam drinking some tea at my parent's house.He loves his special cup!

Bosc pears laid out on the table ready to be packed up.

Adam playing in the trees near the orchard.

Some lovely leaves on one of the pear trees in the orchard.


Adam taking a bite of an apple fresh off of the tree!

A leaf on a fig tree at my parent's house.

Grandpa Dale and Adam pressing the apples to make cider.

The twenty quarts jars of apple cider I pasteurized and canned from the cider my parents gave me.

Early Birthday Celebration & Cake:

This past Saturday, October 29th we celebrated my birthday early by going to the Redland Elementary School Halloween Carnival with my parents, brother Stuart and sister in law Kim. This is the school I attended from Kindergarten until 8th grade. Now it is only an elementary school but they still have the Halloween Carnival as a fundraiser. It has changed somewhat but it brought back wonderful memories for me and it was fun to share it with Adam. One of my favorite things at the carnival was always the cake walk. I would always spend nearly all of my carnival tickets on it to ensure that I won a cake. Now it is called a "treat stroll" but it is still the same. Adam did the "stroll" with me one time as did my mom a couple of times. Adam also played a couple of the games in the classrooms. He had the most fun playing outside on the play structure though. At the end, my mom and I spent the remainder of our tickets on the bingo game and I won a Starbucks gift pack! Later on, we went to the Redland Cafe and enjoyed pizza and salad. Then, we headed to my folk's place for an amazing cake that my mom and Kim made for me and I opened my lovely birthday gifts. What a fun evening we had together!

Me with my lovely birthday cake at my folk's house.

The cute "little girl" candles on my birthday cake!

My mom helping me cut and serve the cake with Adam looking on.

Paul and Adam at the birthday party.

Adam thoroughly enjoying his slice of cake!


The Italian Cream Cake that my mom and sister in law Kim made for me!

Italian Cream Cake: Hazelnut & Coconut Cake with Cream Cheese-Coconut Icing:

This recipe is from Cook's Country magazine and my mom and Kim used hazelnuts from their own orchard in the cake! This is such a delicious and moist cake. I love the flavor of the hazelnuts and the sweet tang of the frosting! It combines many of my favorite things into one cake!

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened
4 tablespoons shortening, cut into 4 pieces
1 3/4 cups sugar 5 large eggs, room temperature 2 cups hazelnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped

Frosting:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 2 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar 1/2 cup cream of coconut 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch salt 16 ounces (2 packages) cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softened

1. For the cake: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350F. Grease two 9 inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, then flour pans.

2. Process the coconut in food processor until finely ground, about 1 minute. Combine coconut, buttermilk and vanilla in a 2 cup liquid measuring cup and let sit until coconut is slightly softened, about 10 minutes; reserve. 3. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter, shortening, and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 4. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with additions of reserved coconut-buttermilk mixture, scraping down bowl as needed. Add 3/4 cup hazelnuts or pecans and give batter a final stir by hand.

5. Scrape equal amounts of batter into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 28 to 32 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment and cool completely- about 2 hours.

For Frosting:

1. Mix butter and sugar on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium high and beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream of coconut, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. 2. Add cream cheese, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Refrigerate until ready to use. 3. When cakes are cooled, spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over 1 cake round. Top with second cake round and spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides. Press nuts into the sides or top of cake and decorate with extra coconut if desired.

A slice of this heavenly cake!

Cooking:

I have been doing a lot of baking and cooking in the past week. I love that we spend more time at home when I cook more and not only are we saving money, we are creating fun, family memories to last a lifetime. Often, Adam enjoys staying at home and playing with his toys or creating forts out of chairs and blankets. These are special times and we are enjoying them! Here are a few recipes for dishes I have made and an extra special one that my friend Carol created this past week:

Applesauce Bread:

I found this recipe online. I added a few spices to it to liven it up and it is delicious! I love how moist this bread is- it is such a treat!

A fresh loaf of spiced applesauce bread.

Applesauce Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 cups store-bought or homemade applesauce, at room temperature
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus more for the pan
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  
• 2 cups walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped (optional-I didn't add these)
  

Directions

1. To make the applesauce bread, preheat the oven to 350˚F (176°C). Lightly butter 2 standard-size loaf pans or place paper liners in 24 cupcake or muffin tins.

2. Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a mixer fit with a paddle and beat until the mixture is lemon-colored and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the applesauce and then the butter, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. (The mixture will break and appear curdled, and while you may think you’ve ruined it, just keep on going because everything is fine.)

4. Place the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl and mix well. Stir it into the applesauce mixture and beat to combine. Add the nuts, if desired, and mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pans or, if making muffins, use a 2-ounce ice cream scoop or heaping tablespoon to fill the prepared tins. Bake the applesauce bread until golden brown and firm in the center, about 1 hour for loaves and 20 to 25 minutes for cupcakes. Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool.

Cuban Black Bean Stew:

This is a recipe I have prepared many times. I found the recipe online. Many times I make the vegetarian version but this time I added a bit of pepper bacon and corn to it. It is so great for a cold night! I halved the recipe for us and it lasted us for 2 meals plus some extra.

Cuban Black Bean Stew over brown rice.

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons olive oil 6 slices bacon (pepper bacon if you have it- chopped into small pieces)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic (pressed or diced)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1-2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Adobo seasoning ( It is found in the Mexican food section of the store.)
1 tablespoon curry
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more if you like a spicier soup)
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
2-3 veggie bouillon cubes (or 2-3 cups chicken broth)
4 tablespoons Menudo Mix (a mix of spices usually found near the Mexican food at the store) Alternative: 1 tablespoon celery seed, 1 tablespoon onion powder or flakes, 2 tablespoon oregano, 1/2 tablespoon chile powder
2 cans black beans (1 drained)
2-3 potatoes (chopped)
1 cup frozen corn
1-2 carrots- chopped
steamed rice

Directions:

1. Cook the chopped bacon in a dutch oven or soup pot until cooked through and slightly browned.

2. Add olive oil to the pan and saute the onion(s), pepper(s), and garlic until desired tenderness.

2. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce. Then cook on med-high for a few minutes.

3. Add all of the spices and boullion cubes or broth.

4. Follow by adding the beans, water, potatoes, corn and carrots.

5. Cook until the potatoes and carrots are soft. Serve over rice.

Honey Wheat Bread:

This is a recipe from my book "James Beard's American Cookery." I highly recommend this book because it has a lot of wonderful recipes that are simple to prepare but delicious! James Beard commented on this recipe saying that the bread was too sweet for him, but I found that I really enjoyed the sweetness.

A lovely, sweet wheat loaf.

Makes 2 small loaves of bread

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons active dry yeast 2 cups warm water 1/2 cup honey 1 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 cups whole wheat flour 3 to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1. In a small bowl proof the yeast with 1/2 cup of the warm water. (Let it stand to bubble up for about 5 minutes)

2. In a large mixing bowl combine the honey, remaining water (1 1/2 cups), salt, oil and whole wheat flour. Add the yeast and stir well.

3. Gradually add enough white flour to make a stiff dough. Remove the dough to a floured surface and knead until it is smooth and satiny. Place in an oiled bowl and toss to coat all of the surfaces of the dough.

4. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down the dough.

5. Knead again 3 minutes and divide in half. Roll each half to a 14x7 inch rectangle and, starting at the narrower side, roll tightly and seal the edges. Place each roll into a well buttered 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch bread pan. Cover, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk- about an hour. 6. Bake at 375 degrees about 40-50 minutes. Remove the loaves from the pans and let them cool on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Pancakes:

This recipe is from "Martha Stewart Living magazine." I cut it out of the magazine a while back when I had a subscription. I love how the middle of these pancakes is very "custardy" and moist.

Some fresh, spiced pumpkin pancakes.

Makes about 10 small dollar size pancakes.

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon each: cinnamon, ground ginger and salt 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
a pinch of ground cloves

Wet Ingredients: 1 cup milk 6 tablespoons pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons melted butter 1 egg 1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. 2. In a separate bowl mix together the wet ingredients. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. 3. Melt some butter in a skillet or an electric skillet over medium heat: pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side. Serve with butter and syrup. We also enjoyed ours with some homemade blackberry syrup that my mom made!

Italian Sausage Soup:

This recipe is from my "Portland's Palate" cookbook. I often find great recipes in this book. We enjoyed this soup last Sunday for dinner along with some toasted whole wheat honey bread!

Italian Sausage Soup with lots of veggies!

1 pound hot or mild Italian sausage (I used the ground sausage but sliced sausage may be used as well) 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots) 1 medium onion, chopped 1 stalk of coarsely chopped celery 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped (I didn't have any, so I didn't add it) 2 tablespoons butter 3-4 cups chicken broth** 1 (15 1/2 ounce) can garbanzo beans with liquid 1 teaspoon dried sage salt and pepper freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1. In a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium-high heat, saute sausage until browned. Remove and set aside. 2. Add carrots, onion, celery, mushrooms and saute in butter over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are softened. 3. Return sausage to pan and add parsley, chicken broth, garbanzo beans with liquid, sage, salt and pepper. Simmer 30-40 minutes. To serve, sprinkle individual servings with Parmesan cheese.
**Note: I think next time I will add another cup of broth because it seemed like the soup needed more liquid.


Carol's Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream with Gingersnaps:

This recipe is from my dear friend Carol. She served this amazing ice cream to her family recently for a lovely fall dessert. I hope to try this recipe soon as it sounds delectable!

Scrumptious pumpkin pie ice cream with chunks of gingersnap cookies.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 T. molasses

1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree

2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup crumbled gingersnaps

In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine the milk, brown sugar, and molasses until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add heavy cream and vanilla. Turn on electric ice cream maker and pour the mixture into the freezer bowl. Let mix until thickened, about 25 minutes. Add the crumbled gingersnaps during the last 5 minutes of mixing. If eating later, put ice cream in an airtight container and place in the freezer. Remove from the freezer about 20 minutes before serving.

Halloween:

We had a very mellow Halloween evening this year. It was wonderful that we were able to wear our costumes at the carnival earlier because on Halloween Adam was tired and just wanted to stay home. He sure had fun watching kids come to the door for candy though. He even practiced ringing our doorbell and saying "trick or treat" for some candy. He sure loved the Skittles he got. He also enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate while we all watched "Curious George" DVDs.

Me as "The Witch", Adam as "The Lion" and Paul as "The Wardrobe at the Redland Elementary School Halloween Carnival.

Creativity and Imagination:

I love how creative and imaginative Adam is with his play and his toys. He loves to play with the trains at his preschool so he decided he would create a train out of some cars and trucks he has at home. I love his ideas!

Adam making a train in our living room.

I hope you all have a happy and healthy week and enjoy each day!