Thursday Thoughts

ONE- Obviously, blogging has been taking a back seat lately. I do love doing it, but I think I've realized that, for me, it's just going to have to be a no-pressure, do-it-when-I'm-struck-with-inspiration thing. I can't always work my meals and schedules around blog posts, and honestly, sometimes there are hobbies I choose to do over writing a post. Maybe I'm not a naturally gifted writer, because unless I feel inspired, it's hard to sit down and write anything. I still love to share stuff with you (especially delicious recipe finds!!), but I'll just be honest that it doesn't always make the top of my list of things I need/want to do. :)

TWO- One thing that is topping my list of things I want to do is THIS.I'm just kind of in love with it. Trying to work in a trip to the yarn store to pick out the perfect yarn for it. I'm thinking coral. Wouldn't that just be a lovely early spring accessory??

THREE- I recently took advantage of Shutterfly's offer of 101 free prints (although I only printed about 60 I think) and got prints made of pictures from Fall/Christmas. I couldn't wait to get the pictures in the mail and hang them up! Now I can't stop looking at all the beautiful photos all over my house! I just love having lots of pictures. I don't live close to my family or best friends, so having them all over the house just makes me feel close to them somehow, and I can always look at their sweet faces (well, most of them are sweet).

FOUR- You know those Page-a-Day calendars? Ugh, we are so bad at those!! Hubby got one for his birthday and I think we stayed on top of it for a week. If that. I'm pretty sure we're at least two weeks behind. And when you're that far behind it just takes too much work to catch up!! Ours is a Bible Crossword calendar. What's yours? Do you do it faithfully?

FIVE- Speaking of gifts, I got Hubby tickets to a hockey game for Christmas and we're going tomorrow! Last I heard, the team had only scored 3 goals in the last 4 games (ouch!), so here's hoping they're in better form tomorrow!! I want to see a win!! Oh, and speaking of sports (which I am general NOT into), we (haha) are pretty excited about the Seahawks victory last weekend. I normally take absolutely NO interest whatsoever in football, but this video made me really interested to watch these players (not like I actually watched more that 2 min. of the games, but hey- I was present!) handle glory. Whatever you think of Sherman's post-game interview (yeah, not the best), you gotta admit there are some guys with character on the team. Okay, that's all. Take my uneducated opinion or leave it. :)

Pasta with {Slightly Skinny} Butternut Parmesan Sauce

A few months ago I was given a few butternut squashes (Is "squashes" correct? Or would that be "squash"? As in "deer"...or "fish"...or "moose"? I give up) from a relative that grows them in her garden- how fun is that- home-grown squash! Lovely, rich, smooth, gorgeously golden squash! 

As you can imagine, I was more than happy to accept her offer of a few to take home and have been on the hunt ever since for something to do with it other than soup (although I absolutely adore butternut squash soup and have tried several delicious recipes!). Recently I came across this pasta sauce recipe on Pinterest (of course) and decided to give it a whirl!

This sauce is really very simple to prepare. The only time consuming part is baking the squash, which could easily be done ahead of time. You can even make large batches of squash puree and freeze them in 3 cup amounts to have on hand when you need a quick go-to sauce for a weeknight meal! How easy would that be?? 

And, as usual, the squash does not disappoint. It is smooth and nutty as always, and combined with the flavors of sage and Parmesan, it makes a delicious addition to your favorite pasta.

Oh, and that amazing side dish you see in the picture? The one with the almonds? And more Parmesan? That's my sis-in-love's fantabulous roasted zucchini that ever since this summer has been my absolute favorite way to eat zucchini. I could seriously eat a whole bowl of THAT for dinner. Oh, now you want the recipe? Well, you're in luck! It just so happens I  know the lady who wrote a blog post about that... ;) You can thank me later.

Pasta with Butternut Parmesan Sauce

(printable version)

slightly adapted from Good Life Good Eats

serves 6

1 butternut squash (about 2 1/2 lb.- if using pre-made puree, this takes about 3 cups)

12 oz. penne pasta (or other favorite!)

1 TB olive oil

1 shallot, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup skim milk

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground sage (or use 1 TB fresh!)

1 tsp parsley (or 1 TB fresh! If using fresh parsley, add with lemon juice at the end of cooking)

2 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

broth or water as needed to thin sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Cut the squash lengthwise in half (see here for an easy way to do this!) and scoop out strings and seeds. Place squash cut sides down in a glass baking dish and add 1/4 cup water. Bake about 40 min. or until easily pierced with a fork. Cool 10 minutes, then scoop flesh from skins. Puree squash in a blender or food processor or using a stick blender until smooth.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, make sauce. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a wide skillet. 

Add shallots and cook about 5 min., or until soft and translucent. 

Add squash puree and cook about another minute, stirring to combine. 

Add milk a little at a time, stirring continuously to incorporate.  

Stir in cheese and spices. If needed, add water or broth to thin the sauce to your liking. When sauce is hot, remove from heat and stir in lemon juice (and fresh parsley, if using). 

Serve over hot pasta with extra cheese and herbs if desired.

Thursday Thoughts

ONE- This past week something really big happened in our small county- we sent a tree to the U.S. Capitol! Every year, a national forest is chosen to supply a live tree for the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and this year the Colville National Forest was chosen! The tree they selected is an 88 foot Engleman Spruce, over 75 years old, and grew just a few miles from where we live in the county! Hubby and I joined in the festivities as our community celebrated the cutting of the tree and its send-off on the journey it will take around the country before finally making its way to D.C. in early Dec. At the send-off there were carolers, street performers, food vendors, and LOTS of people- it made me feel so patriotic, Christmasy, and proud of our community! What an honor to have a tree from our local forest grace the lawn of the Capitol for Christmas! You can see the top of the tree in the background of the above photo.

TWO- Speaking of Christmas, we had our first snowfall of the season this week! It was only a dusting, and it lasted only a few hours before it melted, but it was lovely! I'm not generally one to hurry in the snow season because, well, once it arrives, it stays. For a long time. So I'm in no rush. But I have to admit, I love the way it looks and it does make the house feel snug and cozy.

THREE- Speaking of cozy, I am in love with my new fleece pajamas!! Hubby got me an adorable set for my birthday and I practically live in them (as much as I can respectably get away with). They are so soft and warm- perfect for these nights that are now dropping frequently into the 20s. Do you have a favorite pair of winter PJs?

FOUR- Speaking of PJs, one of my favorite things to do in my PJs is drink tea!! We have really been into drinking tea lately- which was encouraged by several birthday gifts- new mugs, a new teapot, a gorgeous wooden "tea box", tea, a tea bag holder- you get the idea! There is something so comforting and snug about a steaming cup of tea wafting a soothing aroma. What's your favorite tea variety?

FIVE- Speaking of tea, I just saw a trailer for Downton Abbey Season 4. I'm probably a bit late on that, but oh well. We are working our way through Season 3 again an it is not any easier the second time. I cried for Lady Sibyl again and I am dreading the finale. The first time I watched it I think I grieved for a week! Sad, but true. Anyhow, Season 4 looks no less dramatic. Less death, hopefully, but wow. I've seen some pictures of Mary in black (*heart breaks*) and Mary and Tom with their respective babies (*heart breaks again*). Sigh. Do we seriously have to wait till January??? If you happen to be from the UK, NO SPOILERS PLEASE!!

Pumpkin Waffles {with Maple Whipped Cream}

So I've come to the conclusion that waffles and whipped cream were meant to be together.

Just typing that is making my mouth water.

Oh, my. We made these amazing waffles last night and they.

Are.

Killer.

Do people say "killer" anymore? Yeah, I usually don't say it much either, but these. Oh, these just are.

Whoever thought to pair maple and pumpkin together is an absolute genius. Those two elements together just scream fall and marry perfectly visually and in your mouth.

DO NOT SKIP THE WHIPPED CREAM.

You would be committing a serious, and I do mean, serious error! The real whipped cream laced with maple just takes these amazingly spicy and pumpkiny (yes, I just invented that, spell check) waffles to a whole new level. And you don't want to miss out on the ride.

Oh, and just for the record, bacon LOOOOVES hanging out with maple and pumpkin.

Just sayin'.

Pumpkin Waffles with Maple Whipped Cream

(printable version)

from Picture Perfect Meals

makes 4-5 waffles (on a round Belgian waffle maker)

For the waffles:

2 cups baking mix (like Bisquick)

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup milk

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 TB unsalted butter, melted

1 TB vegetable oil

1  large egg

For the whipped cream:

1 cup heavy cream

2 TB maple syrup

Lightly grease a waffle maker with some nonstick spray and preheat it according to the manufacturer's directions. 

In a bowl, whisk together baking mix and pumpkin pie spice. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.

In another bowl, combine milk, pumpkin, vanilla, butter, oil and egg. Whisk until smooth. Add to flour mixture and stir until just combined (a few lumps are ok).

Add 3/4-1 cup batter to the waffle maker and close lid. Cook according to the manufacturer's directions. Remove waffle with a fork and keep warm while repeating with remaining batter.

Make the whipped cream: in a chilled bowl with stand mixer or handheld mixer, beat cream with syrup until soft peaks form. Serve with warm waffles and more syrup if desired.

Sourdough Pizza Crust

So you remember how I took that sourdough bread class in October?

Well, I've been faithfully feeding my starter on a {fairly} regular basis and it has grown! Or it had grown. I recently gave a couple of cups away to my sisters in Oregon who want to try their hand at sourdough tending and baking. Now I need to work at building it back up again.

But before I gave some away, I was starting to get quite a jar full. So I decided to try making sourdough pizza crust! Even though my starter isn't super sour, I thought it would make a deliciously flavorful crust. It did! What a yummy change for our Friday pizza nights! The sourdough crust was a great blend of chewy and crisp, with a very subtle but rich flavor. I usually make a whole wheat thin crust, but this new crust will definitely be added to the rotation whenever I need to use up a cup of starter!

It is a little time consuming, but worth the effort! I've heard it said that sourdough is a lazy bread. It needs lots of time to rest in between steps. :) This pizza crust is no exception, but the great thing is that it makes two crusts, so if you are a small family or a couple like us, you can freeze the other crust for next week!

Sourdough Pizza Crust

(printable version)

from King Arthur Flour

makes 2 thin crust 12" pizzas or 1 thicker crust 14" pizza

1 cup sourdough starter (straight from fridge, unfed)

1/2 cup hot tap water

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp instant yeast

Spoon starter into a mixing bowl. Add hot water, flour, salt and yeast. Mix to combine, then knead till smooth and slightly sticky, about 7 minutes at medium speed using a stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Place the kneaded dough in a lightly greased container and allow to rise until just about  doubled in size. This might take 2 to 4 hours, depending on how vigorous your starter is.

For two thinner pizzas, divide the dough in half and shape each half into a flattened disk. Drizzle two round 12 in. pizza pans with olive oil, tilting to coat. Place one half in each pan. Cover and let rest for 15 min.

Gently press dough towards the edges of the pans. When it starts to shrink back, cover and let is rest again, about 15 min. Finish pressing the dough to the edges of the pans.

(For 1 thicker crust pizza, follow directions above without dividing dough in half and using a jelly roll pan or 15 in. pizza pan.)

Cover pan(s), let dough rise until it's as thick as you like (mine was fine without rising any longer, but you may find you want to let yours rise for an hour or more).

Preheat oven to 400.

For thin crust, prebake the crust about 4 min. before topping. Top, then bake until cheese is bubbly, about 8 min. For thicker crust, prebake about 8 min. Top, then bake about 10 more minutes.

Remove from oven, let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Thursday Thoughts

ONE- We went to a Pastor's conference in Moscow, ID this past weekend, and on the way there we saw a gorgeous phenomenon over the fields of the Paulouse- the moon rising full on one side of us and the sun setting on the other side. It was spectacular! The moon rose in pinks and purples, while the sun was setting in oranges and yellows. What a masterpiece! Speaking of the conference, we really had a great time! The speakers were great and we enjoyed getting to know the little town of Moscow. They have a great little main street with cute coffee shops and stores- we even got to sneak away over a lunch break and visit the local farmer's market! One of the highlights of the weekend was that Hubby got to meet one of the pastors and authors who has been really influential in his life!

TWO- Remember how I told you we got pumpkins and apples from Greenbluff last week? Well, I finally got around to doing something with them and made pumpkin applesauce! I had made the recipe last year but forgot just how good it was. OH YUM. We ate the entire batch in two days. And it makes a lot. You should make some, pronto.

THREE- Thanks to my older brother, Hubby and I are officially hooked on the political drama The West Wing. Yes, I know we're a little late to the party. Like, 14 years late. But, oh well. Better late than never, right? We are currently watching Season 1 on Amazon Prime with our trial subscription and I have a feeling that is going to factor into our decision when the trial is up... Oh, Amazon, your ploy is working. Anyway, about the show. One word: dialogue. Okay two words: dialogue. And acting. Even though our political viewpoint doesn't always line up with the fictional administration, it is fascinating to try to understand a little bit more about how the White House operates. We find ourselves often lost in the quick exchanges, but intrigued nonetheless!

FOUR- I have another Cubbie in my class! A cute little boy came to join us last night at Awana, which made it much more fun for the little girl, especially during game time. One thing I adore about that age (3-4) is that they are so honest! I was teaching them about heaven last night, and how someday we'll go there to live with Jesus and the little boy looks at me sceptically and says, "But not today..." :)

FIVE- We hit our first deer! Here in Pend Oreille County, it is quite common to hit deer, and we managed to go four years without joining that club- until last Saturday, that is. On our way home from the conference, two deer ran across the road at dusk. We missed the first one, but the second hit the hood and flew off into the ditch. I have no idea if he survived or not. :( Thankfully, we were unharmed and my little car made it out with only a little ding in the hood. It hasn't really been her week. First the deer, now her brakes. She has to go into the shop next week to have a front end brake job since one of the calipers went bad and ground the brake pad down to the metal (See what I just did there, acting like I know what I'm talking about?). Meanwhile, a friend has graciously loaned us her car!

{Slow Cooker} Tuscan Chicken Stew

What makes something "Tuscan"?

Is it the white beans?

Or the tomatoes?

Surely somebody knows.

I don't, but I'll tell you something I DO know:

This stew is YUMMY.

It is full of delicious veggies, tender chicken, spices, oh, and of course those beans and tomatoes!

And it is guaranteed to warm you up if you've been outside at a football game, raking leaves, pumpkin patching, or any of the other outdoor activities people do in the fall.

And the best part is, I slowcookerized it for you (as of now that is officially a word, just so you know), so your slow cooker does all the work while you're out having fun (or in the case of leaf raking, not having fun)!

Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Stew

(printable version)

adapted from South Your Mouth

makes 6-8 servings

1-2 lb. chicken pieces (I used skinless thighs)

5 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

4 stalks celery, diced

3 carrots, diced

1 lg. onion, diced

5 med. red potatoes, chopped

1 15 oz. can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 tsp thyme

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low 6-8 hours or until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through. If using bone-in pieces of chicken, remove bones and chop or shred meat. Remove bay leaf before serving.