The Great Pumpkin

Who knew there were so many holiday flavored foods?  The pumpkin bagels are awesome, but the marshmallows are a little . . . gross.  I'm going to put the cranberry jello in the Christmas stocking of a friend of mine.

Bagels

Cream Cheese

Waffles

Marshmallows

Jello?

The real deal.

Cranberry relish is the first holiday dish I make every year.  

It gives me an opportunity to fire-up the food processor that I purchased with my uncle's Whirlpool Kitchen-Aid employee discount and break out the red bowls I bought at the Crate and Barrel in Oakbrook.  I also wear my blue U of M Football sweatshirt to hide the cranberry stains.  I like to joke that the main reason my mom got divorced was to ensure that I would go to CU-Boulder.  Growing up in the Chicagoland area, I dreamed of attending either Northwestern (a bad football team) or the University of Michigan (an awesome football team).  My cousins bought me the sweatshirt when I was in Ann Arbor a couple of Christmases ago.

Cabbage Anyone?

I love just Cabbage Rolls.  The King Soopers where I shopped in Boulder sometimes carried frozen cabbage rolls made by a company that markets kosher entrees for Passover.  Deli Tech, the awesome deli I frequented when I worked in the DTC, also made wonderful cabbage rolls.  Several years ago, my first feeble attempt at cabbage rolls landed in the disposal.  Keep in mind that I have trouble assembling burritos and making jello (really).

This past week, I decided to try again.  Cabbage, after all, is remarkably inexpensive. I used a recipe from the Mennonite Girls Can Cook  blog.  The Mennonite Girls – most of whom who live in beautiful British Columbia – receive 7,000 visitors per day to their blog which features tasty recipes that aren’t overly fussy.  The proceeds from their two successful cookbooks – Mennonite Girls Can Cook and Mennonite Girls Can Cook: Celebrations – have built a greenhouse at an orphanage in the Ukraine and will provide clean water for children at a Mennonite school in Kenya (a place I like about as much as I like BC). 

  

The recipe is remarkably straightforward.  It uses Savoy Cabbage which is more pliable – think Romaine lettuce – than the more pedestrian cabbages that look like pale green bowling balls.  Lovella's recipe instructs cooks to freeze their cabbage overnight.  This serves to break down the fibers in the cabbage leaves.  Don’t skip this step.  Also be sure to allow plenty of time for your cabbage to thaw.

Bring on the Tomato Gravy

Stuck on You

Several Saturdays ago, I pulled a can of tuna out of the cabinet to lure my cats into the utility room so I could wash the kitchen floor.  Sleepy as I was, I noticed a pool of brown goo on the bottom shelf.  Ebenezer, who periodically sneaks into the cabinet to monitor the tuna supply, had most likely tipped over an unopened jar of Grandma's Molasses.  The lid loosened a bit - just enough to cause molasses to ooze out.  It took a good 10 minutes of hot water and elbow grease to remove the sticky mess.

Who me?  I didn't do it.

Perhaps you should check with Isabelle 

or that new cat . . .

Inexpensive Blessings

Some of my favorite fall things are a little pricey – like Dale of Norway sweaters.  Others are more reasonably priced.  Seeing that I’m short on cash, I thought I’d share some of my favorite inexpensive blessings with you.

Do Something for Someone Else

One of the best ways for me to get out of a funk is to do something for someone else.  Perhaps someone in your neighborhood needs help raking leaves, winterizing their sprinkler system or would like a friendly phone call? 

It’s also Operation Christmas Child shoe box season.  Here’s more information on how to pack a shoe box.

Enjoy a Cup of Tea

Summer's finally over and most of the trees have lost their leaves.  I just found a coupon for Celestial Seasonings. I think I’ll make myself a cup of tea.

Hug Your Companion Animal

You walk your dog.  You scoop your cat’s box.  Give your pet a hug.  They’ll love you for it.  Did you know that owning a pet is good for your health?  Check this out.

Make Homemade Bread

Flour, salt, yeast, water.  If you purchase flour and yeast in quantity, making bread is really inexpensive.  I buy my yeast in bulk from the King Arthur Flour website.  They sell a nice container which holds a TON of yeast. 

Go here if you want to learn how to make If you want to learn how to make No Knead Bread.  This link contains food writer Mark Bittman's original interview with Jim Lahey, the No Knead Bread king.

Make Homemade Soup

I just bought a big bag of lentils for $1.37.  Lentils, chopped carrots, chopped celery, a little onion, two bay leaves, salt, pepper.  I use chicken stock in most soup I make, but you could probably use water and save more money.

Read Scripture

I’m a Christian, so the Bible’s my book.  If you practice another faith, your scriptures may be different than mine.  Many of us own multiple copies of scripture, but don’t spend much time reading them.  You can use this plan to read through the Psalms and Proverbs in a month.

Turn On Your Fireplace

If you live in a reasonably new dwelling in the Denver Metro Area, your fireplace uses natural gas and not logs.  My fireplace generates a fair amount of heat and absolutely no nasty soot.  Turn on your fireplace

Watch the Sunrise or Sunset

I don’t think I need to elaborate on this one.