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Website for details: Baker's Banter
This is one of those easy “put everything into a bowl” recipes:
1 cup canned pumpkin or squash
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup lukewarm water*
1/4 cup soft butter
2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 3/4 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup Baker’s Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, optional
3 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
*Adjust the amount of water by the time of year or your climate. For summer, or in a humid environment, use the lesser amount of water. In winter, or in a dry climate, use the greater amount. It’s always best to start with the lesser amount; you can always add more, but it’s pretty hard to go back and add less
hoping I will get better by the weekend..
And in my lazy flu-ridden haze I found this interesting
TED video of Keith Barry "Brain Magic"
If you have some time, it's really worth a watch ;o)
Sleepy & stuffed with food
Hope you had a great holiday too :o)
Holidays are jam-packed with events, gifts and all sorts of merriment (desserts!). So maybe this is a good time to take a moment and reduce our global "footprint" on the earth. Use less material things and give more of our time, our wisdom, our companionship..
Check out this article from Planet Green on Reducing Holiday Waste..it's got some great ideas :o)
9 Tips for Reducing Holiday Waste
1. Cook from Scratch - If you're not buying packaged, processed foods, you'll cut your waste by a lot. While you're at it, avoid frozen or canned foods if you can.
2. Skip the Wrapping Paper - There are tons of great wrapping paper alternatives. Try gift bags, boxes or fabric, or if you just can't give up the wrap, upcycle old paper products such as newspapers, magazines and even maps as "wrapping paper." 3. Buy in Bulk - Individually wrapped products use excessive amounts of packaging. Look for products you can buy in bulk or in larger quantities with minimal packaging.
4. Buy Only What Your Need - Buying in bulk is not always the best option - if you don't need 50 pounds of potatoes, you should resist the urge to save a few dollars on the giant bag, as anything you saved will probably go to waste before you can use it.
5. Don't Eat With Your Eyes - How many of us take too much at the holidays, only to throw a lot out? Start with small portions - you can always take more!
6. Share Leftovers - Whether you send a plate home with friends or family, invite a few friends over for some post-holiday party snacking, or take some foods to the office for co-workers to nibble on, make sure you use those leftovers up so they don't go to waste.
7. Do DIY Gifts - This season, when families have smaller holiday budgets, DIY is a great option for reducing your environmental impact. Make gifts personal and useful. Layer ingredients for your famous cookies in a mason jar, or upcycle teacups as candles for friends. Personal touches make a big impact, and they don't have to cost much.
8. Don't Buy Junk - Everyone has a story about small gifts that collect dust in a basement or on a shelf. If you have less money to spend this year, stretch your dollars by buying less things but investing in quality. Even most kids would rather have one great toy than a bunch of little things that they'll soon bore of.
9. Ban Single-Use Products - Set a household ban on single-use products. No paper plates, no plastic cutlery, no aluminum foil, no plastic wrap, no paper towels, no disposable roasting pans, no ... you get the picture.
"Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare.
They are consumed in twelve minutes.
Half-times take twelve minutes.
This is not coincidence."
~Erma Bombeck
that the highest appreciation is not to utter words
but to live them.
~John F. Kennedy
Actually, National Bundt Cake day was last Sunday (but it was too good of a holiday to pass up) and I found some great recipes featured on The Kitchn. I cannot wait for our kitchen to be completed so I can start cooking some of these delectable treats..
I also love the shape of a bundt cake..it's got some funny curves and gives you more outer crust to enjoy ;o)
What looks yummy to me:
- Spiced Upside-Down Apple Bundt Cake, from Food & Wine
- Chai-Spiced Honey Bundt Cake, from epicurious.com
- Browned Butter Pumpkin Bundt Cake, from Bliss tree.com
If you end up making any of these lovely cakes, drop me a comment & let me know how it goes..
"Our lives begin to end the day
we become silent about things
that matter."
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
I have been living in a "Fire-drill" at work lately, so one of the few comforts I have is television (and twitter unfortunately). I have to say I have really found the show World's Strictest Parents quite fascinating.
I don't remember ever getting allowance - We had to do chores around the house and if we wanted money we had to work for it (outside of school hours of course). I am guessing that my childhood was not unique?
Check out this link & watch some of the show's greatest showdowns between spoiled teens and normal "classified as strict" parents..
As Thanksgiving approaches, I am not sure what I am going to be able to make for dinner without an oven or stove. Our kitchen remodel is moving forward nicely, but we will not be ready until late December.
Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite meals to make..and I absolutely love making stuffing! (and eating stuffing too). It won't be the same without a turkey..
..toast, popcorn & jellybeans ;o)
