halloween cupcakes



I made some chocolate mini cupcakes for a Halloween party - with this recipe. I  love anything mini as well as anything orange. I made my own frosting with 8 oz cream cheese, 1 stick butter, a little orange zest and a little fresh orange juice (about 1/8 of an orange), a box of confectioner's sugar and some red and yellow food coloring. Happy Halloween! I'm going to watch some zombie movies now.

pumpkin pie

With real punkin'! I used this recipe for the filling - except I cut the pumpkin in half and roasted it at 375 for about an hour instead of boiling it. Pie is best for breakfast, don't you think? I also made roasted pumpkin seeds from this little pumpkin and the Jack-O-Lantern, but I forgot to take a picture before we ate them all. I will do another batch for sure. 

business cards

A couple of dog sketches for some new business cards I'm having made by Invited Ink. The proofs look great! I wanted something specific to the pet portraits. Also, I added a listing for the paintings to my Etsy site, just for the time being, until I make a portrait-specific website. It's:  http://www.rugs.etsy.com/

squash soup

I just ADORE my new wooden recipe box from Rifle Paper Co. in Florida. I had to wait a long time for it, but it finally came! Now I just have to fill it up with delicious recipes. This Fall I've been making a lot of soups, including a super healthy acorn squash soup:

1 acorn squash
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
olive oil
butter
salt
pepper
curry powder
cinnamon
1 cup (or so) chicken stock
splash of milk

Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Lightly grease cut sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place squash halves cut side down on a piece of parchment paper on a rimmed cookie sheet and poke holes in the rind with a sharp knife. Bake at 375 F for about an hour or until soft when pressed. Roughly chop onions, garlic, carrot and celery. Sautee in a little (2 tsp) butter or olive oil until tender. Add a little curry powder and cinnamon if you like. Allow cooked squash to cool somewhat before scooping out and adding to sauteed vegetables. Add chicken stock and a little milk until the soup has the desired thickness. Simmer slowly until the carrots and celery are really soft, then blend to a smooth consistancy - I used an immersion blender that my mom gave me. It is a Cuisinart and it works great. Season to taste with salt and pepper. I like a ton of black pepper!

bulldog

A memorial portrait of Pudge the bulldog, for a friend. What a cutie! I need to set up a wesite for pet portraits, will post a link when I do so.

apple pie

Made an apple pie (well, 2, actually) for the Bucktown Apple Pie Contest this past weekend. Plus a practice pie. So I guess that makes 3 pies, phew! They gave me a mug for participating, one of those hefty diner-type ones, I love it. The top picture is my practice pie. I put a lot more apples in the final product, the lower picture. I won't print the recipe, since it is a contest and I will be tinkering with the recipe for next year. I will say however, that there is a ton of good sharp cheddar in the crust. Yum! I made the semifinals, plus both my pies had been devoured by the time I got to their table, so I was pretty pleased overall. It was such a cool event, you can buy a slice of any of the other pies - and eat it with vanilla ice cream! I tried a delicious sheet pie with a gorgeous flower pattern in the crust. Needless to say, I have consumed an obscene amount of pie in the last few days.

Cottage Pie

Another reason to welcome colder weather: heavy filling foods. I make this a lot in the winter. I don't really use a recipe, but will try to record how I make it as best I can.

1 lb. ground beef (from Cedar Valley Sustainable)
2 carrots
1 stalk celery
1/2 onion
2 large russet potatoes
5 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. milk
2 tbsp. flour
1 c. stock (I used chicken this time)
salt and pepper to taste
dash of worcester sauce

In a large pot, boil potatoes until tender (I poke them with a skewer to check). Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a pan over medium heat. Chop celery, carrots and onions and add them to the pan. Add salt and pepper (and worcester) to taste, lower heat and continue cooking until vegetables are tender. By the way, you can use whatever vegetables are handy, I often include peas. Mash together 1 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. flour with a fork, then add paste to meat mixture and stir in with a wooden spoon. Add stock and cook until mixture thickens. Place meat mixture in the bottom of a baking dish.
Make mashed potatoes: Drain potatoes in a collander, then, using kitchen towels to handle hot potatoes, gently peel them with a knife or your fingers. The skins should come right off. Mash potatoes with remaining butter (add as much as you like, I'm just estimating 4 tbsp.) and a splash of milk, just so as to get the right fluffy consistancy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread mashed potatoes over mince, I used a fork to make the wavy pattern. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes, until the sides start to bubble or the top gets browned. I usually make it ahead and just leave it at room temp until ready to bake. It might need less time if you are putting it in while it's still hot from the pan, or more time if it's coming from the fridge. Yum Yum!

finished stripey sweater

I finished my oversized stripey sweater, yay! The Berocco Vintage Chunky was great to work with and is machine washable, too. The sweater is huge and cozy and knit up very quickly. I knew there was a reason not to mourn the end of the summer: sweaters!