Cranberry Pumpkin Nut Bread

that you too can paint like just Matisse by following this easy tutorial on painted pumpkins. 
http://alisaburke.blogspot.com/2012/09/finger-painted-pumpkins.html

tutorial on how carve this cat pumpkin
http://www.weather.com/family-kids/holidays-halloween/easy-halloween-crafts-20121004

no carve pumpkins-now these three are ones I could handle!

Tin Man

candy corn pumpkins

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Cranberry Pumpkin Nut Bread

Cook's notes: This bread is moist and quite flavorful with the added spices and cranberries.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter (softened) 
• 3/4 cups brown sugar 
• 3/4 cups white sugar 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 cup unsweetened canned pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling
• 2 TB orange zest 
• 1/4 cup orange juice 
• 1 cup whole wheat flour 
• 1-1/4 cups white flour 
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder 
• 2 tsp. baking soda 
• 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 2 tsp. cinnamon 
• scant ground cloves 
• scant nutmeg 
• 1/2 tsp. ginger 
• 1 tsp. allspice 
• 1 cup chopped walnuts 
• 1 cup cranberries (coarsely chopped) 
• 2 TB. sugar

Directions:

• Preheat oven 350.
• Grease one large loaf pan or use two-three mini loaf pans.
• Toss coarsely chopped cranberries in 2 TB. sugar and set aside. 
• Cream butter, sugar and 1 egg. Add in second egg, pumpkin, orange zest and orange juice, beat all ingredients together. 
• In another bowl add flours, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and cranberries and nuts. 
• Add to pumpkin mixture but only stir to moisten ingredients. 
• Bake for 4o minutes or until center comes clean using a toothpick. 
• Cool in pan 10 minutes, invert to a cooling rack.

Tarragon Tuna Melts and Salmon Fillets with a Tarragon Sauce

Tarragon Tuna Melts

Cook's Notes: I will be upfront and say I have not made tuna melts in years. In fact when I shopped for tuna I didn't realize there was even another option out there besides canned tuna. This product caught my interest with the words fresher tasting and no draining  

and I will say it lived up to its advertisement. 

These sandwiches were amazing. The mix of herbs and other ingredients elevated this tuna sandwich several notches. When adding tarragon start small and taste before increasing it. I used dried spice tarragon leaves. Use a firm bread like a sourdough or a Portuguese. Roma tomatoes are firm and hold up better than a regular tomato when using in a grilled sandwich. The sandwiches were cooked on a griddle. 

Makes 4 sandwiches and adapted from tasteofhome.com

Ingredients;

• 1/3 cup Miracle Whip or lite mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup diced sweet onion
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1 TB. each Italian parsley and chives
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
• 2 tsp. lemon juice 
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 12 oz. solid white tuna, flaked
• 1-1/2 cups shredded white or yellow cheddar
• 3 TB. melted butter

Directions:

• Mix salad dressing or mayonnaise, flaked tuna, herbs, mustard, lemon juice , celery and onions.
• Cover and refrigerate several hours.
• Melt 3 TB. tablespoons of butter and use a pastry brush to butter each piece of bread.
• Divide tuna mixture on 4 slices of bread, sprinkle with grated cheese and top with tomato slice. Add rest of bread slices on top of tuna mixture. Grill at 400 degrees on a griddle.  

Grilled Salmon with Tarragon, Lemon and Garlic Sauce

Cook's notes: It is important to make the sauce several hours ahead for flavors to meld. 

Ingredients:

• 4 (4 oz.) salmon fillets
• 1/2 cup lite mayonnaise
• 2 TB. Dijon mustard
• 2 TB. Olive Oil or Blood Orange Olive Oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 TB. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 TB. fresh chopped tarragon or 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon leaves
• 1/4 tsp. lemon pepper

Directions:

• Whisk sauce ingredients together and refrigerate several hours.
• Grill or bake salmon fillets.
• Take sauce out 1/2 hour before serving and rewhisk before serving on top of the fillets.

  

    

Two Chicken Tarragon Salads with Wild Rice and Dorset, Mn

The town of Dorset, Minnesota is located six miles northeast of Park Rapids and six miles west of Nevis in northern Minnesota. Dorset is a century old town with a population of 22 depending on who you talk to. Perhaps you have heard of this town that until this past August could boast having the youngest politician with its mayor, Robert Tufts, 5 years old. Any residency or age candidate is accepted. The only requirement is filling in a vote sheet and attaching $1.00. A new name is drawn every August. 

Not only did the town have the youngest mayor, but it also calls itself "Restaurant Capital of the World" because it allegedly has more restaurants per capita than anywhere else. These restaurants are all located right down both sides of main street which is one block long.
Two of Dorset's big events are in June their annual Festival of Authors and Artists sponsored by nearby Sister Wolf Bookstore, and in August Taste of Dorset where thousands of people gather for food, games and socializing. 

On September 4 early in the morning, severe storms rolled through the area. The town of Dorset lost its heart and soul when a devastating fire wiped out many buildings including the popular Mexican Companeros and Dorset House restaurants. The Dorset House was legendary for its homemade pies and ice cream. The historic building was over 150 years old. In picture below it was located to the left of the Mexican Companeros Restaurant (yellow building). Lightening may have been the cause of the fire.  It was very dark and cloudy day when I took these pictures so not as clear as I had hoped they would be. 

Many of the buildings that were lost were attached by a boardwalk and some suffered extensive smoke damage. It has not been determined if and when there will be rebuilding. Such a loss for the community.  

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Lunch or Supper Entrees

Tarragon Chicken and Wild Rice Salad with Raspberries

Cook's Notes: Advance time saving planning;make wild rice the day before and refrigerate. Use a rotisserie chicken. Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups uncooked wild rice
• 4- 1/2 cups water
• 6 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 3 cups diced carrots (about 6 medium)
• 2 cups sliced celery (about 4 medium stalks)
• 3/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
• 1 TB. parsley flakes
• 1 (12 oz.) bottle raspberry vinaigrette dressing or make your own (you will need about 3/4 cup for the recipe)
• 1 pint fresh raspberries
• mixed greens

Directions:

• Rinse rice with cold water. Cook rice in water as directed on package. Drain; rinse with cold water. (Cook rice about 55 minutes) 
• In large bowl, combine rice and all remaining ingredients except raspberries and dressing; toss to combine. Cover; refrigerate at least 30 minutes to chill.
• Optional serving ideas; Toss all ingredients with mixed greens and serve in a large bowl or for individual servings use Bibb lettuce and place wild rice salad mixture on top of lettuce.     
• Just before serving, toss salad with dressing, sprinkle raspberries on top. Serve with cantaloupe slices.

Lunds and Byerly's Chicken Wild Rice Salad with Creamy Tarragon Dressing

Cook's Notes: Lunds and Byerly's is an upscale grocery store with several locations in the Twin Cities area. The deli offerings are amazing. One of my favorite salads to order is the salad pictured above.  I was quite excited and surprised to find the recipe posted online. 

Wild Rice has a nutty flavor and hearty texture. This salad offers several options. Just in time for fall flavors try adding in cubed cooked butternut squash and dried cranberries substituting for red grapes. Mushrooms can be substituted for water chestnuts. But its the creamy tarragon dressing that is the star of the show. The salad should be made several hours ahead for flavors to meld. 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

•  2/3 cup lite mayonnaise or lite Miracle Whip
• 1/3 cup 2 % milk 
• 2 TB. lemon juice 
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. dried tarragon, crumbled 
• 3 cups cooked, cubed chicken 
• 3 cups cooked wild rice 
• 1/3 cup finely sliced green onion 
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and diced 
• 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 1/8 tsp. pepper 
• 1/2 pound seedless red grapes, halved (1 cup) 
• 1 cup salted cashews 

Directions

• In small bowl, blend mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice and tarragon; set aside. 
• In large bowl, combine chicken, wild rice, green onion, water chestnuts, salt and pepper. Stir in mayonnaise mixture until blended. Refrigerate, covered.
• Just before serving, fold in grapes and cashews. 

One cup uncooked wild rice equals 3-4 cups cooked.

Tarragon Glazed Carrots

Tarragon is an aromatic herb that is considered one of the four finest seasoning ingredients in traditional French cooking. It has a distinctive aniseed flavor so use it sparingly. A perfect match with chicken, it can also be used to flavor oils and vinegars. Dried tarragon retains much of the flavor of fresh, so it is fine to use if you can’t find fresh. It is one of the herbs that makes up fines herbes and is also used in béarnaise sauce. 

The next two postings will feature a main dish, salad and a sauce using tarragon.

Tarragon Glazed Carrots

Cook's notes: These tarragon glazed carrots are full of flavor – sweet and savory – and perfectly tender.They’re really simple to prepare.  A great side for any meal.

Ingredients:

• 8 carrots, sliced
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon or 1/4 tsp. dried tarragon
• 1 tsp. brown sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• freshly ground pepper 

Directions:

• In a large saucepan or skillet, cover carrots with water and bring to boil - keep pot covered.
• Reduce heat and continue simmering for about 10 - 15 more minutes or until carrots are tender.
• Drain water from the pot.
• Stir in the remaining ingredients and coat carrots. Cook for 2 more minutes or until butter is melted and carrots are glazed. Season with salt and pepper.

Quick and clever egg trick for making egg salad. The idea comes from the Pioneer Woman 

Peel your hard-boiled eggs and place each egg one at a time on top of a cooling rack you’d use for cookies or cakes. (The rack should be resting over a bowl.)

Use the palm of your (very clean) hand and pop it right through!

Word of the Day:Purple

I got the call late from my daughter just as I was leaving the house. I was forewarned- today was purple day.  Lucky I just happened to have purple flowers. I cut some so I would have something to share. 

As part of a school wide team building for the first two weeks of school each day is a designated color. Today was purple. The staff and students went all out. Purple Viking shirts were in abundance. 

And then there were shoes.

The activities were focused on the word purple.

Only 2 students out of 22 have had any previous preschool experience,so boundaries, rules, directions and staying on task are all new to them. Plus the challenge of being in an all day program. 
Everyday is a busy day.

This is a late message-
The Good Morning America filming from Northport School and Jamie Foxx is scheduled  to be shown Friday September 12. Its on early-set your alarm.

Mary Oliver

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do 

with your one wild and precious life?” 
Mary Oliver

―

Mary Oliver was born September 10, 1935. She is an American poet who has won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Mary Oliver's poetry is grounded in memories of her Ohio upbringing and the New England landscape where she eventually settled. She is influenced by both Whitman and Thoreau. Oliver is known for her clear and poignant observances of the natural world. Her creativity is stirred by nature. She is an avid walker, who often pursues inspiration on foot. Her poems are filled with imagery from her daily walks near her home: shore birds, water snakes, the phases of the moon,humpback whales and her dogs.
Oliver has also been compared to Emily Dickinson, with whom she shares an affinity for solitude and interior monologues. Her poetry combines dark introspection with joyous release.
For me Mary Oliver's poems about the natural landscape and fundamental questions of life and death are perceptive and brilliantly crafted. There is a kind of quietness and feeling of peacefulness with each poetic line she pens.

Happy Birthday

The Journey
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice --
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do --
determined to save
the only life you could save.”

"Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” 

Mary Oliver

Update from a kindergarten volunteer

My day did not go as planned. Lucky I didn't spend too much time worrying about what to wear for the Good Morning America filming. The night before I got a call and found out no extra people were allowed in the building which included any parents who wanted to watch and volunteers. There were space limitations with the gym being only large enough to hold the students, teachers and filming crew. All 6 kindergarten classes remained in their classrooms for the morning until lunch time. Lucky each classroom has a bathroom since students were encouraged not to be in the hallways. Grade 1-6 have been practicing for a week on how to behave in an assembly.
Sony production representatives were there promoting their movie Annie with Jamie Foxx, some members 0f the Turnaround Arts Initiative organization and the Good Morning America production crew.  
Follow this link for a picture of  film actor Jamie Foxx at Northport Elementary posted by Star Tribune.

http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/movies/274678921.html
so the bottom line is I missed all the excitement but will be visiting Northport tomorrow and hopefully pick up more details.  My daughter did get a brief glimpse looking out her classroom window of the entourage black SUVs pulling up to the school and Jamie Foxx getting out.

The World According to Bella

A Step Into Middle Age
Maybe it was the way he said arthritis or the scale showing a extra 10 pound weight gain or the possibility of having Lyme's or then maybe it was  pill container Dr. Eckholm handed Mr.C that made me think I have stepped into a new stage called middle age. 
Mr. C took me to see Dr. Eckholm because my back leg hurts and I have been limping. Check out all these meds I have to take. Dr. Eckholm thought this container would help Mr. C  remember. I like the taste of the one shaped like a milkbone.    

I have a secret admirer who knows how much I love mail. I recently received 4 little itty, bitty lo-cal treats in the mail as a reward for my walk to the mailbox. The envelope said only 3 calories per treat which doesn't exactly ruin my diet and does meet with Mr. C's approval.

 Mr. C has increased by dog walks from 2-3 a day . If I don't lose some weight I will never fit into my orange neoprene fall vest, a much needed apparel for hunting season. 

Love, Bella

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Periodically I will post some creative Fall/Halloween ideas that I think you might enjoy 

Pumpkin Vase

tin can inside a pumpkin 

Spray paint red roses from Dollar Store black and use in a centerpiece fpr Halloween decor.

  Veggie tray

DIY Nail Polish Marbleized Pumpkins

http://sayyes.com/2013/10/diy-marbled-pumpkins.html