Friday Favorites

1st Day Of Fall Feels A Whole Lot Like Summer-temperatures soared well into the 90's. At one point I saw 92!! I loved it.

15 Healthy Pizza Recipes which include:

Cauliflower Pizza Crust with Spinach and Chicken 
http://frame.bloglovin.com/?post=5883272485&blog=3508564&frame_type=none

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta 

https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/creamy-butternut-squash-pasta/

14 Best Pumpkin Bread Recipes From BHG which include:
Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

http://www.bhg.com/recipes/desserts/breads/pumpkin-bread-recipes/

Wonderful resource to keep kids interested and inspired to read  

https://www.jumpintoabook.com/2016/08/bite-sized-reading-tricks/

An Ever Ready Favorite
Autumn Beef Stew with Apple Cheddar Bread

http://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2015/09/manhole-sewer-covers-and-autumn-beef.html

The World According to Bella

A Most Excellent Up North Adventure (Indeed a true story) 

Mr. C called it my excellent adventure. Mrs. S called it her worst nightmare. I think I will go with Mr. C’s take on the evening events.

Mrs. S and I were out for an early evening walk. There was not much new along the road to sniff and no one was outside to stop and visit with. Kinda all boring until the most extraordinary happened. Like the speed of lightning I was off with Mrs. S close behind yelling “Stop! Stop!” I just ignored her.

I wish you could have seen all these chickens and ducks-they were everywhere in my neighbor’s yard. I went berserk! I was on the chase of a lifetime second only to my javelina chase in the desert. I went this way and that way every which way trying my best to catch one. I got dizzy with so many choices. And what a lot of commotion these birds made squawking, honking, quacking, chirping, peeping, clucking and wildly flapping their wings. And Mrs. S screaming made it all even louder. It looked to me like she was out of control especially at one point when I had a duck by its neck shaking it. I kept hearing over and over “No Bella! Stop!” just as I got close to one. Since I was off leash I was much too quick for Mrs. S. to catch me.

I chased them birds all around the house past the chicken coop wondering why the door was open. The feast before me was almost overwhelming and the chase was becoming exhausting, I was panting hard and my energy was running low. All of sudden Mrs. S screams “I give up!” and then she walks away.

Perhaps she felt some reinforcements were needed to help her. I was puzzled. Soon after I had enough too and followed her to another neighbor’s house. I slowed down enough for Mrs. S to grab my collar.  Quickly I was stuffed into a van and taken home.

Mrs. S went back to the crime scene with a neighbor to check out the dead body count. Later I got the rest of the story. When they arrived back there the owners showed up. It seems they had been out on a boat ride. Much to Mrs. S’s surprise she was told these birds were all free range and were out and about getting their exercise for the day. So everyone then went on a hunt counting chickens and ducks only to find out not one life was lost. Hard to believe huh? And we know there are foxes nearby in the woods just waiting for their next meal. 

I must say I had the most excellent adventure even though now I have to be on a leash going past their house. As for Mrs. S she didn’t look too well and needed a rest.

Love, Bella

P.S. Since this was an action packed moment Mrs. S was NOT taking pictures. This is one of their coop taken last year. 

Fall Has It All

Fall retains the air of fresh beginnings.

To Autumn is a poem written by English Romantic poet John Keats (October 31, 1795 -February 23,1821). The work was composed on September 19, 1819 and published in 1820 in a volume of Keats's poetry. It was the final work in a group of poems known as Keats's "1819 odes."

To Autumn has been regarded by critics as one of the most perfect short poems in the English language.
Although personal problems left him little time to devote to poetry in 1819, he composed To Autumn after a walk near Winchester one autumnal evening. The work marks the end of his poetic career, as he needed to earn money and could no longer devote himself to the lifestyle of a poet. A little over a year following the publication of To Autumn, Keats died in Rome.

The poem has three eleven-line stanzas which describe a progression through the season, from the late maturation of the crops to the harvest and to the last days of autumn when winter is nearing.
To Autumn
John Keats

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.


Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.


Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,--
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

Celebrate the day with a cookie favorite Gingersnaps. These cookies are crisp, flavorful and highly addictive. 

Joan's Old-Fashioned Gingersnaps

Recipe makes 2 dozen and was previously posted but certainly worth a repost!.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup softened butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 2-1/4 cups of flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. ginger
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 
• pinch(dash) nutmeg
• 1/2 cup coarse sugar for rolling dough balls

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone pad. 
• In a bowl add flour, soda and spices.
• In another bowl beat butter, brown sugar, egg and molasses
• Combine both mixtures and blend well.
• Cover and chill in freezer for an hour.
• Roll dough into 1-1/2 inch balls and then roll balls in sugar.
• Place on cookie sheet, flour bottom of a glass and slightly flatten each dough ball with glass bottom.
• Sprinkle each cookie with a little more sugar.
• Bake cookies about 9-10 minutes.
• Cool cookies on a wire rack

Spaghetti Squash with Meat Ragu

On a no-pasta diet? Tasty spaghetti squash is a great stand-in for carb-dense noodles. Spaghetti squash is so versatile and easy to make! Enjoy it with salt and pepper as a side dish, drizzle it with butter and grated cheese, or top it with tomato sauce to replace your favorite spaghetti dish. 

One cup of cooked spaghetti made from white, enriched noodles, contains approximately 220 calories, 42 grams of carbohydrates and very few nutrients. Comparably, one cup of cooked spaghetti squash provides about 42 calories, 10 grams of carbohydrates, and a host of important nutrients such as vitamin A and potassium.
Once you find out how really easy it is to roast spaghetti squash you'll be craving it more and on the hunt for recipes. 

I found this step by step video on how to roast spaghetti squash helpful.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/photos/how-to-roast-spaghetti-squash

BEEF RAGU BOLOGNESE 
Ever wonder what the difference is between a Ragu' and Sauce? You might think that they are one and the same since they all go with pasta. But there are differences.

"Sugo" or sauce is a general term that indicates a fluid sauce. It can be a simple tomato sauce like a marinara or can include whole plum tomatoes and some other ingredients, cut small.
A ragu' is a thick, chunky sauce usually made by cooking several kinds of meat in a sauce, usually tomato. That said, a ragu' can also made with seafood, vegetables or a combination of these.

The most famous ragu's in Italy are the Bolognese and the Napoletan. A Bolognese ragu' is made with ground meat cooked with vegetables and a small amount of concentrated tomato.

Spaghetti Squash with Meat Ragu
Cook's Notes: Roasted Spaghetti squash topped with a simple meat sauce that has simmered with tomatoes, onion, carrots and celery. I loved this low carb dish, you won't even miss the pasta and you save on calories.
Recipe serves four and adapted from skinnytaste.com 
Ingredients:

• 8 cups cooked spaghetti squash from 2 medium, about 6 lbs. 
• salt and pepper to taste
• cooking spray

For the Meat Sauce

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 cup each diced onion, carrots, celery
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 (14.5 oz. can) crushed tomatoes, basil and garlic
• 1 (14.5 oz. can) whole peeled plum tomatoes
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Add chopped onions, celery, carrots to food processor. Pulse four times.    
• In a large deep pan add olive oil and saute chopped veggies on medium heat for four minutes. 
• Add in crumbled meat and cook on low covered. Drain mixture and pat meat dry of grease and return back to fry pan.  
• Add in one can crushed tomatoes, one can whole tomatoes, sugar, Italian seasoning, bay leaf and wine. Cook on low heat one hour, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf before serving.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone pad. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop and clean out flesh. Spray inside of squash and outside edges with cooking spray. Salt and pepper and roast 45 minutes or until fork tender drawing threads through the squash. 
• Place cooked spaghetti squash in a bowl and cover to keep warm until serving. 
• Grate Parmesan cheese over top of each Beef Ragu serving.
  

Apple Pecan Spice Cake with Penuche Frosting

How beautiful leaves grow old. How full of colors are their last days.

Apple Pecan Spice Cake with Penuche Frosting
Cook's notes: This was easily one of the best fall cakes I have ever had. Everything about this cake was absolute perfection. The spice cake was tender and moist. The apples with  pecan combination brought out such a delicious flavor and texture.  Let this cake be on the top of your list for fall baking. Actually do not wait until it is officially fall. Bake it right now! And take note no mixer is needed for this recipe. The cake can stand alone but adding penuche frosting is really the piece de resistance.
Recipe adapted from the recipecritic.com

Directions: 

• 4 cups Granny Smith apples, chopped into small pieces (about 4 medium apples) 
• 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp.vanilla
• 1 cup white flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour 
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon or 1-1/2 tsp. Saigon cinnamon
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• dash nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• ½ cup buttermilk 
• 1 cup pecans or walnuts roughly chopped

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine apples, sugars and cinnamon.
• Whisk oil, eggs, and vanilla together in another bowl. Stir into apple mixture. 
• In another mixing bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger  and salt. Add the flour mixture to the apple mixture. Add milk and stir until just combined. Add in chopped pecans or walnuts.
• Pour into prepared 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting. Sprinkle finely ground nuts immediately over frosting before it sets.  

Penuche Frosting (recipe below enough for a 9 x 9 cake double if frosting a 13 x 9 cake)  
Ingredients:

• 3 TB. butter 
• 1/2 cup brown sugar 
• 1/4 cup milk (may need more) 
• dash salt 
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar 

Directions:

• In a saucepan melt butter on low heat, stir in brown sugar, milk, salt and vanilla. 
• Use a whisk and stir on low heat until sugar dissolved and smooth about 2 minutes. 
• Remove pan from heat and stir in powdered sugar. 
• Use a hand mixer to beat frosting in the saucepan until smooth. May need to add more milk for right consistency. 

Another yummy frosting option Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe for a 9 x 9 cake double if frosting a 13 x 9 pan.
Ingredients:

• 1 (3 oz) package cream cheese frosting, room temperature
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup golden brown sugar
• 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
• milk 

Directions:

• Melt butter on medium low, add in brown sugar and vanilla, whisk well and cook 2 minutes until sugar dissolved.
• Remove from stove and beat in cream cheese and powdered sugar, adding in milk as needed for correct consistency.

Weekend Round-Up

28 Best Game Day Foods Link

Healthy Edamame Avocado Dip

http://www.bhg.com/recipes/party/party-ideas/football-party-recipes/?utm_source=bhg-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hac_091717&did=170805-20170917
Best Breakfast Links
 Mexican Baked Eggs

http://www.closetcooking.com/2011/09/mexican-baked-eggs.html
18 Fast and Healthy Breakfast Recipes from BHG

Mediterranean Breakfast Sandwich

http://www.bhg.com/recipes/breakfast/easy/quick-and-healthy-breakfast-recipes/?utm_source=bhg-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=bhgweeklyupdate_091617&did=170808-20170916

Best Weekend Treat a visit from my blogger friend Audrey Helbling from 
https://mnprairieroots.com/ (Faribault, MN). She and her husband Randy were on an up north vacation and came for a visit. Of course wonderful conversations are even better when  enjoyed with food- so brunch we had. 

Audrey's thoughtful gifts were perfect for the cook.  This plate has the all the popular regional hot dishes found in the state and tis the season for everything pumpkin! I'm sure to find many recipes to try.  

Many thanks to Audrey and Randy for adding a vacation stop at the Readys.
Apple,Grape and Pecan Salad with Mustard Maple Vinaigrette

http://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2017/09/its-all-about-them-apples.html

Wild Rice, Sausage and Potato Casserole
http://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2015/07/weekend-round-up-and-world-according-to.html

Angel Food Cake with Warm Chocolate Kahlua Sauce
http://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2014/05/warm-kahlua-chocolate-sauce.html

A Minnesota Fall Salad

Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries, Butternut Squash and Toasted Pecans with Maple Balsamic Dressing
Cook's notes: This splendid autumn salad includes some of Minnesota’s very best natural ingredients. It's definitely company worthy. Butternut squash works well for this dish because the squash holds its shape beautifully after being roasted. The combination of nutty wild rice, a simple maple dressing, and fresh herbs are not only delicious together, but their vibrant colors combine to make one stunning dish. Consider a time saver by making the wild rice ahead and toasting the pecans. The dressing can be easily doubled.
Recipe from the "Smitten with Squash Cookbook" and serves 4.

Ingredients Dressing:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or Blood Orange Olive Oil
• 2 TB. pure maple syrup
• 2 TB. balsamic vinegar or Cranberry Pear Balsamic 
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• scant 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 TB. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Ingredients Salad:

• 2- 1/2 cups peeled and finely chopped butternut squash
• 1- 1/2 TB. olive oil or Blood Orange Olive Oil
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 TB. balsamic vinegar
• sea salt and black pepper
• 4-5 cups torn baby spinach leaves or chopped romaine
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced leeks, both white and green parts or green onions
• 1 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans or cashews
• 4 cups cooked wild rice, warmed

Directions:

• Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and mix well. Refrigerate until needed
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread squash evenly on baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. 
• Roast squash for about 20 minutes or until fork tender, stirring once during the roasting time. Set aside.
• In a measuring cup place dried cranberries or cherries. Pour boiling water over it and let set for 15 minutes. Drain. 
• In a large bowl, combine leeks or onions, cherries or cranberries, basil and wild rice. Stir dressing into salad; taste and adjust salt level if needed. Place mixture on spinach leaves or chopped Romaine. Top with pecans.
• Serve dish at room temperature.
  

Autumn

by Fr. Edward Hays

priest, author and spiritual guidance director

O sacred season of Autumn, be my teacher,

for I wish to learn the value of contentment.

As I gaze upon your full-colored beauty,

I sense all about you

an at-homeness with your amber riches.

You are the season of retirement,

of full barns and harvested fields.

The cycle of growth has ceased,

and the busy work of giving life

is now completed.

I sense in you no regrets:

you've lived a full life.

I live in a society that is ever-restless,

always eager for more mountains to climb, seeking happiness through more.

As a child of my culture,

I am seldom at peace with what I have.

Teach me to take stock of what I have given and received;

may I know that it's enough,

that my striving can cease

in the abundance of God's grace.

May I know the contentment

that allows the totality of my energies

to come to full flower.

May I know that like you I am rich beyond measure.

As you, O Autumn, take pleasure in your great bounty,

let me also take delight

in the abundance of the simple things in life

which are the true source of joy.

With the golden glow of peaceful contentment

may I truly appreciate this Autumn day.

May your fall days be filled with color, vitality and gratitude.