Cook ALL the Pumpkin: Raviolis and Pie

Aaaaaaannnnnnddd...not from Better Homes and Gardens. Oh well. :)

The hubs and I decided tonight around 10pm that we NEEDED fresh pumpkin raviolis. Like REQUIRED. Then we decided we didn't want to wait until 2am to eat. So we compromised, and I found this recipe: Creamy Pumpkin Penne, but we wanted raviolis, so I just pulled a bag of cheese ones from the freezer. It called for fresh sage and pecans which we didn't have on hand, so I omitted those, as well as subbing in real milk for the non-dairy stuff. I whipped it up in less time than it took the raviolis to cook. It was nice. However, I was so tired and hungry that I spaced on picture taking until I was half done eating.

 

Still looks tasty, though, doesn't it? The recipe says to toss the cold sauce with the hot pasta, but that didn't seem like it would work all that well, so I gently warmed it in a saucepan first. Serve with parmesan, and VOILA! 

The hubs cut his half with regular old tomato sauce, but I ate it as-is. I assure you, both ways are very good. ("Wasn't bad," says the hubs.) Probably give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. The called for sage might have been a nice addition, but I can't see the pecans being much help.

Next is :Alton Brown's Pumpkin Pie. In tonight's grand tradition of cutting corners, I didn't make the crust. However it made a few of these custardy beauties.

Which each serve two.

That's just a little whipped cream up on top, cream sugar vanilla, nothing special.





The pie was pretty good. Made with fresh instead of canned has a very different texture and a subtly different flavor, but not in a bad way. However, his recipe doesn't call for cinnamon which it could have used. Also, the gingersnap crust sounds like a perfect substitute for graham cracker in this dish, especially if you aren't a big fan of traditional crust (I'm not). 4 out of 5 stars, though neither rating is REALLY fair as I cut corners in both.







There's my pumpkin stuff for today. What will I do tomorrow? I'm not sure, but it will have to go with ribs!

Cook ALL the Pumpkin!

We have purchased a 30# plus pumpkin recently from a wonderful pick your own place near us. (www.freconfarms.com) I spent HOURS the next day cutting this thing up, then boiling it down and mashing it. I now have over a gallon of pumpkiny goodness to cook NOW or else. SO in the course of trolling the internets, I have found a source of recipes- Better Homes and Gardens. I have many to try, and will be linking the pages. I will post pictures, and opinions, both mine and friends and family. They run the gammut from sweet to savory, soups and stews and desserts and breakfasts...it all sounds good, and the hubs is slavering for them, the pumpkin fiend. So...expect an update a day until I use it all up.

Here goes nothing (but pumpkin).

Nerdy Knits: Doctor Who Fob Watch

So. Recently I made a steampunk outfit for my adorable niece Vi to wear to a theme wedding. It was fun and easy to make, and holy crap is she cute in it. I mean, vomit inducing cute. Pictures to follow as soon as I have them, I promise.

Her father is possibly a bigger Whovian than I am, so when I got the idea to add a pocket watch to her costume, I knew which one it had to be. The Doctor's watch. The Fob. Since the idea made me giggle, I figured the finished project would be fairly epic. It was also an insanely quick knit, finished in one evening. I simplified the map of space time to be easier to embroider with something as bulky as yarn.

DISCLAIMER: Only I have knit this and only once. If there are mistakes, let me know and I will happily fix them. This is my very first written pattern, so be gentle.

Materials used: Caron Simply Soft in heather and black, the back of a plastic grocery bag, cut to size

Gauge and needles: About 4st/inch. I used size 3, use whatever you need, or size up or down for desired size.

Abbreviations used: co-cast on; st-stitches; k-knit; p-purl; k1fb-increase by knitting into the front and back of one stitch; k2tog-knit two together. Got it? Good, moving on.

The pattern:
For both the back piece and the watch cover start here-
Using the longtail method, co 5st
Row 1: knit
2:k1, k1fb, p1, k1fb, k1
3:knit
4:k1, k1fb, p3, k1fb, k1
5:knit
6:k1, k1fb, p5, k1fb, k1
7:knit
8:k1, k1fb, p7, k1fb, k1
9:knit
10:k1, k1fb, p9, k1fb, k1
11:knit
12:k2, p11, k2
13:knit
14:k2, p11, k2
15:knit
16:k1, k2tog, p9, k2tog, k1
17:knit
18:k1, k2tog, p7, k2tog, k1
19:knit
20:k1, k2tog, p5, k2tog, k1
21:knit
22:k1, k2tog, p3, k2tog, k1
23:knit
24:k1, k2tog, p1, k2tog, k1
25:knit
(Bind off here for cover, keep knitting for back)
26:k1, s1, k2tog, psso, k1
27:knit
28:purl
29:knit
30:k1, k1fb, k1
31:knit
32:k1, k2fb, k1
33:knit
34:k1, k2tog twice, k1
35:k2tog twice
2 stich icord 2 inches or so
k2fb
4 stich icord 4 inches or so (to fit the baby's hand)
k2tog twice
k2tog
trim yarn, pull through final loop
double over the 4 stitch icord, sew down end

See diagram for picture to embroider w/contrast color

Sew two pieces together w/cc, stuffing with plastic bag, adding rattle if desired.

For more Who goodness, check out my new Doctor Who font!

From My High School Journals: Jesuse The Masseuse

Jesuse the Masseuse
Owns a pet moose.
He sits on his own,
drinking his juice.
He reads of Spain's truce
in a good Dr. Seuss.
His goose worships Zeus
with a big branch of spruce.
When he plays cards (with Bruce)
wild is the deuce.
Jesuse the Masseuse's
goose is out loose.
So he puts on a noose.
(He's pseudo suicidal)


[All spelling and punctuation faithfully recreated from my journal]