Roasted Butternut Squash with Balsamic and Rosemary

{Photo Credit: Whole Foods Market}

I had made this recipe a few weeks ago, but failed to get pictures before it was gobbled up.  I am going to cook it for Thanksgiving Day, but did not want to wait until then for pictures so that others will be able to make this super easy and delicious side dish for all those Thanksgiving gatherings.  Of course, it does not need to be a holiday to enjoy this yummy side dish.  Another bonus: my four-year old loved it!

Roasted Butternut Squash

with Balsamic and Rosemary

Ingredients

1 Medium Butternut Squash, peeled, cubed, and seeded (approx. 4 cups)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp rough chopped Fresh Rosemary

1/2 tsp Salt

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 375

2.  Add all ingredients to large bowl

3.  Stir or toss to combine

4.  Spread on foil- or silpat-covered baking sheet (I used parchment paper)

5.  Bake for 45 minutes to one hour until brown and tender

6.  Serve and Enjoy!

Recipe Credit: FrugalFreebiesandDeals.com

Cranberry Pork Roast

When it comes to food, this time of year usually brings about thoughts of turkey.  With that turkey comes thoughts of cranberries, but cranberries are not just for turkey.  Chicken and pork pair well with the tart little berries as well.  The cranberry and pork juices from this roast make a fantastic gravy to serve with the pork.

After looking at a variety of cranberry pork recipes, this is the one I have come up with that I use the most.  I love the sweet flavor and the spices.  Best of all, I love the ease of this roast and the smell as it cooks in the slow-cooker.

Cranberry Pork Roast

Roast

2 1/2 - 3-lb boneless rolled pork loin roast

14.5-oz can whole cranberry sauce

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup cranberry pomegranate juice (or your own favorite cranberry juice blend)

1 tsp grated orange peel (or 2 Tbsp orange juice)

1 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Place the roast in the slow cooker.  Mix together sugar, cranberry sauce, juice, grated orange peel, and spices.  Pour over the roast.  Place lid on slow cooker.  Cook on low for 5-7 hours, or until meat is tender.  Remove the roast and keep warm while making the gravy.

Roast before cooking

Gravy

2 cups juices from pork roast

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp cold water

1 tsp salt (optional)

Skim the fat from the juices.  Measure 2 cups of juices, adding water if necessary.  Pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Mix the cornstarch and water into a paste.  Stir into gravy.  Continue stirring and cooking until thickened.  Season with salt, if desired.  Remove from heat.  Serve with sliced pork.

Trick or Treat

 

This year was Addy's very first year going trick-or-treating.  She came with us last year as a bumble bee, but didn't actually go up to the doors.  It only took her one house to catch on to what to do.  By the time we were half-way through, she would open her bag at the beginning of the sidewalk and start yelling "trih-tweet" all the way to the porch, up the steps, and at the un-opened door.  Yeah, she really got into the spirit.  She even tried to trick-or-treat some of the trick-or-treaters--hey, they had candy, right?

It was so much fun to see how thrilled both Owen and Addy were and how much they really enjoyed trick-or-treating.  I love this time we have together as a family and I love seeing all the neighbors out interacting together and with their own families.  Of course, some of the other costumes completely freaked Owen out.  He seems to have acquired my fear of most clowns.  

The amount of candy this year was ridiculous.  I do not ever remember getting that much when I was little.  It's no wonder that Addy wanted to wear her costume the next day and then climbed into the wagon and asked to trick-or-treat again.  I filled up gallon-sized bags of candy for each kid!  I let them have one piece out of their bag each day, so after awhile they tend to forget it's even there.  In fact, the day before Halloween this year I threw out the left-overs from last year's Halloween candy, and Owen did not get nearly as much last year as this.  Guess I'm going to need to help them out a little.

I do admit that I eat my kids' candy.  Right now, I can use the excuse that Addy should not eat the really chewy or hard candy for fear of her choking.  I might be able to get one more year out of that with her, so I will have to come up with some more excuses..I mean reasons...to eat the candy.  

Mary Had a Little...Cold

Well, it's that time of year again...cold and flu season.  In this house, it is a season with more dread to us than to most others.  Due to my son's asthma and premature birth, his lungs are very susceptible to illness and infection.  For over six weeks now, he has already been fighting off various colds and allergies.  

For the first three years, a "simple" cold would be enough to land him in the hospital.  Thankfully, it takes a little more than that now.  Because of this, we tend to take extra precautions and clean hands a little more frequently than most.

Below is a great poem from my son's school handbook that sums up well this season of germ sharing. 

Mary Had a Little Cold

Mary had a little cold, but would not stay at home.

Everywhere that Mary went, the cold was sure to roam.

It wandered into Mollie's eyes and filled them full of tears.

It jumped from there to Bobby's nose and then to Jimmy's ears.

It painted Anna's throat bright red and swelled poor Daniel's head.

Sally had a fever and a cough put Jack to bed.

The moral of this little tale is very quickly said...

Mary could have saved a lot of pain by just one day in bed!

Taco Soup

This soup is perfect for Fall.  Plus, you can make it two different ways-- either in your slow-cooker or on the stove top.  The slow-cooker brings out the flavors more while the stove top is great for a quick meal.  Just add your favorite toppings!

Taco Soup

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef (or 1.5 pounds, if you prefer more meat)

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 can red kidney beans

1 can sweet golden corn

1 can pinto beans

1 can black beans

1 can Rotele tomatoes (I prefer the Mexican with Lime and Cilantro)

Suggested toppings: Sour cream, mozzarella cheese or a Mexican cheese blend, chives, nacho chips, jalapenos, etc. 

For Slow Cooker:

Brown the beef in a skillet on the stove top.  Drain the meat and put in the slow-cooker.  Add taco seasoning and all non-drained canned ingredients to the slow-cooker.  Stir together and cook on low for 4-6 hours until heated through.  Serve with your favorite toppings.

For Stove Top:

Brown the beef in a large skillet on the stove top.  Drain the meat and return to the skillet.  Add taco seasoning and all non-drained canned ingredients to the meat.  Stir together and bring to a simmer.  Cook until heated through.  Serve with your favorite toppings.

A Beautiful Day for Apples

{Sweet brother pulling his sister}

I had mentioned earlier that we went to the apple orchard.  That was a few weeks ago, but due to constant colds, respiratory problems, and ear infections, I haven't had a chance to post some pictures from our trip.  

The weather was absolutely perfect.  The morning started out a little chilly and warmed up as the day progressed--it actually felt like a Fall day.  We decided to try out a new orchard, Grandad's Apples in Hendersonville.  

We have a lot here in Charlotte, but there are two things we don't have that I wish we did: a zoo and an apple orchard, both of which you must drive a couple of hours.  Thankfully, the drive to the orchard is through the mountains for half of it, so it felt even more like Fall.

I loved that they were able to see from where an apple actually comes.  Owen loved being our big helper, picking every apple he could reach, so we had to start giving him some guidance.

Owen has a thing about smells. Thankfully, the apples smelled "delicious."

These kiddos love to dance...anywhere, any time.

They had a cute cow ride pulled by a tractor.  It went through a corn field and down by the peach trees.  They both loved it, but I think Owen was slightly more thrilled.  

We wore her out.  She was asleep in five minutes after getting in the car.

Apple Buttermilk Pancakes

We went apple picking this weekend at an apple orchard in the mountains of North Carolina a couple of hours from us.  We came home with some delicious apples and I could not wait to start making some delicious recipes. 

Breakfast seemed like a great way to start off the recipes, so I tried a recipe my mom had--yum! The recipe below is one that I slightly tweaked. Hope you enjoy!

Apple Buttermilk Pancakes 

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon (or 1/4 tsp for less cinnamon flavor)

2 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs

2 T. butter, melted

1 lg Granny Smith apple, peeled & chopped

Directions

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in the center of the mixture.  Stir together the buttermilk, eggs, and butter.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.  Fold in the apple.  

Pour 1/4 cup of the batter for each pancake onto a hot, lightly greased griddle.  Cook until the tops are covered with bubbles and the edges look cooked. Flip and cook the other side.

Yield: 16 (4-inch) pancakes