Pumpkin-palooza part 2

Previously on pumpkin fest (to be read like voice over on Glee): There was a successful batch of pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, a pumpkin soup that was equated to baby food, heavenly pumpkin fro yo, and the to be continued pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin butter that were left to chill over night.  Oh the suspense.  Well, not to worry, the refrigerator did not sporadically begin heating instead of cooling, no one broke in and stole it in the middle of the night and both were a success.


See here:

So, it may have been a stretch to go daily... live and learn, but not to worry! I have been baking away all week.

So it was time for part two:

Lets begin with the red headed stepchild of the family, the winter squash.

Mushrooms, celery, onions.
Thanking God for the pre-cut onions to avoid the tears

Tribute to Rachel Ray: some EVOO. Despite her voice, she has got some kick butt ways about her cooking. Thats just a fact.

Add sage. Moment of silence to honor camp, and the fact that I could pick this up on the trail rather than have it in my beloved spice rack.  Think about an herb garden, then quickly remember I have a black thumb. Scratch the herb garden idea.

Salt N Pepper. Sing: what a meal, what a meal, what a mighty good meal in honor of the 90's. Then continue cooking.

Git R Done y'all!

Joke: What did the acorn squash say to the mushroom, celery, onion mix.  I'm stuffed!!! Hahaha. Or... ok, thats not really funny.  That joke was a tribute to my kiddos who are the kings of jokes that are not actually jokes.

Success. That was Y-U-M. Yum.

Time for pumpkin broccoli. Don't judge before you try.  THIS WAS MMMMMMarvelous. 

Ingredients: Pumpkin and broccoli (with some undocumented EVOO, pepper, salt, and Parmesan cheese baked into mmmmmmmm).

Success. But I began missing the butter.  It was just calling from the fridge.  Uuuuuse me, uuuuuse me (as I may or may not have bought 3 packs in anticipation of this pumpkin-y nonsense).
So butter? Here's your shinning moment.  The butter demands that you stay at this picture for 15 seconds.  I say you can just keep scrolling on down.  Butter is overrated.

Sugar is much more my thing.  Sugar: get your booty on in there.  Sugar= love.

Empathetically understanding that all these batters look the same.  So I added some goodies and left them picture-less.  To many divas already have been presented.  Of course it was the usual suspects of pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree, salt, baking powder, flour, vanilla.

Wet then dry. All successfully while using the SAME spoon.  I am improving. Yoohoo!

To prove this point, I didn't even include the title of the recipe.  If you are curious, it is pumpkin cookies.  I brought them into school the next day to share.  

Result?  Jeff downed 4 in three minutes and we had to send them down to first grade to stop eating them.  

My final recipe is a shout out to all my gluten-free homies.  First ever... Here we gooooo!   

Gluten free flour, you are truly a wonder.  Interesting smell, interesting lumpy consistency.  (Interesting being one of those p.c. kinda words used when not sure and trying to keep an open mind.  I use this word frequently.  You? ) How will you incorporate Mr. Flour? 

Not to shabby.  But lets Emerill it up and kick it up a notch... spiced almonds on top? POW!

Oh. yeah. baby!

Insert song of lament here.  This has concluded my pumpkin palooza.  Wa wa waaaaaaa.  It was certainly fun! And I enjoyed all things pumpkin to the fullest.  Stay tuned for other cooking blogs coming your way.  Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas... Cookies? I think that just might be the next one.   Amy, you can come on over to try those babies out!

Thanks for playing!