Good Morning!

It is 8 am, and I am up, dressed and on my way to a Yoga class with a friend. I keep asking myself, who is this person looking at me in the mirror. Surely this go-getter resembles me in form, but the Autumn I know likes to sleep until 10 and is groggy and grumpy even then. This morning I seem to be hearkening back to my old work-a-day self. Maybe this is progress?

A Poetic Musing

Autumn is the denouement of Nature's novel

The hopes and plans of middle-March played out

In violent golds and gory reds

Winter's breath steals in by night

To kill the works of August sun

And so return the leaves and buds 

To the ground from which they sprung.

Pumpkins, Farms, and Autumnal Outtings

It was a beautiful chilly October day when Dr. H and I drove out into farm country in search of the perfect pumpkin. Instead of one, we found three of them! We also found some delicious caramel corn, and a million other people who had had the same idea for how to spend their Sunday. Lucky for us we had beat the church crowd, and were happily munching on our snacks and  speeding down the two lane road when the throngs of people really started to pour in. The road out was free and clear, the road in was in a state of gridlock reminiscent of the 5 freeway in LA at rush hour. It was a strange thing to see in that rural little town.

Now, pumpkin carving is one of my very favorite holiday activities. I'm not much into the fake blood and creepy scenes associated with Halloween, but I'm a big fan of low-pressure art projects and candy. I also love roasted pumpkin seeds, and I'm a bit of a mess-maker at heart. So Hurray for Halloween! As long as they don't decompose too soon, these three little guys will greet trick-or-treaters on our front porch. 

Junk 2 Funk

Hurray the fashion show and silent auction are done! And were very successful! Here are a couple of quick images of the venue and the silent auction area. I'm pretty proud of how it turned out!

Unfortunately, I didn't get any shots of the outfits since I worked through the show, but if you're interested in seeing any of them, here is a video of the show finale.
 

Tonight's the Night

It is finally here. The Kootenai Environmental Alliance's Junk 2 Funk Fashion show fundraiser is tonight, and I am already tired! I volunteered to run the silent auction part of the event, and am part of a two-man committee for venue decoration. Yesterday, a small team spend ALL day getting it ready, and I must say, it looks fabulous! This promises to be a great event, and will hopefully raise all kinds of funds for KEA. I intend to take tons of pictures tonight, and will post them on here when I get a chance. So stay tuned! And if you happen to be in the area, join us!

Cabbage and Noodles: Yes I'm Serious

So I have recently gotten some flack from people who think cabbage and noodles sounds either a) gross, or b)crazy. I'm here to set the record straight and say that this amazing old Bohemian dish is neither of those. What it is is a delicious no-fuss dinner perfect for times when you have 3 dollars left in the bank, and a whole house full of hungry people. For you nay-sayers out there, I am posting the recipe and issuing this challenge: Make the damn cabbage and noodles and just try to tell me you didn't like it!  (If you dislike cabbage to begin with, well then you are excused from trying this as there are only four ingredients and Cabbage is the main one) I want to see comments on here people. Mostly comments telling me what a blessing it is having me in your life to supply you with yummy recipes for unusual meals. So get cooking!

Cabbage and Noodles (Mama E's Recipe)
1 head of cabbage  (green, savoy, doesn't matter) cored and shredded
1 onion or a bunch of leeks (your choice. I use whatever I have on hand) coursly chopped
1 stick butter  (1/2 cup. You CAN use less, but butter makes everything better. I never said this         was healthy!)
Enough noodles to feed number of people. I use bowtie noodles, but egg noodles are also good!

Start pot of water for noodles. Melt about a tablespoon of butter in LARGE pan. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add cabbage and slices of butter until all cabbage is in the pot and cooking. Cabbage is done when it is bright green and a bit limp but still has a bit of a crunch in the center. Meanwhile, as soon as the water reaches a rolling boil add pasta and let cook until al dente. You don't want it to become a sticky mushy mess. Drain pasta, and add it to the pan with the cabbage. (Honestly I don't have a pan big enough to hold both the pasta and the noodles, so I just put them all back into the pot that cooked the noodles.
Now for seasoning: Add salt and pepper to taste. That's it! And please for the-love-of-dogs use fresh ground pepper.

Now eat and start singing my praises. Or rather, sing the praises of Dr. H's   Polish and Czech ancestors.

Seattle Overnight

Dr. H and I took a quick trip to Seattle over the weekend to visit with my bestie, and eat some delicious ethnic food we can't really get this side of the hills. We drank in Seattle's legendary rainy, low-60's weather, and sipped fabulous fall drinks made of pumpkin and magic. In the down time between meals and drinks, we managed to walk around a ton, visit a few cool music shops, and visit the Seattle Locks. The locks, in case you're not in the know, is basically a fancy elevator for boats going from one lake to another of a different elevation. At the locks there is also a fish ladder and viewing area where we got to see tons of salmon making their pilgrimage, and a HUGE seal eating our fishy friends.  Definitely a cool unexpected place to visit. Even though I lived in Seattle for college, I really don't feel like I know the city at all. I guess that just means I have some more exploring to do on my next visit!

Guests, Pie and Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Our warm spell has broken, and in its place we now have clouds, rain, and cool temps. Perfect weather for some warm autumnal treats. Dr. H's mom is in town, and we have been indulging in some of the areas favorite restaurants. It is now time, however, to look a bit closer to home for some culinary treasures. On our menu this week we have cabbage and noodles (a budget friendly favorite), french onion soup, and another red curry squash pie with a homemade cinnamon whipped cream. Yum!