Butternut Squash Curry

My husband actually liked this better than I did! I was able to buy the amount of seeds called for from the bulk section for pennies (since I don't frequently use those ingredients).


1 large butternut squash, peeled, halved and seeded (about 2 pounds)
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
4 garlic cloves
3 cups plus 1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 two-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated (about 2 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red-pepper flakes
2 cups cooked brown rice, for serving
fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for serving

Cut solid sections of sqaushes into large chunks and seed pod sections into 3/4in. thick wedges. Puree onion, garlic, and 1Tsp. water in blender until smooth.

Heat oil in 4qt. pot over med. heat. Add mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and coriander, cook until fragrant (1 to 2 min.) Stir in onion paste and ginger, cook, stirring often until caramelized ( 6 to 8 min. )

Add tomato paste, scraping bottom of pot if needed. Stir in remaining 3 cups water, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Add squash and cover partially. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently until squash is tender ( 12 to 15 min. ). For a thicker sauce, mash some of the squash with the back of a spoon. Serve over brown rice with cilantro and lime wedges.

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Make these today! Easy. Yummy. Somewhat addicting. They are delicious on salads, pumpkin enchiladas, or just good to pop a handful in your mouth!

1 cup raw green pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lime juice

Preheat oven to 350. Toss the pumpkin seeds with the rest of the ingredients. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until puffed and browned, about 10 minutes.

Sausage, Mozzarella, and Broccoli with Shells

This was a nice one-dish meal that we all enjoyed. You could easily take a few shortcuts, making cheaper substitutions to lower the cost of the meal.


2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 sprigs thyme
salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 links spicy Italian sausage (3/4 pound total), casings removed
1 Tbsp flour
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes
8 ounces medium shell pasta
1 bunch broccoli rabe (about 1 pound), trimmed and coarsely chopped (I used regular broccoli and increased the boiling time to 1 minute)
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2 pieces
1/4 cup grated Parmesan


Preheat oven to 400. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden brown, 15 minutes (reduce heat if browning too quickly).

Add garlic and sausage. Cook, breaking meat up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, breaking them up with spoon. Cook sauce until slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard thyme.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 4 minutes less than package instructions. Add broccoli rabe to pot and cook 15 seconds. Drain pasta and broccoli rabe and return to pot. Stir in sausage mixture. Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish or divide among four 16-ounce gratin dishes. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until cheese has melted and liquid is bubbling, about 15 minutes.

Baked Sweet Potato Chili Fries

These were the perfect snack for the football game today!

3 1/2 lb. sweet potatoes (5 to 6 large)
2 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup orange juice
3 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp honey
1 8-oz carton sour cream
1/3 cup snipped fresh cilantro


Preheat oven to 450. Cut each unpeeled potato into 1-inch-thick wedges. Place in a large self-sealing plastic bag; toss with oil, salt and pepper. Arrange on a large, rimmed baking sheet.

Meanwhile, in small bowl combine orange juice, 3 teaspoons of the chilir powder, and honey; set aside.

Bake potatoes, uncovered, 25-30 minutes or until tender, brushing three times with orange juice mixture, and shaking pan occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine sour cream, remaining 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, and 1/3 cup cilantro. Transfer potatoes to a serving dish; serve with sour cream micture. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

My husband didn't think these were as good as my son and I did. More for us to gobble up!


2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apple
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 18 muffin cups or use paper liners.

In a large bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin and oil. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stirring just to moisten. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping evenly over muffin batter.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Can you tell I'm stuck on pumpkin?! My brother is in town, so we enjoyed these together (since Ryan doesnt' like "cute coffee", as he calls it!). This will make enough for 2 people to have a big mug with a bit leftover. I didn't have the whipped cream (this isn't my picture!), which would have been a nice addition, but they were still delicious!


2 cups milk
2 Tbsp canned pumpkin
2 Tbsp white sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
OR: 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, and a teeny tiny pinch of ground ginger
1/2 cup brewed espresso or 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee
garnish with whipped cream (optional)

Add the coffee/espresso and milk to the crockpot. Whisk in the pumpkin, spices, sugar, and vanilla. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours if everything is cold. Whisk again.

Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Muffins

I talked with my friend the other day. She had just made pumpkin chocolate-chip muffins, but was not satisfied with how they turned out. Here's another one for you to try, Tricia. Hopefully this recipe won't disappoint!


3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups flour (I used 1 cup of whole wheat)
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix sugar, oil, and eggs. Add pumpkin and water and mix well. In another bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add in the pumpkin mixture and stir until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Fill greased or lined muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins (we had already eaten three by the time I took the picture!).

Roasted Corn pudding in Acorn Squash

Bring on the Fall food! This makes twice as much pudding than is needed for just one squash, so I baked the extra in a very small pyrex bowl. You could also just use two of the squash.


1 small (2 lb.) acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
1 tablespoon clarified butter or olive oil
1 cup milk
1 egg plus 2 egg whites
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (or more if you like)
1/4 teaspoon anise seed, chopped (If your grocery store has spices in bulk, you can get the amount you need for pennies)
1/2 cup chopped scallions
a tiny pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/3 cup grated white cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees with a rack in the middle.

Rub the orange flesh of the squash with the butter/oil. Place cut side up on a baking sheet. You will want it to sit flat (and not tip), if you are having trouble just level out the bottom using a knife. If the squash is tilting on the pan, the filling will run out - bad news. Cover the squash with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until the squash starts to get tender. I only baked it for 30 minutes.

In a bowl combine the milk, eggs, corn, anise seed, half of the scallions, nutmeg, and salt. Fill each of the squash bowls 3/4 full. Carefully transfer the squash back to the oven without spilling (tricky!). Continue baking uncovered for another 30 - 50 minutes, or until the squash is fully cooked through, and the pudding has set. The amount of time it takes can vary wildly depending on the squash and oven. At the last minute sprinkle with cheese and finish with a flash under the broiler to brown the cheese. Keep and eye on things, you can go from melted cheese to burnt and inedible in a flash. Serve hot sprinkled with the remaining scallions.

Macaroni and Cheese

Along with barbequed meatballs in the crockpot, Ryan requested homemade mac-n-cheese for his birthday dinner. This recipe got rave reviews from everyone who enjoyed it! I made a few changes from the original recipe.

12 ounces packaged elbow macaroni
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
salt and pepper to taste (I added a little at a time as the sauce was thickening until it tasted right)
3 shakes of cayenne pepper
1-2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1-2 teaspoon mustard
5 ounces Cheddar cheese, cubed
5 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
5 ounces Monteray Jack cheese, cubed
paprika to taste


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

In medium saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour to make a roux. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then whisk in warm milk a little at a time to make a white sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Mix in salt, pepper, and cayenne, and stir frequently until sauce thickens.

Remove pan from heat and stir in cheddar, mozzarella, jack and ham. Combine pasta with sauce and stir well. Pour into baking dish. Use paprika to make a decorative pattern on top. Bake 45 to 60 minutes, or until top is the desired crispiness. Let rest 20 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin-swirl Cheesecake

Ryan picked this recipe for his 30th birthday dessert and it's so yummy! The perfect "cake" for a fall birthday.

25 ginger snaps, finely crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
dash ground cloves


Heat oven to 325.

Mix crumbs, nuts and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan.

Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each just until blended. Remove 1 1/2 cups batter. Stir remaining sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter. I also added food coloring to make the batter look more orange!

Spoon half the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half the plain batter. Repeat layers; swirl with knife.

Bake 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours.