I am going to list a small part of the ingredients & instructions for a mystery cookie recipe each day until it is complete. Then I will tell you what the Mystery Cookie is! Just something fun & it will help me get back on the blogger track again too! I will just edit this post rather than do individual posts, that way in the end it will be a complete recipe. Have fun & Happy Holidays!
(Day 1)
2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
(Day 2)
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup (2 sticks) Butter, Softened
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Bad Blogger, no donut!
I have been a bad blogger! I'm not sure why I have been avoiding putting my thoughts in print. I do know that I have been in a fog. I barely decorated or celebrated Halloween, skipped over Thanksgiving at our house completely, & have been procrastinating getting out the Christmas decorations & tree. I just signed & sent out some Christmas cards yesterday. I usually have them ready to mail the day after Thanksgiving!
I have not just been putting off my blog. I have been putting off life in general. I was just getting into a place of mental health & well being about Kierra's death when Randy & Deb both died.. on the same day.. just 2 hours apart. Add in my accident & a few other stresses & I just shut down, shut out everything that required my personal energy or attention. I have been taking care of the kids & the minimum functions of every day life, but that's about it.
Hunter & I left the day before Thanksgiving & went to my parent's in Tennessee. Then we went to the horse ranch in Georgia. Hunter stayed a few days, then he went home (via Terri, Thank You!). I had a couple days alone, then Bri came up for the weekend. Last Sunday, the 6th, I came home. It was a much needed break. In some ways it recharged me, but not like it used to, or maybe this time my battery was just too low for a full recharge. But it was good for me. Thanks to Brian, Bri, Greta & Terri (& her gang!) for helping with the kids & making it possible for me to go at all!
Coming home I find I am different. Things have been different for Brian & I, so that is yet another change. I think it is all a part of the same issue. Life has been torn apart for us & we are still trying to mend the tears. It is an ongoing process. Then add more losses that shred us emotionally all over again. It can't be helped, there is nothing anyone can do. It is just the way our lives are now.
I know there has to be another side to all this. We are working on making some changes that will help us deal with it all a little differently. We are okay, just a bit tattered & tired. This time of year is always hard, and this year even more so than the years before. My ability to absorb it all & forge ahead full force has diminished. I have to accept that I am not the person I was before. I have to accept that I cannot fix anything for anyone else when I have my own damages to deal with. When even seemingly simple tasks overwhelm me it is time for me to step back & reorganize & prioritize what I do & how I do it.
Change is not, & never has been, easy for me. I have an auto defense mechanism that rebels against it. There were times I have been conflicted with myself over a change that was out of my control. I am learning to curb that. Trying to anyway!
So I am keeping more to myself while I sort it all out. I am keeping more to my home & family to give us the time we need to heal, to find what works for us. I am keeping more to my heart & less to my journals. That part wasn't intentional & hasn't necessarily been a good thing. I need to share, I need to let it out. So here I am, once again, spilling myself onto the printed page. Sorry for my absence, & for not having much good or positive to share. It is what it is, but I am working on that, I promise!
I have not just been putting off my blog. I have been putting off life in general. I was just getting into a place of mental health & well being about Kierra's death when Randy & Deb both died.. on the same day.. just 2 hours apart. Add in my accident & a few other stresses & I just shut down, shut out everything that required my personal energy or attention. I have been taking care of the kids & the minimum functions of every day life, but that's about it.
Hunter & I left the day before Thanksgiving & went to my parent's in Tennessee. Then we went to the horse ranch in Georgia. Hunter stayed a few days, then he went home (via Terri, Thank You!). I had a couple days alone, then Bri came up for the weekend. Last Sunday, the 6th, I came home. It was a much needed break. In some ways it recharged me, but not like it used to, or maybe this time my battery was just too low for a full recharge. But it was good for me. Thanks to Brian, Bri, Greta & Terri (& her gang!) for helping with the kids & making it possible for me to go at all!
Coming home I find I am different. Things have been different for Brian & I, so that is yet another change. I think it is all a part of the same issue. Life has been torn apart for us & we are still trying to mend the tears. It is an ongoing process. Then add more losses that shred us emotionally all over again. It can't be helped, there is nothing anyone can do. It is just the way our lives are now.
I know there has to be another side to all this. We are working on making some changes that will help us deal with it all a little differently. We are okay, just a bit tattered & tired. This time of year is always hard, and this year even more so than the years before. My ability to absorb it all & forge ahead full force has diminished. I have to accept that I am not the person I was before. I have to accept that I cannot fix anything for anyone else when I have my own damages to deal with. When even seemingly simple tasks overwhelm me it is time for me to step back & reorganize & prioritize what I do & how I do it.
Change is not, & never has been, easy for me. I have an auto defense mechanism that rebels against it. There were times I have been conflicted with myself over a change that was out of my control. I am learning to curb that. Trying to anyway!
So I am keeping more to myself while I sort it all out. I am keeping more to my home & family to give us the time we need to heal, to find what works for us. I am keeping more to my heart & less to my journals. That part wasn't intentional & hasn't necessarily been a good thing. I need to share, I need to let it out. So here I am, once again, spilling myself onto the printed page. Sorry for my absence, & for not having much good or positive to share. It is what it is, but I am working on that, I promise!
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Each Holiday has it's own month!
I find it amusing how many people don't understand why we don't do anything Christmas related until after Thanksgiving. I don't do Thanksgiving decorations until after Halloween either, but that doesn't seem like such a big deal.
Maybe part of it is having worked retail & being inundated with Christmas before Halloween even gets here. I always hated that! I was sick of Christmas way before it ever got here.
Fall used to be my favorite time of year. I prefer Halloween & Thanksgiving to Christmas. I hate how they are pushed aside for the commercialization of Christmas.
A big part of it was being born & raised for part of my childhood near Plymouth, Massachusetts. I grew up running around the Plymouth Rock on Saturdays when we went into town. Plymouth Plantation was just another part of where I lived, nothing special. I didn't realize until we moved away what an integral part of American history it all was. I refuse to trivialize it by skipping over the day that memorializes that part of our past.
When we lived over in England it was odd to celebrate something that they considered a traitorous act. The Pilgrims fled England for a New World. That doesn't go over so well when you are an American living in England, even now! Our first Thanksgiving over there was not long after we arrived. I baked pumpkin pies & we drove over to Scott & Suzy's an hour or so away. Brian missed our turn so he went up over a median to get there. The pies were up in the back window & flipped over into the back seat.. needless to say, no more pies! We stopped at a British bakery hoping to get a replacement pie of some sort. The only option was what they called a treacle tart. It is a "syrup" pie. Thick, gooey, syrup pie! I almost tend to think they had that just for the local Americans they knew were celebrating Thanksgiving!
So even though this month holds the darkest day of our lives, it also holds a day I grew up appreciating as the day we give thanks. I am trying to go back to that, the celebrating & the being thankful. Bit by bit, piece by piece.
Maybe part of it is having worked retail & being inundated with Christmas before Halloween even gets here. I always hated that! I was sick of Christmas way before it ever got here.
Fall used to be my favorite time of year. I prefer Halloween & Thanksgiving to Christmas. I hate how they are pushed aside for the commercialization of Christmas.
A big part of it was being born & raised for part of my childhood near Plymouth, Massachusetts. I grew up running around the Plymouth Rock on Saturdays when we went into town. Plymouth Plantation was just another part of where I lived, nothing special. I didn't realize until we moved away what an integral part of American history it all was. I refuse to trivialize it by skipping over the day that memorializes that part of our past.
When we lived over in England it was odd to celebrate something that they considered a traitorous act. The Pilgrims fled England for a New World. That doesn't go over so well when you are an American living in England, even now! Our first Thanksgiving over there was not long after we arrived. I baked pumpkin pies & we drove over to Scott & Suzy's an hour or so away. Brian missed our turn so he went up over a median to get there. The pies were up in the back window & flipped over into the back seat.. needless to say, no more pies! We stopped at a British bakery hoping to get a replacement pie of some sort. The only option was what they called a treacle tart. It is a "syrup" pie. Thick, gooey, syrup pie! I almost tend to think they had that just for the local Americans they knew were celebrating Thanksgiving!
So even though this month holds the darkest day of our lives, it also holds a day I grew up appreciating as the day we give thanks. I am trying to go back to that, the celebrating & the being thankful. Bit by bit, piece by piece.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Where's my storm cellar?!
I can't seem to get ahead of this giant tornado that life has become lately. I get sucked into the vortex, everything gets trashed, & I am left standing in the rubble at the end of the day. There are good things going on, life is not all doom & gloom, but there are times it just really sucks!
Hunter is doing great at school. He is building confidence & study skills while this part of repeating 2nd grade is like a refresher course for him. I am hoping it will get him over the hump the 2nd part of the year when it is more challenging for him. He has a great teacher this year too, which makes a huge difference over last year! Hard to believe he will be 9 years old next month! He has lost 2 teeth the past week, both of his front teeth! Yes he is singing "all I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth"!
Tristan is having more of a challenge with Kindergarten. He seems to be pushing his limits & testing the boundaries. He is being evaluated for hyperactivity. I know he is a boy, but his behaviors go way beyond the norm. His teachers & resource counselors at school are concerned & think it would benefit to have him evaluated & seen by Hunter's Dr. I agree. It is affecting him academically. He is very smart, he just can't control his impulses long enough to get anything done on paper.
Alexa is doing very well. Thank goodness! She has her moments of attitude & mood, but overall is an easygoing 5 year old. She has been into singing anything & everything lately. She sings about what she is doing, what the boys or the dogs are doing.. whatever pops in her head comes out in a sing song voice. Way out of tune & way off key, but she sings with her heart & soul!
Brianne's best friend lost her mother last weekend. The funeral was yesterday. It was hard to do, but I went to the viewing on Tuesday & the funeral as well. Amanda has been part of our family since right about the time we moved here. It is a tragic & senseless loss. Death has been way too busy in our lives. I am ready for it to move along!
Greta is having some health concerns. She is spending a few days in the hospital to get a complete battery of tests & work ups done to get some real answers about what is going on with her. She has not been well for quite a while but was so consumed caring for Randy that it wasn't a priority for her. She promised him she would take better care of herself & get things taken care of & now he is taking her at her word!!
I am trying to plan a getaway up to the horse ranch in December but will have to see what is going on & see what I can to do get the kids covered. I sure could use the recharge! They are giving me a free stay as a trade/thank you for giving them Reese, our Percheron-Paint Filly. She is doing great & I am glad to know she has such a great home.
Hunter is doing great at school. He is building confidence & study skills while this part of repeating 2nd grade is like a refresher course for him. I am hoping it will get him over the hump the 2nd part of the year when it is more challenging for him. He has a great teacher this year too, which makes a huge difference over last year! Hard to believe he will be 9 years old next month! He has lost 2 teeth the past week, both of his front teeth! Yes he is singing "all I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth"!
Tristan is having more of a challenge with Kindergarten. He seems to be pushing his limits & testing the boundaries. He is being evaluated for hyperactivity. I know he is a boy, but his behaviors go way beyond the norm. His teachers & resource counselors at school are concerned & think it would benefit to have him evaluated & seen by Hunter's Dr. I agree. It is affecting him academically. He is very smart, he just can't control his impulses long enough to get anything done on paper.
Alexa is doing very well. Thank goodness! She has her moments of attitude & mood, but overall is an easygoing 5 year old. She has been into singing anything & everything lately. She sings about what she is doing, what the boys or the dogs are doing.. whatever pops in her head comes out in a sing song voice. Way out of tune & way off key, but she sings with her heart & soul!
Brianne's best friend lost her mother last weekend. The funeral was yesterday. It was hard to do, but I went to the viewing on Tuesday & the funeral as well. Amanda has been part of our family since right about the time we moved here. It is a tragic & senseless loss. Death has been way too busy in our lives. I am ready for it to move along!
Greta is having some health concerns. She is spending a few days in the hospital to get a complete battery of tests & work ups done to get some real answers about what is going on with her. She has not been well for quite a while but was so consumed caring for Randy that it wasn't a priority for her. She promised him she would take better care of herself & get things taken care of & now he is taking her at her word!!
I am trying to plan a getaway up to the horse ranch in December but will have to see what is going on & see what I can to do get the kids covered. I sure could use the recharge! They are giving me a free stay as a trade/thank you for giving them Reese, our Percheron-Paint Filly. She is doing great & I am glad to know she has such a great home.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Lemon Lush
Crust ingredients;
1-1/2 sticks margarine (softened)
1 cup Flour
1 cup chopped nuts (I use walnuts)
Layer 1 ingredients;
1- 8oz. Cream Cheese
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1-1/2 cups Cool Whip (buy large container, need more for top layer)
Layer 2 ingredients;
3 boxes instant Lemon Pudding
2-2/3 cups milk
1 Teaspoon Lemon Extract (can use Vanilla instead)
*Mix first 3 ingredients for crust. Pat firmly into 11x8x2 pan. Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Let cool.
*Mix next 3 ingredients for layer 1 & spread over the baked & cooled layer.
*Mix the ingredients for layer 2 ( It will become very thick) & spread over the top of layer 1.
* Spread the rest of the Cool Whip over the top. You can sprinkle with more chopped nuts if you like. Cut into squares & enjoy!
This recipe can be varied by using any flavor instant pudding you like & using the vanilla instead of lemon extract. It is a rich dessert, so smaller squares are better. A huge favorite!
I got this recipe from my friend, Sher Carlson when we were stationed at Plattsburgh Air Force Base in upstate New York. We were there June 1987-October 1990. Great friends, great memories, great food!
1-1/2 sticks margarine (softened)
1 cup Flour
1 cup chopped nuts (I use walnuts)
Layer 1 ingredients;
1- 8oz. Cream Cheese
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1-1/2 cups Cool Whip (buy large container, need more for top layer)
Layer 2 ingredients;
3 boxes instant Lemon Pudding
2-2/3 cups milk
1 Teaspoon Lemon Extract (can use Vanilla instead)
*Mix first 3 ingredients for crust. Pat firmly into 11x8x2 pan. Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Let cool.
*Mix next 3 ingredients for layer 1 & spread over the baked & cooled layer.
*Mix the ingredients for layer 2 ( It will become very thick) & spread over the top of layer 1.
* Spread the rest of the Cool Whip over the top. You can sprinkle with more chopped nuts if you like. Cut into squares & enjoy!
This recipe can be varied by using any flavor instant pudding you like & using the vanilla instead of lemon extract. It is a rich dessert, so smaller squares are better. A huge favorite!
I got this recipe from my friend, Sher Carlson when we were stationed at Plattsburgh Air Force Base in upstate New York. We were there June 1987-October 1990. Great friends, great memories, great food!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Rigatoni with Pumpkin & Bacon
Ingredients;
Coarse salt
8 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, halved & thinly sliced
1 (3lb) cooking pumpkin, peeled, seeded, & cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1-1/2 cups chicken stock/broth
3 tablespoons heavy cream
freshly ground pepper ( I use white pepper)
1 pound Rigatoni pasta
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (plus extra to sprinkle on top when serving)
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, toasted (for garnish, optional)
1.) Put water on to boil for pasta, add salt. While that is coming to a boil cook bacon in a large skillet on medium heat until bacon is almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels & let drain.
2.) Add onion to the skillet with the bacon grease. Cook until soft, 12-15 minutes. Add pumpkin, sage, 1/2 teaspoon salt, & the allspice. Cook, stirring occasionally about 5 minutes. Add stock & cream; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low & simmer until pumpkin is soft & sauce has thickened slightly, about 25 minutes. Season with Pepper.
3.) While the sauce is simmering, add rigatoni to the boiling water & cook until aldente. (about 15 minutes) Drain pasta & add to sauce in skillet. Add the bacon back in & the parmesan. Toss to combine all ingredients. Serve with parmesan sprinkled on top. You may also garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds.
Makes about 4 servings.
Coarse salt
8 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, halved & thinly sliced
1 (3lb) cooking pumpkin, peeled, seeded, & cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1-1/2 cups chicken stock/broth
3 tablespoons heavy cream
freshly ground pepper ( I use white pepper)
1 pound Rigatoni pasta
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (plus extra to sprinkle on top when serving)
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, toasted (for garnish, optional)
1.) Put water on to boil for pasta, add salt. While that is coming to a boil cook bacon in a large skillet on medium heat until bacon is almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels & let drain.
2.) Add onion to the skillet with the bacon grease. Cook until soft, 12-15 minutes. Add pumpkin, sage, 1/2 teaspoon salt, & the allspice. Cook, stirring occasionally about 5 minutes. Add stock & cream; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low & simmer until pumpkin is soft & sauce has thickened slightly, about 25 minutes. Season with Pepper.
3.) While the sauce is simmering, add rigatoni to the boiling water & cook until aldente. (about 15 minutes) Drain pasta & add to sauce in skillet. Add the bacon back in & the parmesan. Toss to combine all ingredients. Serve with parmesan sprinkled on top. You may also garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds.
Makes about 4 servings.
A Very Merry "Unbirthday"!
I'm backtracking a little, but wanted to share my birthday with ya'll. I have made a point of not celebrating my birthday since Kierra's death. It felt like a betrayal to celebrate without her. And wether rational or not, it felt wrong to have a birthday when she never will again. So that is my reasoning, good, bad, or indifferent. Brianne always gives me my card & gift ahead of time as an "unbirthday" thing.
This year I had a free pass to Disney for the day & Brian had a day left on his Disney pass from when we went in June. Brianne watched the kids so we could go overnight. I didn't really want to celebrate my birthday as much as I wanted to use it as an excuse to get Brian to spend some time with me! I was able to get a discounted room for the night so Brian & I went Saturday, checked in early, then went park hopping! We went to Animal Kingdom, rode on the Mount Everest Expedition, then left the park to go to the next one. Brian joked we were like Pandas.. Eats.. Shoots.. & Leaves, which is the tagline for an old joke I can't remember! So we "did the Panda" all day, rode all the grown up rides that we can't ride with the kids & off to the next park. There were a couple neither one of us had even been on before. When we rode Mission Space at Epcot Brian made jokes about it because I got to be the pilot & we crashlanded! He was more carefree & humorous than he has been in along time. On the trolley to one of the parks they tell you to please hold on to any "loose" belongings & he wrapped his arms around me. I didn't get what he was doing at first, then I playfully smacked him for being a smartalek!
We really enjoyed the one on one time. We talked about alot of things we don't seem to get to in our day to day lives. It was funny to notice the "texting teenagers" in the lines while we waited. There were 4 girls in front of us in one line who were texting to, & about, each other! Times sure have changed.
There were bittersweet moments too. Alexa had me wear her birthday girl pin & because I promised her I would, I wore it all day. So alot of people told me "Happy" Birthday. It was happier than previous ones in recent years, but it was still hard to be told that because it wasn't all happy. There were tearful moments too. It is not possible to go to places we went to with Kierra & not think of her, not remember how much she loved the thrilling roller coasters & rides, how she laughed out loud with a huge smile on her face. She didn't do anything halfway. But we cherish those memories & push the pain back just a bit further than we used to. It still comes, we still feel it, but you learn to take it in & channel it differently. You learn to catch yourself before the floodgates of tears open wide so it doesn't happen every time.
It was a hot day, we drank alot of water. At one stand I was digging through the ice looking for something cold when I came accross a giant pickle. The kids have always loved those so of course it reminded me of how much Kie loved them too. We bought it & shared it & really enjoyed it! It was ice cold & refreshing. It can be the littlest things sometimes that catch your heart off guard.
The parks weren't very busy & we didn't have many long lines. We hit all 4 parks & the only ride we missed was Space Mountain because it is still under renovation til November.
My birthday tends to be my starting point for the fall series of events that run through until the twin's birthday in February. Halloween, Anniversary of Kierra's death, Thanksgiving, Hunter's birthday, Christmas, New Year's, then the Twin's b-day Feb. 4th. I am not sure how we will handle all of that this year. I am not sure what kind of celebrations or memorials there will be. We will take them one at a time. It is good to be able to allow myself to celebrate & enjoy my birthday again. Maybe next year it won't have to be an "unbirthday", although I think it is a cute tradition for Bri & I to share now!
This year I had a free pass to Disney for the day & Brian had a day left on his Disney pass from when we went in June. Brianne watched the kids so we could go overnight. I didn't really want to celebrate my birthday as much as I wanted to use it as an excuse to get Brian to spend some time with me! I was able to get a discounted room for the night so Brian & I went Saturday, checked in early, then went park hopping! We went to Animal Kingdom, rode on the Mount Everest Expedition, then left the park to go to the next one. Brian joked we were like Pandas.. Eats.. Shoots.. & Leaves, which is the tagline for an old joke I can't remember! So we "did the Panda" all day, rode all the grown up rides that we can't ride with the kids & off to the next park. There were a couple neither one of us had even been on before. When we rode Mission Space at Epcot Brian made jokes about it because I got to be the pilot & we crashlanded! He was more carefree & humorous than he has been in along time. On the trolley to one of the parks they tell you to please hold on to any "loose" belongings & he wrapped his arms around me. I didn't get what he was doing at first, then I playfully smacked him for being a smartalek!
We really enjoyed the one on one time. We talked about alot of things we don't seem to get to in our day to day lives. It was funny to notice the "texting teenagers" in the lines while we waited. There were 4 girls in front of us in one line who were texting to, & about, each other! Times sure have changed.
There were bittersweet moments too. Alexa had me wear her birthday girl pin & because I promised her I would, I wore it all day. So alot of people told me "Happy" Birthday. It was happier than previous ones in recent years, but it was still hard to be told that because it wasn't all happy. There were tearful moments too. It is not possible to go to places we went to with Kierra & not think of her, not remember how much she loved the thrilling roller coasters & rides, how she laughed out loud with a huge smile on her face. She didn't do anything halfway. But we cherish those memories & push the pain back just a bit further than we used to. It still comes, we still feel it, but you learn to take it in & channel it differently. You learn to catch yourself before the floodgates of tears open wide so it doesn't happen every time.
It was a hot day, we drank alot of water. At one stand I was digging through the ice looking for something cold when I came accross a giant pickle. The kids have always loved those so of course it reminded me of how much Kie loved them too. We bought it & shared it & really enjoyed it! It was ice cold & refreshing. It can be the littlest things sometimes that catch your heart off guard.
The parks weren't very busy & we didn't have many long lines. We hit all 4 parks & the only ride we missed was Space Mountain because it is still under renovation til November.
My birthday tends to be my starting point for the fall series of events that run through until the twin's birthday in February. Halloween, Anniversary of Kierra's death, Thanksgiving, Hunter's birthday, Christmas, New Year's, then the Twin's b-day Feb. 4th. I am not sure how we will handle all of that this year. I am not sure what kind of celebrations or memorials there will be. We will take them one at a time. It is good to be able to allow myself to celebrate & enjoy my birthday again. Maybe next year it won't have to be an "unbirthday", although I think it is a cute tradition for Bri & I to share now!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Autumn Stew (Post 900!)
1/4 cup all purpose Flour
1-1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/4 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1-1/2 pounds beef, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Tablespoons oil
2 cups Water
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Spice
2 beef bouillion cubes
1 medium Onion, chopped
1- 14.5oz can Fire Roasted tomatoes w/ garlic
(or use stewed tomatoes & 1 clove minced garlic)
2-1/2 cups fresh pumpkin or hubbard (butternut) squash-peeled, seeded & cut into 1 inch cubes
3 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into 1 inch cubes
Mix flour, salt, paprika, & pepper. Coat beef pieces with flour mixture. Brown beef in 2 Tblsp oil in large pan or dutch oven. Stir in remaining ingredients, EXCEPT pumpkin & potatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover & simmer until beef is tender; 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Stir in pumpkin & potatoes. Cover & simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Makes 6 servings; 325 calories per serving.
1-1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/4 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1-1/2 pounds beef, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Tablespoons oil
2 cups Water
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Spice
2 beef bouillion cubes
1 medium Onion, chopped
1- 14.5oz can Fire Roasted tomatoes w/ garlic
(or use stewed tomatoes & 1 clove minced garlic)
2-1/2 cups fresh pumpkin or hubbard (butternut) squash-peeled, seeded & cut into 1 inch cubes
3 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into 1 inch cubes
Mix flour, salt, paprika, & pepper. Coat beef pieces with flour mixture. Brown beef in 2 Tblsp oil in large pan or dutch oven. Stir in remaining ingredients, EXCEPT pumpkin & potatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover & simmer until beef is tender; 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Stir in pumpkin & potatoes. Cover & simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Makes 6 servings; 325 calories per serving.
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