Acorn Squash with cinnamon and honey

This is a variation of baked acorn squash.

4 acorns
8 tablespoons honey
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 teaspoons cinnamon
8 pinches of brown sugar.

Halve and seed the squash. add 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of brown sugar to each half of the squash. cover with foil. Bake at 320 F for 1 1/2 hours.

And if this is too boring for you, slice up some apples and add it to the well of the squash while cooking, or some cranberry confetti. Mayhaps a little bread stuffing with sausage and pecans. What is really killer is topping the squash with a walnut coffee cake topping.

Champ

10 scallions, chopped
1 1/2 cups milk
3 1/2 cups hot mashed potatoes
4 tablespoons butter
minced chives

Cook the scallions in the milk along with a healthy pinch or two of chives. Drain, reserving milk. Stir together the scallions and potatoes, beat in enough of the milk to make it smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. Melt the butter and make a well in the center of the potato mix. Pour the butter in well. When serving, dip the potato mix into the butter.

The Peacher Man

Remember Pastor Mike? The one that had taught me how to make soap? Husband asked him if he would do our wedding ceremony, unfortunately Pastor Mike says he is only a preacher man, he doesn't do weddings. Then he offered up the youth pastor at his church, Pastor Mark.

We asked Mike a month ago, and just got Mark's card 1 week ago. I called on Monday and set up an appointment. I was a little worried, with only 2 weeks left before the big to do, and it being Halloween and all I was concerned he wouldn't do it. We have a ordained biker lined up if that was the case.

Last night Husband and I met with Pastor Mark. He set up a movie for the boys to watch as we went to his office to talk. He asked us some questioned, gleaning a bit of info about us. Then talked about the wedding. He reiterated over and over that it was about us, not about family or guests. Which I know he was trying to make us feel better about a few things going on with our lives, and I appreciate that.

Pastor Mark seemed excited about the whole thing. He told us several times that he has only done very formal church weddings, never something so informal. He told us that normally he reads a long passage from the bible about how the husband should treat the wife, but he says it seems like he is always lecturing people and would forgo that little speech. I told him he should give the speech to husband anyway. Husband said that the fact that we have been together longer than most people meant he was doing something right.

We had to explain homesteading to him. He had not heard that term and wanted to put us in the naturalist green group. I explained that we were salt not green and the differences. Husband explained we were not survivalists or hippies (that cracked him up. Just looking at us you could tell he said) Pastor Mark was raised Mennonite, so he seemed to understand what a homesteader was.

Pastor Mike forgot to tell Mark that this was a masquerade ball. I tensed a bit because I thought he had that info. But Pastor Mark suddenly announce he would dress up like a hooker! That got husband rolling. I suggested Beetlejuice.




Pastor Mark waved the hooker suggestion off, claiming he was jesting, but he would dress up in costume after all. That is much more than I had hoped for. Preacher man is going in costume.

I was impressed with Pastor Mark, he seems to be truly looking forward to the wedding. He loves the informality of it, the traditional (old old school) Irish part of it. He says he will keep it short and fun, as what seems to be called for.

I am so relieved.

I have also planned a very traditional breaking of bread before dinner. He seemed to have never heard this being done before. He is right, it isn't an American tradition but many cultures do it. He seemed interested in it and has agreed to participate in it. My wedding might not be a glamorous white American wedding, but it is close to what I would call my dream wedding.

Beets with Cloves and another dish called Braised Spinach

Beets with Cloves and Cinnamon

1 lbs small beets
salted water to cover
dash of cloves
dash of cinnamon
1/4 cup butter salt and pepper to taste

Wash and cut the stalks off the beets, keep on the skins. Drop into boiling salted water and cook until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

When skins peel off easily they are done.

Peel and discoard skins. Place into a sauce pan and toss with the spices and butter over a low heat for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Braised Spinach

2 lbs fresh spinach
salted water for parboiling
3 tablespoons chicken broth (or you can use the same amount of olive oil)
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of ginger and allspice
(if using chicken broth, and pinch of minced fresh parsley and fennel)

Parboil spinach in large pot with salted water for 4 minutes, drain, and press out extra water with your hands. Then chop. Place into a small sauce pan with broth (oil) and spices (herbs). over a very low heat, stir once then leave to cook for 15 minutes. (or place into a slow over for 20 minutes. )


You are lucky to get a post from me. Having some major computer issues. I get about 10 minutes of pc time before it freaks out. Have ran all the virus and malware programs, tried system restore and check disk. still having issues. sigh

Most of the recipes you will see for the wedding are traditional Samhain fare. Or Harvest festival items. And remember to write your love letters in beet juice. The object of your affection will find you irresistible then.

The Smoked Meats

I am not the one smoking the lamb nor the turkey, and am a little freaked out about it. Neighbor across the ways son is doing it. He has this huge smoker that he goes around to businesses with. He offered to smoke the meats, and Husband agreed. But now there is mention of cutting the turkey in half to fit in with all the other meats. Um. . . NO!

How dry does he want this meat to be? I will not allow it t be hacked up. Told Husband that I will roast the thing myself. I can't do dry turkey. We will see what has been decided.

Have no clue on the seasoning he uses. I did tell him however it needs to be mild as the sauce are clean and there will be no gravy to smother anything. No to dry, and no to obscene seasonings. AM I being too picky? I hope so.

Husband freaked me out. I am getting over the flu, and at the peak of it, Husband woke me and said something about butcher this Thursday. I asked him why. He said it has to age a bit. I said not that long. "But your to do is this weekend." Now see me jump out of bed, fighting nausea and painful joint and skin. See the sweat of not only the fever but overwhelming panic glisten on my brow. See me utilize modern technology to access the calendar on my cell phone. "2 weeks my dear." He looked at me and said "well that makes me feel better. Was getting stressed about it only being a week out."

The Soups

Red Onion Soup

4 tbsp butter
2 med. onions very thinly sliced
1 tbsp flour
½ cup Sherry cooking wine
1 quart beef broth

Brown onions with butter in a sauce pan. Sprinkle with flour. Cover then simmer for 20 minutes. Stirring once in awhile. Pour in the wine. While that's simmering, heat up the broth. add to onions and boil the mix slowly for 5 minutes. (this makes 2 1/2 pints. can be double or tripled easily)


Butternut Squash Soup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 med. onion
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 1/2 lbs butternut squash halved and seeded, peeled and cubed
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt
ground white pepper
pinch freshly grated ginger
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon, mint, chive or parsley


In a large saucepan, heat butter over a medium high heat. Saute onions until a golden color, takes about 5 minutes. Toss in the squash and add sherry. cook and stir until sherry evaporates, 30 seconds.

Stir in the stock, salt, pepper to taste and ginger. Cover and cook 15 minutes until squash is soft.

Ladle the mix into a food processor add milk and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan and cook over a low heat until warmed through. Add more milk to thin if you feel it is too thick.

Can be refrigerated for 3 days before reheating and serving. Garnish with minced herbs.

The Neophyte Wedding Menu

Red Onion Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

smoked lamb

smoked turkey

Beets with cloves and cinnamon

Braised Spinach

Champ

Acorn Squash with cinnamon and honey

Roast Mushrooms with warm spices

Curried apple and cranberry chutney

Bacon and apples bread stuffing

Pumpkin bread

Potato bread

Faerie Butter

Whipped herb butter

Hallowe'en Barm Brack

Mulled Cider

Irish Coffee

blueberry sauce

cherry sauce

mint sauce

General Wedding Update

Talk about a little stressed out! 2 weeks until the big day and my corset doesn't fit. Apparently Japanese sizes run a whole lot smaller than American sizes, go figure, huh? so here's the plan. I will wear pasties and go as a murdered stripper. That will work. Or throw on a blouse and go as a clubbing cowgirl. I think the first choice will be a crowd pleaser though. Or I can try and find a decent looking cheap corset at a local porn store. Maybe pick up a maid of honor gift while there. ha!

I went and got my boots that I liked. Something I can wear on the bike as well. Which I did the other day. and melted a bit of the boots sole. I was not happy with husband, as he was giggling about it. It isn't so bad as to be real noticeable, nor mess with my walking. But the point is, it happened. Husband says there is a hot spot were my boot had been pushed up against that heats his leg up as well. He plans on putting on a small heat shield over that spot. Speaking of riding, we had gone out on Friday morning. My car was in the shop and ready to be picked up. As we were riding, the clutch cable broke. There was little trouble riding on the highway with it, but as soon as we had to get onto the main roads we had to slam into gears. That hurt. I held onto the sissy bar, yanking my shoulder out of it's socket. But as we had gone over one of the over passes, I saw a car flipped on it's side. A little slamming around isn't as bad as what happened to those poor people.

I ordered smaller plastic versions of Husband and I's wedding goblets for the wedding party, as well as some dessert plates, napkins and plastic Halloween cups. They were out of matching dinner plates, so I am on the hunt for something today, as well as plastic tableware. We are eating outside, I really don't want anything fancy and I don't have enough silverware for the party.

Medium changed his mind about what he wanted to be, so had to pick up some glue on devil horns for him. Picked up some wound makeup for my costume, and looked about for body parts and other things that I might pick up the day before the wedding as everything will be cheaper at that time.

I have yet to hear back from the woman that said she would make my cloak and am real nervous about that.

I finally got the number of the youth minister and will call him Monday. If he can't do it, Hooter has a biker Preacher that will do it for $50. Maybe he has an interesting road name as well.