At about 3:30 AM on Friday morning, February 26 we lost our electrical service during a heavy, long-lasting snow storm. And we have been without power — or heat — since then, until 4:30 PM yesterday. That’s four days of no utilities in the middle of winter. We spent Friday night in the house, sleeping around our fireplace, but then had to jump ship and go to J.’s parents. It was just too cold. I’m back now, in my warm house with every convenience around me, and a very big smile on my face. Look for a meal plan posting later today.
To prep a butternut squash, I cut off the neck with a large chef’s knife, and use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Then I go back to the bulb part, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and peel the outside as well. Afterward I hack the whole thing into bite-sized pieces.
Today when I stepped away to the garbage can to peel the neck of the squash, moisture (sugar? it was sticky) started seeping out of the other cut piece, leaving dewy droplets all around the edge. I thought it was really beautiful.
Yesterday evening @kalynskitchen tweeted that she’d roasted a butternut squash, toasted some walnuts, and mixed the two together with Gorgonzola cheese. I’d planned chicken noodle soup for the boys for dinner, but decided to copy Kalyn and make the squash for me and J.
I peeled and cubed the squash, tossed it with a little olive oil and salt, and roasted it at 425 for about 40 minutes. I toasted a handful of chopped walnuts over a medium heat in a small frying pan. And then we mixed in some pieces of Danish blue cheese. (Actually, J. skipped the nuts altogether and still thought it was really good.) The sweet, warm butternut squash goes so well with the tangy, creamy blue cheese — I never would have thought of this combination but it’s a natural match. With some challah, it made a complete meal.
The boys are having a sleepover at their grandparents’ house, so I decided to get a jump on the week and finalize my Thanksgiving menu. I also got all my shopping done, save for unsweetened, dried cranberries (I’m going to try Mrs. Green’s, which probably carries them). I’ll pick up the fresh turkey and stew meat from my butcher on Wednesday morning. And J. will get the cheeses for our cheese tasting from Murray’s this week. I definitely feel ready! Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday — I love planning for it, cooking, setting the table, having my family here, and I don’t even mind cleaning up (much).
In previous years we started the sit-down meal with soup; sometimes a butternut squash soup, or even a clear wild mushroom. But it winds up being too much food — we’ve already taken the edge off our hunger with the cheese, crackers and fruit. We’ll skip soup this year and just serve the main meal without individual courses.
We’ll have 16 people eating, plus my sweet niece who I would like to plop on the table as a cute centerpiece. Somehow I miscounted earlier in the week and came up with 12 people. Hmmm. I hope my cooking is better than my math.
Thanksgiving Menu, 2008
Before meal:
cheese tasting platter with red and green grapes, crackers
sliced cranberry sauce (from a can, that’s how we like it!)
Brussels sprouts w/ chestnuts & dried cranberries (recipe from RBF)
garlic & oil carnival squash (making this up as I go along)
savory stuffing (mom’s bringing) dijon roasted potatoes
sweet potatoes with marshmallows (j.’s aunt is bringing)
I feel like I’ve barely been cooking lately — we’ve had lots of planned meals out (like our cheese tasting) and on other days I’m using leftovers from the freezer (we defrosted some goulash one night). I suppose I’m in a bit of a rut. This week will be better, though. And I’ve started planning for Thanksgiving, which we’ll host here — I’m getting excited about trying some new recipes for the holiday.
This weekend is up in the air — my sister is in town, and J. and I are having a date night to watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull while the kids sleep out. We’ll figure out weekend eating plans as they come.
Another day, another chocolate chip muffin. I’ve come to realize that as long as two criteria are met: 1.) smooth batter (no lumps of fruit); and 2.) chocolate chips are included, my boys will eat anything I can pack into a muffin, even if they’d never touch it otherwise (carrots, peanut butter, bananas, etc.). Today it was pumpkin. I had intended to throw some flax meal in at the last minute but I forgot. Next time.
These are a nice, simple, slightly-dense muffin that I am comfortable serving for breakfast with a cup of milk. It beats crackers or pretzels, which is what G. has otherwise been requesting after I turn down his pleas for ice cream or cookies.
3 c. white whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
4 large eggs
1 c. white sugar
1 15-oz. can pure pumpkin
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. canola oil
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except chocolate chips until they are just combined. Mix in chocolate chips.
Line or grease muffin tins, and fill each cup generously with batter. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Recipes I’ve torn out of magazines recently… surprisingly most are from Every Day with Rachael Ray, a magazine I love to read but that rarely yields recipes I’d like to try.
With the high holidays and both boys’ birthdays falling around these few weeks in fall, it’s hectic here. I was tempted to ditch a meal plan this week and just take the week as it comes, but I think that will make things more difficult in the long run.
I am deeply indebted to Keirnan, who told me that to avoid tears, she rinses her onion under cold water after she makes the first cut, which slices the onion in half. I tried this and it worked perfectly for me. It’s the first onion I’ve cut in a long time where I didn’t do half the chopping by touch alone, hoping I didn’t lop off a finger.
Last week when I made chicken soup, I used my regular recipe but threw it in my crock pot on high for 6 hours instead of doing it on the stove. It was one of the best batches of soup I’ve made in a while. I may never use the stove top for soup again.
J.’s family introduced me to Manero’s in Greenwich, CT a long time ago — eating there was one of their family traditions. The Greenwich branch closed a few years ago, but some of the employees from the restaurant opened up Greenwich Prime Meats to fill the void (their Web site has been down for a while though the store is definitely open; you can read about it on Chowhound). You’ll have to cook your own steak, but they sell the prepared Gorgonzola salad, garlic bread, and fried onions the restaurant was well-loved for. So bad for you, but oh so good.
I'm Dara, the Chick in the Kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two boys, ages 4 and 6, and husband. Trying to feed my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Read more about me and CITK, or reach me at .
Want to Try
Watermelon Margaritas: Tempted to throw a party just so I have a reason to serve these.
Cook to This
"Magic" by B.o.B. (featuring Rivers Cuomo). Bopping around in my chair as I publish this link...
The boys are having a sleepover at their grandparents’ house, so I decided to get a jump on the week and finalize my Thanksgiving menu. I also got all my shopping done, save for unsweetened, dried cranberries (I’m going to try 
I'm Dara, the Chick in the Kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two boys, ages 4 and 6, and husband. Trying to feed my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Read more 