Fabulous Fall Foods Friday

Fabulous Fall Foods Friday - Join in for a chance at a Gooseberry Patch Cookbook! Head on over to Paula's for more details!

 Baked Acorn Squash




Ingredients                        

• 1 Tbsp Butter                                      
• 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Maple Syrup
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• Dash of Salt

 Preheat oven to 400°F.

 Using a big, strong knife (and maybe the help of a big, strong man) cut the acorn squash in half, lengthwise.

Spoon out the seeds and stringy stuff in the center.

Score the insides of each half several times.

Place each half in a baking pan, cut side up in about 1/4 inch of water.

Coat the inside of each half with 1/2 Tablespoon of butter. Add a Tablespoon of Brown Sugar and dribble on a teaspoon of maple syrup...

Bake for about an hour or until the squash is  soft and the tops are browned. 

Spoon any buttery sugar sauce over the exposed areas.

I experimented with a "healthier" version to this classic recipe. I used Agave Nectar for the sweetener and Olive Oil for the butter.  I went a little heavier on the spice as well. It turned out great!

Mules Across the Great Wide Open

I first stumbled across this book at our local feed store and was immediately drawn to one word: "mules". My love for mules started when my dad got us our first "horse." Like lots, or even most little girls, I wanted a horse of my own. Little did I know that I would fall in love with a mule named Barney. . . 

Jody Foss wrote Mules Across the Great Wide Open after her pack trip from Park City, Utah to Spokane, Washington. The trip was 1,300 miles long and they accomplished it with three horses, two mules, a couple dogs, her sister, and their friend. Along the way, they record stories from old timers and interesting characters they meet along the way.

The book is an easy read, 285 pages with a section of photographs from the trip and illustrations throughout. I will warn you, after reading this book you will want to drop everything, pack up, and ride out into the sunset - never looking back. The book is not overly dramatized, but simply depicts the adventures and the people they come across.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in pack trips, mules or the pure romance of riding out into unknown country...

Happy trails!

                                     Barney - Circa 2004.  may he rest in peace

Knot Just Knit-Wits: Pillow Case Project

The pillow case project through Craft Hope for children of Doernbecher Hospital was a great success. We had 2 additional ladies join in our usual group and we made a total of 21 pillow cases! There was such a fun variety and fabrics, it was a joy to see them all together!We all got together last week at Paula's , our ring-leader of the group, and shared in the blessing that it was to know that our pillow cases were going to bring smiles and joy to children who need it most.

,

"Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

2 Corinthians 9:11

( http://crafthope.com/2010/07/one-million-pillowcases/)