Spicy Pumpkin Soup

When I spotted this recipe, the first thing that I noticed was the curry powder. I love anything made with curry powder. Curry powder is the chocolate of spices, i.e., anything is better with curry.  Whipping up this pumpkin soup was an easy way to fill the house with the autumnal scent of an Indian potpourri.  That sounds silly to me, too. I just wanted to use the word autumnal, because I enjoy saying it aloud.  What seasonal words bring a smile to your face?  Get off my blog if you are thinking snow.  We can’t be friends. We just can’t.



That’s right, I cook with garlic powder, and  boxed stock. I forgot the evaporated milk when taking the ingredient photo. I used fat free evaporated milk.
As a huge fan of cold soups, I figured this would better after a few hours in the refrigerator. I was correct. The soup, which was merely good when hot, was amazing when served chilled.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onions
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) cans pumpkin
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk (skim works fine)
Directions:
Saute onion in butter, until soft.
Stir in the curry, salt, and garlic powder.
Add the broth and pumpkin, bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
Stir in evaporated milk and chill.
Serve with corn muffins, because every meal should feature corn muffins.  They are autumnal, as you know.
This recipe is adapted from a recipe at food.com.

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Thrifty Decor Chick

 

IKEA Mirrors

Using IKEA’s Malma mirror as the starting point, I created a button mirror.



A quick raid of my button jar, a glue gun, and a few coats of white spray paint, made it easy to create this mirror.



The mirror now resides with my collection of white china pieces.



In our previous home, it hung on the bathroom wall.



Farther down the wall, four painted Malma mirrors are hung above the china cabinet. I originally was going to embellish these in some manner, but have decided with input from SH, who wishes we could start over, and decorate the entire house in mid century modern, that this pop of white in its plain state, looks great.



I know, the window needs more than just a blind. Any ideas on what would work?


Parting shots of the cute buttons, complete with thread remnants and shabbied up paint.

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Dining Table to Coffee Table

An unfinished oak table, which SH and I painstakingly finished, back when we were a young, fresh-faced cohabitating couple, served our family well as I served up scrumptious fare each night, while the kids were in their formative years. Any mention of the table's use as a backpack depository, or craft table, is purely the runaway imagination of my now grown offspring, who attempt modesty when discussing their completely perfect childhoods.

In hopes of convincing SH that forever altering the table was a grand idea, I removed the old coffee table, replacing it with only the tabletop. With no place to use his laptop, SH had no choice but to do as I wanted.

SH measuring, while attempting to suppress any thoughts of the fact that while other men have real workbenches, his work surface is a snack table.

Yeah! A large and completely level coffee table, which SH created with only four cuts. In shock, he rewarded himself with a trip to the driving range, only to hit four balls before the rain started.  Suprisingly, he returned home, knowing I would find yet another project for him to tackle.

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A Little ORB Will Do Ya

When we built our house, one of the things that we saved money on, was not upgrading the light fixtures. This photo, taken two years ago, while the house was still under construction, shows the one step up from bare bulb fixture.  Wait, I had better not call it that, as it will be painted, and be making an appearance in another room, but that's a story for another post.

After seeing so many light fixture transformations on blogs, I was inspired.

The starting point was a $3.00 shiny brass light fixture, that I purchased from a thrift store. I met a man that day who told me that he had found a ten buck laptop, which only needed to be reformatted, making my find not as impressive, but it made me happy.

After a few coats of Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint, I was quite pleased. Yes, the screws need to be painted, and a more suitable bulb needs to be purchased, but since it took two years to get this far, let's not get our hopes up.

Next on the to do list is painting the nail pop repair, and hanging the mirror, which I wrote about here.
Oh, and fixing the whatever you call that strip at the bottom of the door, that BG's dog chewed, would be a good idea. While I am listing to dos, the back of the wreath holder needs to be painted to blend in with the door, the rug straightened, and the floor can always be washed.

Forget it, I think I shall read more blogs.

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Mmmmmmmm Big Pumpkin Cookies

I made these easy cake mix based cookies extra large. They are perfect with a cup of coffee. My current coffee is Seattle's Best Almond Roca. I am not extremely picky about coffee. I do, however, prefer it flavored, with some fat-free half and half added.

Fat-free half and half is one of my favorite food inventions. I will one day post why. I feel bad, because my best friend is allergic to carrageenan, one of the ingredients. I try not to sing its praises around her.


Pumpkin Spice Cookies

1 (18 1/4 ounce) box spice cake mix
1 (15 ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spray cookie sheets lightly with vegetable spray

In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and pumpkin with a fork or mixer until well blended; stir in nuts or raisins, if desired.

Drop by large rounded spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet. They don't flatten out much so however you place them on the sheet is pretty much how they'll look after baking. I spread them out a bit using my fingers.

Bake for 8 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies.
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Paper Doll Halloween Costume

Source- Family Fun

This is my dream Halloween costume. My childhood was filled with paper dolls. Each month I would wait for my mom's McCall's magazine, excited by the promise of a new Besty McCall  paper doll.
While Betsy was fun, she was a little girl. Even as a five year old, I longed to be an adult. My bride and groom paper dolls might not have been made of flesh, but they were grown ups.

While many a tab was accidentally snipped off, as I painstakingly cut out the outfits, I simply invented the Land of Crooked, a place ruled by Queen Off Kilter. What I lacked in eye hand coordination, I made up for in imagination

All these years later, I am still ruling, and still mighty crooked.

Floor Cleaning with Pantiliners

Thinking I would do a bit of Googling, in hopes to pad this blog post (love those pathetic puns), I came upon info that, well, I just did not want to read. Damn it! As if I am not neurotic enough, I have to read this:
    
Danger of wearing pantyliner everyday

No, no, no, I will never give up my pantyliners. I love the fresh feeling their use as a floor cleaner, which I will explain in a moment.

I am all too familiar with what some view as the absurdity of daily pad wearing, unless one is menstruating, or has incontinence. Back when the concept was new, I was eating dinner with my then beau's family, trying to feign sophistication, which when you are 19, is beyond silly.

It was bad enough that said guy wanted me to lie about my age, hoping his family wouldn't think of him as a cradle robber (he was), and that one of his nieces said I had a valley girl voice (I didn't). His sister started in on the ludicrousness of pantyliners. I sat silent back then, but never again.

Pantyliner are one the best inventions on earth. Yes, they are.  Not only do they catch errant drips of urine, blood, or vaginal secretions, but they are perfect for floor cleaning.

Upon removing your pantyliner, flip it sticky side out, and use it to catch a few hairs that have fallen to your bathroom floor. No matter how good of a housekeeper you think you are, there will always be hair, and fuzz.
Here's your proof:

Much Better

This glaring monstrosity has always bothered me.

No, not the always dusty, large black toaster, but the unused white plastic, phone jack thingy, that annoys me to no end. Yes, I am easily amused, and easily annoyed, making this mini project, a real winner.

Home Depot sells a textured, paintable cover. It took me close to two years to remember to buy one.

Now, staring at the wall is almost fun.

                                                               

Noodle Kugel

 My Facebook status:  
I just popped a noodle kugel into the oven. It has been ages since I made one, so I am excited for dinner.

Based on the comments I received, if you didn't grow up eating noodle kugel, the concept sounds wonky. So, for all of you kugel deprived folk (it is YUMMY), here is how I make it.

I also like it with raisins, instead of peaches. It is equally good made with more eggs, for a firmer kugel. Full fat dairy products are even better, producing a creamier kugel, but 2% cottage cheese, and fat-free sour cream work just fine.

Now, all of my friends from childhood, will weigh in with their own versions. No matter how you make it, noodle kugel is a great comfort food. It is good served cold, or hot. It also freezes well.

The Ingredients (plus some butter, and cereal)

Boil  16 oz of noodles al dente.

Toss with a few tablespoons of butter.

Mix in 16 oz of sour cream, and two beaten eggs (or more, if you like).

Add the 24 oz cottage cheese, and mix well.

Sprinkle on some cinnamon, and mix.

Spread half the mixture in a buttered 9'x13' pan.

Drain, and chop the peaches. Spread on top of the noodle mixture in pan, and top with remaining noodle mixture.

Bake or add a topping, if you desire.

 Cinnamon Life looks like a good plan.

Crush the cereal, and sprinkle over the unbaked kugel.

Ready for baking

Bake 45-60 minutes, until it is a bit crisp on top, and bubbly hot.

Yummy!

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Tuesdays at the Table