Autumn Cooking

"Merry everything and happy always."

~Unknown

As a kid, I watched Monte Hall, of the Let's Make A Deal, feature Bruce's canned yams in various pricing games, but didn't put much thought into them because, one I was a kid, and two our family always bought Princella sweet potatoes. As a grown-up My yam of choice was the fresh ones that you bake yourself, and add the sweet seasonings right at the table! One day, I thought I would give Princella a chance, to see what the fuss had been about for my family. Unfortunately, when I opened the can, the first few at the top were moldy. Blech! So, it was non-negotiable, it was fresh yams or sweet potatoes there after! Well, this past Thanksgiving, I decided to give Bruce's yams a chance. Let me tell you, they are fantastic! If you visit their website, there are a few terrific cookbooks you can download and they even make them in zero sugar! I haven't tried those yet, but I was really happy with the original!

Give them a try!

Harvest Yumminess!

"Somewhere along the way, I realized that the new year doesn't begin in January. The new and fresh has always come for me in the Fall. Ironically, as leaves are falling like rain, crunching beneath my feet with finality, I am vibrating with the excitement

 of birth and new beginnings... My year begins in Autumn."

~Betsy Canas

I love cooking in Fall. I have a full kitchen pantry,
 and I am working on new recipes.
 Stay Tuned!

Yum!

MMMmmmmmmmmm Yummy!

Leaf Of The Day

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

The Healing Properties Of The Common Orange Tabby Yam

From For Ellipsis

"A cat pours his body onto the floor. It is restful just to watch him."

-William Lyon Phelps

From For Ellipsis

Ever since I brought my Dylan home, I have referred to him as my "YAM." He is orange, quiet, and at times... potato-like. Sweet Potato-Like. LOL. He is such a different cat then Hendrix. Oh don't get me wrong, both of them are little love bugs, but both are very independent, in very different ways. Hendrix is a little more self assured and outgoing. He knows almost NO FEAR! Dylan, when frightened, becomes almost paralysed. He is affectionate, but usually in a much quieter manner. Where Hendrix is a lot more demonstrative with affection, Dylan will stay by my side, and sometimes ask me to play or maybe just sit in the sun with him as a show of affection.

He had been through a lot before we me, and was the child of a little homeless cat who had been turned out into the world. She was removing her kittens from the their nest, similar to the way birds give their babies a nudge into the world, when it happened. See, she didn't understand the ways of the world, and was hit by a car before she could go back for Dylan. Knowing cats the way I do, I am sure she saw that he was insecure and frightened, so she was probably going to keep him with her a little longer as cats do sometimes. I am still so sorry that she passed away, clearly she was a good momma who loved her little orange **Sweet Potato** tabby. I hope wherever she is, she knows how much I love our boy!

Cats are a gift to we humans good health. Cat owners have a significantly lower risk of having a heart attack, stroke or contracting certain types of cancer. Click on the link below, to read all about the health benefits of being owned by a cat... or two! LOL.

**Cats And Good Health: How Owning A Cat Aids Your Well-Being


In retrospect, I suppose I should have just called him "YAM." LOL. But Dylan is good too!

-Carly

Autumn Sausage And Sweet Potato Soup

"The only courage that matters is the kind that gets you from one moment to the next."

-Mignon McLaughlin

It's a quiet day at our house today. There has been a lot of stress lately, and I am still finding my way around in the dark. If you haven't read my blog for a while, "the dark" is a metaphor for what has been happening in my life lately. Elvis, the state budget, blah, blah, blah. I get so tired of it all. To add to things, Elvis has a new habit, and I wish I knew where it came from. See, for several nights in a row now, Elvis has begun to panic when the lights go out. It happens the same way each night. As soon as we get in bed, and turn the lights out, Elvis comes over to my side of the bed, and sits and stares at me. If I try to ignore him, he will eventually jump up on my side of the bed and begin tapping my nose in a very insistent manner. Like he is trying to tell me something. I have checked his bowls, both are full. He doesn't need his box changed, and he has plenty of toys about. What could it be? I have started keeping a diary, so I can discuss it with Dr. B on Wednesday, when he goes in for his chemotherapy. In the meantime, I am one tired lady.

In an effort to break out of the ickiness I feel, I took a walk around Tilden this morning. It is so lovely there, and I feel like it is my second home. I will really miss my routines up there when they close South Park drive for the winter months, in November. Driving in that part of the park gets treacherous during the icy rainy months, and the only access is quite a bit further up Grizzly Peak. So, I am enjoying it as much as I can for now. It was cold this morning, and my knees where hurting, so I didn't stay long, but to my delight there were signs of autumn everywhere. It won't be long now. I love autumn so much, and I always feel my best as the leaves begin to change. But you already knew that. :)

Last night I made a new recipe I created for dinner. I have been thinking about this soup for a long time, and with the little chill in the air it was a good time to give it a try. I am not sure what I want to call it, but I had apple sausage, sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables, red onion, cinnamon, just a pinch, and chicken and tomato bouillon. It came out really good. Alan ended up eating the whole pot, lol, so I am pretty sure we will be having it again. :) How does "Waiting For Autumn Soup" sound? Nah, that's not quite right, but the flavor did have a bit of Autumn to it, with the cinnamon and the sweet potatoes. Hmmm.


(Autumn Sausage and Sweet Potato Soup)
(Low Fat, Low Calorie)

By Carly Gordon

5 (hot dog sized) links Apple/Cheese Sausage

1 red onion, chopped

1 med. Sweet Potato, cut into medium chunks

2 cans Fat-Free Chicken broth

2 squares Knorr Chicken/Tomato Bouillon cubes

1/2 tsp. Granny Goose dry Green Onion dip mix

1 cup Barilla Orzo

1 cup Frozen mixed vegetables

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions

Remove the sausage casing from the sausage, and chop the sausage into small chunks, then brown the meat in a skillet. As you cook the meat, add the cinnamon and continue frying and stirring the meat to coat with the cinnamon. When the meat is cooked through, transfer to a medium sized stove top Dutch oven. Add the canned chicken broth, bouillon cubes, dry dip mix, and 8 cups water, or until the liquid reaches 3/4 to the top of the dutch oven. Bring to a boil.

Let the water come to a full rolling boil, then add the chopped onion and the sweet potato. Continue boiling about a 1/2 hour, or until the sweet potato begins to soften. The time may vary, so check after 20 minutes or so. When the potato just begins to soften, add the orzo, and continue cooking another 10 to 15 minutes. Lastly, add the frozen vegetables and cook until the soup comes back to a boil. Cook for another 15 minutes. Serve with some nice warm French bread.

Makes 6 (1 cup) servings

Note: Sweet potatoes are really good for the blood. 1 medium (4 oz) cooked with the skin, has only 103 calories!

It's so strange, when I was a little girl, and I had a good deep pout on, nothing made me feel better then a hot bowl of soup. Soup. Yeah... that's the ticket! It's funny how much has changed, and how much has stayed the same.

-OndineMonet
"Soup"
Berkeley, California
August 3, 2008
Late Afternoon