Run for the Cookie....

I managed to browbeat Maggie into doing the 1 mile Girl Scout Run for the Cookie.  She just will NOT run with me at all.  However, she did really well this morning and we did the run in 10:40

November Run Webster/Kirkwood Turkey Trot 2014

Very cold morning, Sam said real feel was 16. We weren't too keen on doing this run since it snowed all day yesterday, but as usual we were glad we made the effort.

The race is getting very popular and it's hard to get around everyone because the course is so narrow.  That was fine for me as it was an easy pace, but annoying when you get jostled and almost run over by a stroller....

Twice-Baked Delicata Squash

Spiced nuts

• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 egg white
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup pecans, chopped

Squash

• 4 medium delicata squash, halved, seeds removed
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 oz goat cheese

| Preparation – Spiced Nuts | Preheat oven to 300°F. Mix sugars and spices in a small bowl and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, combine egg white and water and beat until frothy (you should not be able to see the bottom of the bowl). Add nuts and toss to coat with egg. Add spices and toss to coat. Spread mixture onto baking sheet covered in parchment paper, flattening with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven to cool.

| Preparation – Squash | Increase oven temperature to 450°F. Rub each seeded squash half with butter (including skin), then place skin-side down on a baking tray or dish.

Sprinkle each half with brown sugar, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. After 30 minutes, check every 2 minutes until a knife easily slices through the squash.

Remove squash from the oven and reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Let squash cool until it’s cool to the touch. Carefully scrape squash meat into a bowl, leaving a thin layer of squash so the skin can act as a boat. The skin is very thin and you’ll need six squash boats, so be very careful while scraping out the meat.

Mix squash meat with goat cheese. Add more salt and pepper if desired. When squash mixture is smooth and no lumps remain, split mixture between six squash boats. The amount in each boat depends on the size of your squash – just ensure each boat has approximately the same amount of filling.

Place squash boats back on the baking pan and bake at 350°F for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until filling is heated through.

| To Serve | Using a fork or your hands, break apart the sheet of spiced nut brittle into small pieces. When the squash filling is heated through, remove from the oven and top with a small handful of nut brittle.

Sweet chocolate cake with Winter spices

• 4 oz Cortés Askinosie Chocolate 70 percent single-origin Honduran dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp high-quality natural cocoa powder
• ¾ tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp Vietnamese cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp grated fresh nutmeg
• 1½ cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup unsulphured molasses
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• zest of 2 medium oranges
• juice of 1 medium orange
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• ¾ cup boiling water

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 350 °F.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom with parchment paper; butter parchment liner.

In the top of a double boiler set over just-simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring frequently. When chocolate is completely smooth, set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add brown sugar and butter and beat on high until fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add melted chocolate and beat until incorporated. Add molasses, grated ginger, orange zest and juice and beat until combined; add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed until everything is homogenous. Add the flour mixture to the bowl in 2 parts, mixing for 10 to 15 seconds after each incorporation; scrape down the bowl and mix for 10 seconds more. With the mixer on low, stream in boiling water and mix until batter is completely homogenous, thoroughly scraping through to incorporate any dry patches.

Pour mixture into prepared springform pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, checking at the 40-minute mark for doneness. Cake is done when a wooden skewer or cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs, but remains slightly sunken in the center. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Release sides of springform pan and lift it over cake. Transfer cake to serving plate and slice to serve.

Butternut Squash Harvest Bake

• melted butter
• 1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, thinly sliced
• 1 acorn squash, peeled, deseeded, thinly sliced
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, washed and sliced into thin rounds
• 3 apples, washed, deseeded, thinly sliced
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup sliced dried figs
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup local honey
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ cup pecan halves
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with melted butter.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring water to a boil. Place butternut and acorn squash in boiling water and allow to boil for 10 minutes, then add sweet potatoes and allow both to boil for 20 minutes.

Remove squash and sweet potatoes from heat, drain and rinse.

In the greased baking dish, layer boiled squash and sweet potatoes in a spiraling pattern starting at the inside edge of the pan and working your way toward the center. Layer sliced apples in the same pattern. This should give you one or two nice layers, depending on the size of the squash. Sprinkle cranberries and dried sliced figs on top of the harvest bake.

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Add honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Stir well. Drizzle mixture over harvest bake dish, taking care to cover entire dish. Transfer to oven and bake for 20 minutes or until apples are golden. Add nuts and bake for an additional 5 minutes to lightly toast walnuts and pecans. Serve warm.

Mushrooms!!!

• 3-4 c oyster mushrooms
• 2 tbsp ghee or avocado oil
• garlic powder or fresh garlic salt f
• fresh tarragon & chives for garnish

Melt 2 tbsp ghee in pan and add mushrooms (I actually used a variety here but made sure I had plenty of oyster because they get crispy easier). Sautee, sprinkle with a little salt and keep sautéing. Add a little garlic powder, or wait until they are done and throw in fresh garlic for 30 seconds. Keep sautéing until they start to get crispy. Maybe 15-20 minutes. Top with fresh tarragon and chives.

Something new to do with baked sweet potatoes

• 4 sweet potatoes
• avocado oil
• 2 tbsp almond flour
• 1 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Cashews, chopped
• Unsweetened dried cherries, chopped

Slice potatoes carefully at 1/4 inch intervals, stopping just above the bottom of the potato (instead of cutting through) until the whole potato is sliced. Repeat with each potato. Chopsticks placed on each side of the potato make a good stop for your knife. Place potatoes on a baking sheet. Pour enough avocado oil over each potato to coat it, making sure to pour in between cuts. Mix flours, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes.  Bake at 375 for 1 hour. Remove from oven and top with chopped raw cashews and unsweetened dried cherries.

Apple Pie recipe from Melissa-Definitely NOT paleo!!!!

Ingredients Edit and Save

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

1. 
   Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add white sugar, brown sugar and water; bring to a boil. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 35 to 45 minute
4. Melissa's pie crust: 2 cups flour, 1 tsp kosher salt. Then I add 1 cup cold butter flavored crisco....pastry blend it until it has gravel sized bits....then I add 4 tbsp ice cold water, blend, then add water tbsp-wise until I have the right consistency. Split into two balls, refrigerate at least 3 hours.