If you were to look at my drafts folder on this blog, you’d see about 52 unpublished drafts that are 99% ready to be posted. I don’t know what it is about actually hitting ‘post’ on these, but I apparently have some kind of hang up. So instead of finally posting one of these, I’m just writing a new one. And actually posting it!
Tomorrow is November, and I honestly don’t remember much of October. I feel like it was just my birthday a week ago, and now all of a sudden we turned the heat on?! (usually I hold off, but it was 59 degrees when we woke up the other morning and I was not having it) This month means the election… omg. And my mom’s birthday, which usually also means snow…. And Brian’s master’s project due date, which means graduation is soon!!! November is poised to be a pretty exciting month for us and I’m really looking forward to the holidays this year once Brian is done with school and we can spend more time together.
We’re still working on our kitchen, but the end is definitely in sight. We’ve finished painting the cabinets, pulling down old cabinets and installing our new open shelving, and installed 2/3 of the butcher block countertops. We’re waiting on the plumber now to come so that we can move the sink and install the last countertop. Then we’ll do the tile backsplash and be done! I’m saving all the details for one giant all-inclusive post, but here’s a few sneak peek photos….
We tore out most of our dead potted plants on the stoop in favor of empty pots, gourds, and a few mums. As sad as it is to cut down all of our hard work, there’s a certain accomplished feeling to returning to bare bones and an empty slate. To everything there is a season…. 
I finally made a recipe I’ve been storing for almost 3 years, and man am I sorry I left it for so long. I saw it in one of Ruth Reichl’s novels (HIGHLY RECOMMEND), and jotted it down in my phone to make later. Here I am three years later, silently thanking younger me for remembering it.
Roasted Pumpkin with Croutons and Gruyere (adapted from Ruth Reichl)
- Cut the top off of a medium sized pie pumpkin and gently scoop out only the seeds. (Save those for later)
- Start filling the pumpkin with layers of crunchy croutons, grated gruyere, garlic, herbs, and parmesan. (And honestly, anything else you think sounds good. We used a little nutmeg and cinnamon and it was great)
- Once it’s full to the top, smash it down a little and fill it up with heavy cream. Smash the lid back on top and pop it in the oven at 350 for at least an hour, and then watch til it starts bubbling over. Make sure you put it in a pan with foil, or have a drip tray underneath.
- Scoop out the insides, scraping the roasted pumpkin from the sides, and serve!
p.s… while you’re waiting for your pumpkin to bake, gently clean off your pumpkin seeds, drizzle them with butter+garlic+smoked salt and bake til toasty!
Oh and p.s…. Happy Halloween! Somehow I avoided dressing up in the costume that the kids have been begging me to be (a napkin), so I’m happily headed home to sit on the stoop bundled up, eat chili and hand out candy!
veronimama 