Roasted Delicata Squash Salad

Do you love fall like I do? Do you have pumpkins and gourds in every color decorating your home? Have you been eating a lot of squash lately? Let me guess: butternut squash tops your list? Mine too, but trust me, you want to branch out. Delicata squash is not just pretty - it's delicious and you don't even have to peel it! Just chop it up, spoon out the seeds and you're good to cook.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="545" caption="Roasted Delicata Salad"][/caption]

This photo is from 101cookbooks.com where I got the recipe. For our dinner I used a lot more kale, sriracha sauce instead of harissa paste and gorgeous little purple potatoes that I chopped up a little more to get them "thumb size." Besides being a pleasure to look at, this fall salad was scrumptious. Stephane wants it added to the two week rotation which is pretty much his ultimate compliment.

Next week I'm going to focus on menu planning and finally reveal Coco's Halloween Costume. If only I could get FIVE WHOLE MINUTES to finish it!

Quick Share: Summer Squash Couscous with Sultanas, Pistachios and Mint

Five stars to this amazing dish, again from Food52.com.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="694" caption="Summer Squash Couscous with Sultanas, Pistachios and Mint"][/caption]

I used Israeli couscous because we like that better. I didn't chop the zucchini or yellow squash as finely as suggested. Mine were closer to inch and half inch chunks. I also used minced garlic in the dressing, forgetting that you're supposed to discard the garlic before serving. As I'm fairly sensitive to raw garlic, this should be interesting!

Without question, one of our favorites. This is in two week rotation although I'm pretty sure we had it last week, too. I think I used butternut squash last week instead of yellow squash. Slightly hardier, a little taste of fall mixed in. Yum!

Buffalo Mozzarella, Balsamic Glazed Plums, Pine Nuts & Mint

Another amazing, fabulous, winner of a recipe from Food52.com.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="694" caption="Buffalo Mozzarella with Balsamic Glazed Plums, Pine Nuts and Mint "][/caption]
I made a version of this appetizer to take to my friend's dinner party last night. It wasn't really a party, just two couples and three kids, but it always feels like a party when we see them. How can you beat good company, happy kids and free flowing wine?

I didn't have pine nuts so I used pistachios. We didn't have buffalo mozzarella so I used fresh. Then I didn't use a well sealed bowl to carry it in the car so I wore the smell of balsamic vinegar all evening. I would suggest avoiding that.

This was a smash success. Super easy, too. I'm thinking about putting the whole thing over pasta as a main course. Think?

I Have to Share: ZipList.com

Do you ZipClip? It's a function of ZipList.com and it's awesome. ZipList is an online recipe clipping service that puts all the ingredients into a database so when you're menu planning, you just click on the various recipes in your recipe box and a shopping list is automatically generated. Did I mention it's free?
[caption id="attachment_305" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Recipe Screen Shot from Ziplist.com"][/caption]

ZipClip is a little button you put on your menu bar. Whenever you come across a recipe you love, click the button and viola, ZipClick sucks up the ingredients list, photo and URL into your own private database.
[caption id="attachment_308" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="ZipClip Screen Shot"][/caption]

I'm not saying it couldn't be better - the software needs work. But even as is, ZipList has revolutionized menu planning and grocery shopping in the Fitch home. If anyone knows of a better online recipe clipping service, let me know!

Farro with Roasted Butternut Squash

Do you know about 101CookBooks.com? Heidi writes and photographs beautifully - she's got a great eye and great taste. All the recipes I've tried have been delicious . I definitely can't say that about Martha Stewart.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="654" caption="Farro with Roasted Butternut Squash"][/caption]

Last night we had Farro and Roasted Butternut Squash. The balsamic vinegar and fresh thyme mixed beautifully with the roasted squash and onions. One thought, though. The recipe did not call for soaking the farro so I didn't. It tasted lovely but I thought the consistency wasn't quite right. Next time I'll give it a soak for twenty minutes and see if that helps.

First Dance Class, First Comments

[caption id="attachment_210" align="alignnone" width="556" caption="Ballet Class"][/caption]My daughter had her first dance class of the season today - new tap AND ballet shoe purchases necessary. I'm not complaining, I love to shop. Even better, Target doesn't carry tap shoes so I got to branch out and hit up a real shoe store (!!) Did I mention a brand new Target just opened TWO BLOCKS AWAY? Three aisles of dollar bins. I KNOW!

So the good news is that it's a drop off class, her first ever. The BAD news is that it's a drop off class - MY first ever. I only got to take one stinking photo before we got kicked out. I did have the grace to hug and thank the teacher for her sacrifice but as the door closed I felt... bereft? Deflated? Where are the tears, child? Where's the "I WANT MY MOMMY!"?

Nothing but giggles and joyous screeches in that room with no windows to the hall where we moms sat, chatting and wondering what we were supposed to do for an hour alone in a hallway without windows...

In other news, came to home to find ...Wow! I posted the Halloween Peasant Top to a few link parties and got loads of visitors. If you're coming back, please stop by the comment section and join Bella and Toni in saying hello! I can't tell you how exciting it is to get an email telling me there's a comment in my queue. In the meantime, I'm working on a new Halloween skirt. Tonight, maybe, after our evening art class and dinner. It's hard to imagine cooking right now. It's 85 degrees out at 5 pm and I'm still STUFFING myself on left overs from the Spiced Bulgar, Chickpea and Squash Salad I made two days ago. Seriously, try it.

The Halloween Peasant Top and Spiced Bulgar, Chickpea and Squash Salad

Today is the first day of fall classes with my three year old, otherwise known (at least for this day) as the demon. We've got art, tap / ballet, gymnastics, children't theater and "Adventures in Storytelling" which I think is another theater class. Coco is a very social child but I didn't want to send her to preschool yet so we're taking lots of classes together. Art is tough because I want to play, too! I have to sit on my hands a lot. Today we played with air drying clay and it was just impossible not to dig in but the demon wasn't having it. She took great joy in destroying everything I touched. Makes a mommy rrreally look forward to quiet time!

So I've decided that mid September is not too early to get our Halloween crafting and decorating on. Am I wrong? Never mind that I made Coco's Halloween peasant top back in August(!!) This is the first time she wore it.


Can you see the little ghosts and gravestones? The sleeves are spiderwebs! I have a ton left of both and I don't know what to do with it. I'm thinking skirts for my "someday" Etsy shop...

This isn't the first peasant top, I've made. I can't help myself, these are so much fun! I just picked up some corduroy I want to try next.

[caption id="attachment_188" align="alignnone" width="1024" caption="Patty Young for Michael Miller"][/caption]

I've only ever worked with light cotton so it should be interesting. I'll gladly take any tips!

Finally, gotta post about dinner last night. This is from a BBC cooking mag called Good Food.

[caption id="attachment_189" align="alignnone" width="440" caption="Spiced bulghar, chickpea & squash salad"][/caption]

This tasted just like Fall. For the Americans, instead of Harissa paste, you can you Siracha sauce (the red Asian sauce with the rooster on it!) Also, 140 grams of bulgar wheat equals a cup and I used two cups of hot broth. I added lemon zest to the yogurt. Any Greek style yogurt will work. I didn't have any spinach handy so I skipped it. This really was beyond easy!

Busy little monkeys

What a week! Have done a bunch of sewing but I won't show you the projects until next month when they are theme appropriate. Started another gorgeous little skirt but don't have the right thread to finish it. Bought fabric and bling for Coco's Halloween costume but only have a vague idea of how it will come together.

We went Raspberry picking in Wisconsin. I once lived in the French Alps and we used to drive to Geneva just to pick up Swiss chocolate. And I lived in Los Angeles where we'd make a quick trip down to Mexico for wrought iron candle holders and cheap tequila. So why do I find it so weird that here in Chicago, my husband goes winter surfing in Indiana and I just hop over to Wisconsin to pick some fruit??



I've been sorting through a stack of cooking magazines (food porn) and we've been trying out some new recipes. Tuesday night we had a Quinoa Salad with chickpeas, cranberries, sultanas, mint and almonds. Delicious but obey the recipe, this is meant to be eaten cold.

Wednesday night we had Fish Tacos that made me long for one of those quick trips to Mexico. I want to put the dressing on everything but I'm still just on juices until dinner so it's languishing in the refrigerator

Last night we had this but I tossed it over pasta.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Mozzarella with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes"][/caption]

SO yummy but I won't lie. This was NOT low fat.

Meanwhile we're waiting for this to dry. Can you tell what it is?

Summer Couscous with Halloumi Cheese

Maybe it's the heat or my recent detox but I feel like Coco has lost her mind lately.  She's gotten so tough to be around.  Everything is an argument. EVERY time I ask her to do something she responds with, "Why should I?" Would it be wrong to answer "because I'm going to smack you six ways from Sunday if you don't!"??

Is three really the new thirteen?

I posted on the subject to my mommy group and got some great responses, ranging from "yep, totally normal three year old behavior" to "HAH you ain't seen nothing til you've seen four!"  Some of the moms of babies commented that our stories left them reeling between tears of laughter and pangs of fear.  So very much for all of us to look forward to!

So, to celebrate surviving this day (all three of us!) we are having a favorite dinner,  just the two of us, and watching Inglorious Basterds on cable.  Going big, yeah.  That's how we roll.

Summer Couscous with Halloumi Cheese

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="440" caption="Summer Couscous Salad"][/caption]

Go get the recipe.  This is seriously awesome. And use Israeli couscous instead of the normal stuff. It is ten times better. I promise!

Food, Glorious Food!

It's so good to be eating solid food again.  My juices are super healthy and delicious but there is nothing so nice as the flavors of, well, pretty much anything after a week of juicing.  Last night we had the same beet salad I wrote about earlier, because it's easy and yummy and I really craved feta cheese.  Today for lunch I made the worlds best gazpacho, if I do say so myself.  At least it's MY all time favorite.  Let me know if you want the recipe.

Tonight we are going big with Food52.com's amazing Farro Salad with Roasted Mushrooms and Parmesan.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="584" caption="Farro Salad with Roasted Mushrooms and Parmesan"][/caption]

This dish is to die for.  And so easy!  It could be a side dish but I'm making it as an entree.  You have to check out the Food52 website.  Today they feature a recipe for homemade Sriracha.  HOME.MADE.SRIRACHA.  I'm literally salivating as I type.

As soon as I have 15 minutes I'm going to try to sew a pillowcase style dress for Coco.  It would be a lot easier if she would nap!