A *teeny* bit obessed : Pumpkin Recipes : Tuesday Tip

Ah, fall . . . . the time of year when I stop getting crazy looks for buying and/or making pumpkin goodies.  Because, now, I'm not the only one.  Not the only one standing in the produce section or the baking aisle lost in thought about the endless possibilities.  Okay, maybe I am the only one who does *that.*

Ode to a Pumpkin
Pumpkin, pumpkin, shining bright,
I'll see you in my dreams tonight.
Waiting for me, standing tall,
To cut and cook you, skin and all.
Flesh prepared and seeds basted,
Nary a part will be wasted.
Cookies, dips and pancakes - yes!
But it's your muffins I like best.
Pumpkin, pumpkin, shining bright,
I'll see you in my dreams tonight.

Hee hee!  I crack myself up sometimes.  So, yeah, I'm a little obsessed.  To share my obsession and make me feel a little less like a freak show, here are some of my favorite pumpkin recipes!

 The two best Pumpkin Muffin recipes on the planet (yes, I've tried them all...or it seems like I have). Also great for bread. 

Pumpkin Pie Dip : This is amazing with gingersnaps and/or Granny Smith slices

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Nothing else needs to be said.

A different take on pumpkin seeds: Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Not a recipe, but a mix: Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pancake Mix

My friend Elizabeth has a delicious Pumpkin Tea Bread recipe.  Let me know if you're interested, and I'll ask her if it's okay to share.  It might be a prized secret recipe!

I have lots more favorites!  Email or comment if you want more!

Here's a new one I can't wait to try: Pumpkin Cheese Ball

You know what's odd (well, other than writing an ode to a pumpkin)?  I don't care for traditional pumpkin pie.  It's too thick.  Love a whipped version, though.  Hmmm.  Go figure.

Happy Fall!

Remembering : Personal

We're all reflecting...all remembering.

Remembering the nearly 3000 people lost, whether we knew them or not.

Remembering those who, against the human instinct of self-preservation,
went into, not out of the towers.

Remembering the Pentagon and Flight 93..."Let's roll."  I still get chills every time I think about it.   Remembering where we were, what we were doing, who we were with on September 11, 2001.

I was home with a 7 week old baby and a 17 month old toddler, still adjusting to our little family's new normal.  My husband called from his office uptown and said, "You'd better turn on the tv.  A plane just crashed into the World Trade Center."  Like everyone else, I was transfixed by what I saw.  Disbelief and horror set in as the second plane struck and the rest of the tragedy unfolded.
It became clear that this was not a horrible accident.

I wanted my husband home with me right THEN.  Second only to NYC in the banking industry, uptown Charlotte was on the quickly made perceived threat of attack list, and he.was.there.

I felt real fear for the first time that day.  And as scared as I was, I felt even worse for having loved ones to be afraid for.  My family was alive.

Giving blood, the one thing so many people did because it was all we could do, was off the table since I had a transfusion when Sam was born.  So, I held my family close, talked to family I couldn't get to and prayed.  It was natural to pray for the victims, but, each night, I made myself pray for everyone lost that day.  Everyone.  For the families of all lives lost that day.  All of them.
If hate could cause something like this, how could I not?  

Back to School :: Personal :: Mooresville Photographer

It's that time of year! My boys humored me with a little record of the day!
Our neighbor's cat even got in on it!

Hope everyone is enjoying school so far!