Precious Cargo

You wouldn't know it from the food blogs but we are in the throes of a pumpkin shortage.
Recent heavy rains in the Midwest are putting pumpkin pie in short supply this holiday season.

On Tuesday, food giant Nestle, which controls about 85% of the pumpkin crop for canning, issued a rare apology and said that rain appeared to have destroyed what remained of a small harvest this year and that it expected to stop shipping the holiday staple by Thanksgiving.
- Los Angeles Times, 11/18/2009

When I got my hands on 2 large cans of Libby's I planned to stash it in the back of my pantry to save for rainy day but it's just not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. I used one whole can to yield 2 pies, one for some cousins taking a trip up north, and one for us- because tomorrow is as much about being thankful as it is about giving.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Preferential Treatment

Freelancing on tv shows has it's pluses and minuses. Higher day rate, plus. Never knowing when you are going to work again (or get paid again), minus. Avoiding the drama that comes from knowing everything about everyone- huge plus. People not knowing you well enough to trust your judgement, minus. Having the time to bake and then bring cookies to work, thereby generating happiness goodwill in current/prospective co-workers and employers while allwoing me to pawn off baked goods on others so I don't have to eat them...ginormous plus!
Immediately after getting booked for a recent two day job, I received the following text:
What's for dessert?

Needless to say my first thought was, what is coming up for Tuesdays With Dorie? Sugar Topped Molasses Spiced Cookies fit the bill perfectly. Easy to make (can't stay up late baking when you have to get up at 6am and work for the next 15 hours) seasonal, and totally transportable, they were a big hit.

On my next day off I used the remaining dough and some leftover pumpkin buttercream to make Molasses Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.


Oh yes I did.

Trick or Treat

Run out of candy? How about chocolate cupcakes with pumpkin buttercream?
Happy Halloween!
Recipe found here and here.

Reduce Reuse Recycle

Admittedly, there was a time when I was wasteful. Never a big leftover fan, meals I cooked would often go from table to tupperware to trash, without ever giving a second thought to how much mileage I was getting out of my food. Now that I try to cook every day, I want to try new recipes without spending a fortune on groceries so I've taken to seeking inspiration for meals by rummaging in the fridge rather than trolling the grocery aisles. This year, Thanksgiving leftovers yielded much more than turkey sandwiches- although I sure ate a heck of a lot of those. Leftover filling from my Butternut Squash Turnover appetizer became
Butternut Squash and Mushroom Cous Cous.

Slow cooked turkey stock became an excellent base for Matzo Ball Soup. And, thanks to Nicole at For The Love of Food, leftover pumpkin puree found a new home in a deliciously light Pumpkin Custard.

What's in your fridge that can be re-purposed?

Waste Not

I should be sleeping. I don't have to be at work until 12pm and won't be getting home before midnight, but I'm up. And it's all Libby's fault- Libby's pumpkin that is. The bag of leftover pumpkin puree from last weeks' Pumpkin Muffins has been calling my name every time I walk by the fridge. I had no choice but to shut it up with a batch of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies. So much for being well rested. At least when I get tired later on I can eat them to stay awake. Thanks Libby.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies
Adapted from Cara's Cravings
4 tbsp melted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup flour
1/2 cup semisweet mini chips
Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8X8 pan. Beat butter and sugar together until well blended, then slowly beat in he egg, vanilla, salt and spices. Slowly add the flour until incorporated. With a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips. Bake for 25-27 minutes. If using an aluminum pan, bake on a preheated cookie sheet to make sure they will be done all the way through.