Prematurely Spring

it snowed on Sunday, so now it's melting of course; yuck! But hey, it feels like spring, which is quite odd because it's not winter yet!... although I HAVE gone sledding, and had a snowball fight AND took my dog dog-sledding all before Halloween. You know you're Canadian when!
I also started a flickr account. I've always like flickr. So here's some pictures from today!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/69321013@N04/6303196341/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/69321013@N04/6303190555/



http://www.flickr.com/photos/69321013@N04/6303710740/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/69321013@N04/6303183857/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/69321013@N04/6303713134/

You know, earlier I was thinking of how sucky today was. Looking back... frig, I have it pretty darn good! The great outdoors, good friends, a nice family, a bit of cooking, and lots of pets. It's silly how there's still things I want.! Score: 1 happiness - 0 gumpiness. Also did you notice the lil blog revamp? I'm still not sure if I like it or not, but I think yes I do! It just needs some personalization.. hmm...

And a special thanks to my lovely blog followers for listening to me and looking at my photos :-) love you guys!


***I am SO sorry the pictures aren't showing up right... I guess I am still figuring out flickr! It'll come to me in a lightbulb moment. 'till that moment, please click the links :-)***

The Great Pumpkin Transformation part2: Pumpkin pie and Muffins

.

I've jabbered about pumpkins enough in my first post

Straight to the point this time!

For breakfast I made muffins.  They were extremely delicious!

Then, I made pumpkin pie: Using Martha Stewart's 

recipe. Oh, yes. The night before I made the crust with her Basic Pie Crust Recipe. It's very flaky, crisp and buttery- oh, and easy too. It took me about 10 extra minutes to cook it though. 

Then I whisked together some Pumpkin Pie Filling. Yum! I then baked it for 1 hour and it turned out absolutely perfectly fallesque! (Wait... is fallesque a word?)

Any-ways, I'm waiting 'till tomorrow's Sunday dinner to try it out. Pumpkin pie is best served after Sunday dinner.
Oh, wait... is it just me, or is blogging about the life of a pumpkin silly? I don't know anymore. 

Two more recipes, because, according to this this guy, a pie pumpkin will give you 3 cups of puree... I've already used over 3 cups and I'm only 1/4 done my puree! Gotta use it up.

pumpkin-swirl-cheesecake

pumpkin-bread-pudding

The Great Pumpkin Transformation part 1

ok, ok. The title is really cheesey, like a kid's book. It's the first non-monochromatic thing that came into my head! But pumpkins ARE cheesey (um...) !

Pumpkins are so magical. They can go from a big, pretty, bland, grainy fruit (vegetable??) to a luscious, rustic, rich and tasteful pie, not to mention their other 10000 uses- soup bowls, muffins, pumpkin leather, seeds, pancakes... shall I go on?
So, finally we got a pie-pumkin today for a bit over $1. YAY PUMPKIN! finally!

so picturesque. so fall. so pumpkiny.

So, first things' first: you hack that baby in half!

"No! Don't stab a knife thru me and scoop out my guts and then bake my flesh into a pie! I beg you!"

Not gonna work, Mr. Pumpkin! You're too delicious.
Once you chop him into half, you scoop his guts out (Save them for pumpkin seeds!!) 

Ever notice how a pumpkin has skin, meat, and guts?

Next, you chop it into 16th's, wrap them in tinfoil and bake for 2 hours at 350F.
Then you take it out, peel the pieces and puree them!

"Why are we making babyfood?"

Then, you do whatever you want with it! Pie, soup, muffins, cookies, squares, butters, babyfood, cupcakes petfood, whoopie pies and more- just stir it into your fave recipe!

Some Pumpkin Recipes:
soup: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/pumpkin-soup/detail.aspx
muffins: http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/10/promise-keeper-pumpkin-eater/
butters: http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/fruits/r/pumpkinbutter.htm
whoopie pies: http://www.marthastewart.com/search/apachesolr_search/pumpkin%20whoopie
cookies: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/chocolate-chip-pumpkin-cookies/detail.aspx
squares: http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/2009/10/crunchy-pumpkin-squares.html
cupcakes: http://www.joyofbaking.com/cupcakes/PumpkinCupcakes.html
*best for last:* PIE: http://www.marthastewart.com/338540/pumpkin-pie

Now, go get 'yerself a punkin an' make 'yerself sumpin yummay!

Chickens shows and apple cookies. A great combo.

Last weekend I went to a poultry show. From meters away, you could hear roosters and geese and smell dung. It was awesome!

Here are some of my favourite poultry from the show.

modern game, such loong legs!

pretty roo! 

 Archangel pigeon. Lovely colors, nice crest!

Another pigeon. Egyptian something, I think...

Everybody's favorite, the silkie! Nice afro. 

Check out this guy's wattle!  

This pretty orange roo was nearly as big as my dog. I'd guess 20 pounds and very loud! 

Nice, clean looking boy. The breed name is on the tip of my tongue!

This duck was incredible! Black with a wonderful sheen.

My mom was fascinated by the indian runner's upright body! 

This goose looked so bored. 

This duck had wonderful speckles. 

Looks very debonair, doesn't he?

Hissing! 

A cute lil canada goose. Looked kinda scared. 

Wattle! Looks like a beard, no? 

The only turkey. Right beside his cage were BBQ's... -.- 

Button Quail! So puny! 

Another pigeon. 

Archangel pigeon, once more.

^Dream barn!!^

Now, the apple cookies I made to use up the extra caramel sauce from the Cupcakes. They had the texture of a molasses cookie, and had nice apple chunks. Not bad! (recipe below.)

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/grandmas-apple-cookies/detail.aspx

I love Fall! +caramel apple cupcakes with toasted coconut

Autumn, Fall, September, Back-to school.... Whatever you call it, Fall is such an absolutely wonderful time of the year. The temperature is perfect, School just started so you aren't utterly bored, my birthday is in fall *ahem ahem*,  and it's just plain old beautiful! 

 A gawjus tree!

I love the misty mornings and crisp afternoons.

I love the rain, too.

So there you have it. It took me ages to figure it out, but fall is surely my favourite season!

Now, what you were really reading for: Caramel apple cupcakes with toasted coconut! My new favourite cupcake ever, and I have had some pretty freaking good cupcakes!

Apple cupcakes
~recipe by yours truly~

1/2c honey
1/2c brown sugar
1/4c butter
1 peeled & grated apple (or 1/2c apple sauce)
Mix above ingredients together until smooth.
Add:
1tbsp baking powder.
pinch salt
2c flour

1c milk

Mix until smooth, spoon into muffin tin (1dozen), bake 350 for 19 minutes. Let cool slightly.

During the baking process, the cupcakes will magically coordinate with your walls!

Incredible Caramel Glaze

~zoe newell~

Microwave on high for 33 seconds:
1/2c brown sugar
2TBSP butter

pinch salt, pinch instant coffee

3TBSP milk

wisk until smooth. Repeat until all ingredients are combined.

Add to this mixture:

1/2c icing sugar

enough milk for desired consistency.

Let cool. Eat copious amounts while nobody is looking because It is soooooooooooooooo delicious!

a gift from the heavens above.

While both of these are cooling, toast your coconut. 

The variation in the colors of the coconut reminded me of fall leaves!

Once all three components are ready, the magic happens. 

When you dip that cupcake in the caramel glaze, trumpets sound.
When you sprinkle that toasted coconut on top, Fireworks go off.
When you bite into that cupcake, the angels are singing in heaven.

Yes, It is THAT good.

 Stop your life and eat this cupcake! Nothing else truly matters. If you continue on your silly life, your taste-buds will be screaming our for this cupcake, waiting, begging for this culinary miracle. Eat it. NOW.

The moist, dense cupcake. The glossy, sweet caramel. The delicate, exotic coconut...
Why isn't this cupcake in your mouth yet?