Thanks Pumpkin: A Lovely Pumpkin Breakfast

Ok, things are now back in order. I hope you all enjoy the new layout. And I welcome any new visitors that come through pinterest.

Well, it's October and that means only one thing: time to enjoy some pumpkin! Last year, I explained why pumpkin is such a magnificent fruit. It's crammed pack of vitamins, minerals, and fiber all while containing low on calories.


Since there are so many ways to enjoy pumpkin, I'd like to continue to show you the great ways your can easily add a little pumpkin to your diet. Today's feature: a delectable breakfast of pumpkin french toast with a pumpkin spice latte!

As of all things, both of these ideas come from pinterest. I found a vegan recipe for the pumpkin french toast. For those who are not vegan (like myself), two regular eggs work just as well compared to flax. And we ended up not needing any additional topping outside of butter & syrup. It was delicious all its own!

A Yummy Pumpkin Breakfast

And I was able to find a great, but simple pumpkin spice latte that you can easily make at home. I even bottled up a second batch to keep as a creamer.

There is one thing to keep in mind for these and other autumn breakfast/dessert recipes. Many call for some "pumpkin spice." That is quite easy to make.

Pumpkin Spice For Various Recipes:
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons nutmeg
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground allspice
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves

Combine those ingredients and store as you would any spice- in a seal-able container. I ended up using it for both of these breakfast items. When mixed with pumpkin, it is delectable. But then again, when is pumpkin not delicious?!

Oat Flour Waffles & Real Maple Syrup

Hello again friends. Bet you didn't expect to see a new post this week, eh? I don't blame you. But things are really starting to calm down. One thing is for certain, a wonderful (and grueling) fundraiser for the American Cancer Society is over. Our Ladies Social turned out great.

Dressing in style at the Ladies Social

But with that over, I was able to get another relaxing chore day at home with my husband this weekend. And we started the day right by sleeping in before I made us waffles. But these aren't your everyday kind of waffle. I made the mixture myself and with oat flour verses all purpose.

Waffles = Om nom nom

So why oat flour you ask? Well, in our attempt of getting to a more natural/traditional/hopefully healthier diet, I'm trying to replace nasty uber-processed ingredients with items in mother nature's pantry. Normally it's as easy as using olive oil instead of canola. But processed sugar and flour appear to be awful on the body since those lack any kind of nutrient. So those two are on the top of my list of figuring out replacements.

Nutrient-speaking, oat flour is a great substitute for all purpose flour. Oat flour contains more protein, dietary fiber and calcium. Also (depending on if it's from gluten-free oats) the flour can be gluten free. Oats in general are a great way to help your heart and reduce your cholesterol, so it seemed logical to try to implement more into my baking. And I have a lot on hand since I use it for our dog biscuits. Also, if you have a food processor- you can make your own flour.

This is not homemade, but here's an idea of it's consistency

BUT I have to warn you that oat flour is not the exact same as all purpose flour. Since I've incorporated it (and Amish butter) into my cooking, I've noticed a distinct consistency difference- mostly for the better. But the waffles (and other baked goods) are more moist and dense. It's still delicious, but keep that in mind when you try to replace your own baking ingredients.

So Sunday morning, I decided to attempt this waffle recipe, but changed a few things. So here's what I did:
- 1 1/3 c Oat Flour
- 4 t baking powder

- A pinch of salt
- 3 t sugar

- 2 t cinnamon
- 2 eggs, separated
- 1/2 c butter, melted
- 1 3/4 c 2% milk

I pretty much did everything that recipe called for, just added my own flare and ensured at least one meal that day didn't contain processed flour. It turned out great. The only thing I would note is that I had to put my waffle iron on a lower heat and baked longer. That's because the oat flour is so thick, it took awhile to cook all the way through. But after a few lame attempts, our last two turned out perfect. It's always nice when an experiment turns out delicious, right?

Oh, and while I'm on the topic, I'm going to bash fake maple syrup for a moment. It's unnatural. It's unhealthy. And most importantly: it. tastes. gross. I was raised on only have real maple syrup on my pancakes and waffles. I've tried the fake stuff (normally when we go out for breakfast) and I can't do it. In fact, I normally smuggle a small bottle of real syrup. I know I'm a syrup snob. My husband has made that fact known for years; but if the taste alone won't convince you, here's something to think about: normally, fake syrup contains mostly high fructose corn syrup. With that, it normally doesn't have any nutritional value. And while I wouldn't say you should go chug a jug of Canadian maple syrup, the real stuff does contain manganese and zinc, which can boost your immune system. Both generally have the same calorie count. Real maple syrup is mostly made up of sucrose, with a little bit of fructose and glucose.

My Smuggling Bottle

And in case you actually take my advice and go looking for syrup, here's a tip: in Canada & the U.S., a product can only use the phrase "maple" if it has a high amount of real maple syrup. It's going to be more expense, but your taste buds will love it.

So the moral of these waffles is to try to replace all purpose flour with oat flour in your next baking experiment. And use real syrup next time.

Preparations To Fill Your Spice Rack

Hey again, folks. See? I didn't disappear. Life has just been very, very, very... busy. As many of you know, this blog is normally written over the weekend. And frankly, I haven't had a free weekend for... weeks. I even had a few things this weekend, but Sunday was easy enough to get something together.

So, my favorite half of the year is coming up: autumn and winter. I know I'm crazy, and I've said it multiple times, but I LOVE colder weather. There's also the harvest and festivus season to look forward to. Hopefully in a few weeks it will even be hoodie weather.

Anyways, we had one day this weekend to tackle our neglected yard and start preparing for the harvest season. Over the next few weeks, I will start drying more herbs and prepare oil out of what is already dry. It was our basil's turn this weekend. Frankly, I should of started this couple weeks ago. For a couple weeks, the basil looked like it's lived life to its fullest...  or whatever a plant does to do that.

Basil gets to dry in our basement

Drying herbs are pretty easy, especially when you have the luxury of a basement or attic. With a shovel, slowly pry out the plant, saving most of the root system. Shake off as much dirt as you can then simply hang it upside down in a dry place. We chose the basement right above the dehumidifier. After awhile it will be nice, crunchy, and perfect to be broken down for my spice cabinet.

Crunchy basil from last year

Soon we will do the same with the oregano, some sage, and mint. I'm also working to figure out what all I can do with peppermint. But that's for another day.

Another thing we've had to do is say goodbye to some of our beloved plants early. We've had a difficult summer thanks to the drought. Already lost the squash & zucchini plants. On Sunday we said goodbye to a pepper plant. Soon we will say goodbye & give our thanks to the other pepper and tomato plants.

Throughout the weeks, I'll get back on track of sharing my musings, promise. Summer travels are wrapping up and I'll have plenty to show when it comes to harvest time. Soon enough it will be October, which is my favorite month of the year. Who knows, I may bring back my dedication to the great pumpkin.

But before October, next week is a special night for me. September 14th is the Ladies Social for the American Cancer Society. It's the first fundraiser I've really been involved in. Please stop by the event's website and if you can, donate a few dollars. I lost a grandfather to cancer, and my husband's grandfather has kept an amazing fight against it. Help us find a cure & help patients. Thank you.

Hey... you?

So it's been awhile. I get that. BUT at least I have a few reasons as to why I've been lacking on the blog posts. It's mostly because we've been super busy. I know I say that a lot, but I really mean it this time. In case you don't believe me, here's a timeline of what we've been up to for the past two weeks...

So on my first week off, we took a trip back up to Central Illinois to see my beautiful friends & family. Even though we gave ourselves a couple extra days, it never seems to be enough.

My Aunt, Dad, Grandmother & myself

Speaking of family, I was able to catch up with Mom and get a few more family stories & photos. I've had to put my work on ancestry.com on hold for now, but information is still coming in. For the first time, I found a photo of my mother when she was younger with all of her siblings and both of her parents.

I know I've said it before, but I really can't get enough of these families photos. It doesn't matter if it's my mom, dad, or even my husband's sides, I love them all. I imagine these snapshots are itty bitty glimpses of a better time. The stories too. Can't. Get. Enough.

But enough about that. Needless to say when we were in central Illinois, we drove. A lot.

Visited Pontiac, Streator, Peoria, Lexington & Bloomington-Normal

Loved seeing even more wind farms being built near my hometown

And I even got to see my friend's beautiful bunny for the first time

It was a very fast lovely yet exhausting four days. But we had a lot of fun. And within just a few days after that, one of my best friends in Central Illinois started the process of moving to Western Kentucky. She even works with me at the station & is starting to fit right in. But I'm not surprised since we worked so well together back in Illinois. And we are so happy to have her here now.

Toasting to her first day at her new job

So we are helping her (and soon her husband) move & adjust to their new life down here- like rental searching, moving, even a little shopping. And my beautiful new best friends in Kentucky know how to welcome a new bud in style. It's a bit of my past clashing with the present.

Ashley, myself & Heather- Hopefully more similar photos to come

And if you couldn't tell from the photo above, I got a bit of a dye job. It was part of a lovely ladies' night at our loving abode last week. After dyeing part of my hair purple for domestic abuse awareness month last October, I haven't done much. Needed a change.

Heather being oh so helpful at getting my hair back to one color

Speaking of ladies' night, this last weekend I was lucky enough to be invited to the bridal shower/bachelorette party for a dear friend that I went to school with and worked with back in Central Illinois. I can't wait for her wedding in a few weeks. The couple's been dating for YEARS. I'm so happy for them. But first, some shenanigans.

Having a beautiful time with a beautiful bride to be

 The party was in St. Louis. It was a blast, but once again, it meant a lot of driving. It's getting tiring, but I enjoyed seeing parts of Southern Illinois that I'm not familiar with.

The Mississippi River being super low in Chester, IL

And what's a trip to Southern Illinois without- guess it- a winery stop. Met up with some lovely girlfriends at our favorite vineyard- Blue Sky.

White sangria, fused olive oil, tasty bread...

So after all of these fun events I wrapped up the past two weeks the best way possible: making a new batch of liquid laundry detergent.

Soapy cleanness in all its lemony glory

So it's been a crazy two weeks, but we're having lot of fun. And there's a lot more excitement coming up- two weddings, more moving business, a local charity... not to mention work. I hope to update & expand on here as much as possible soon. I'd also like to clean up some of the old post- like my laundry detergent recipe. We will see how soon that all happens... Thanks for sticking with me, gang.

Canning 2012: Pasta Sauce

It's been a full week, my friends. I not only had to adjust to a new schedule/work load, but I got to work an extra day this week. Thankfully, I still had Sunday off so I was finally able to attempt what was once thought as impossible: make & can my first tomato sauce.

First a little background. I have absolutely, positively no Italian background, but I love me some pasta. It's almost an unhealthy obsession. The weird thing is I hate tomatoes, but I love tomato sauce. But recently, I noticed both pasta sauce & ketchup sold at the grocery store have a lot of sugar. And I'm talking like a cup or two. So, I wanted to make my own without sugar. That did not turn out too well last year thanks to the neighborhood squirrels. But this year, we have some beautiful, huge Better Boy tomatoes. And since I'm not sure how many more we'll get since there's a new excessive heat wave, I decided to start cooking.

First, I attempted to do a lot of research. And I found a few conflicting things:
- Needed 20 lbs tomatoes (not happening)
- Simmer for 2 hours (or not)
- No exact "air room" for jar
- No exact time on bathing jars
- Having water over jars (or not)

So here's what I did. And this is what I used:
- 14 better boy tomatoes right from my own garden
- 1 red onion from farmers market
- few leaves of basil from the garden
- few sprigs of oregano from the garden
- 1 garlic clove
- ground thyme
- 1/3c of Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2T sugar (I'll explain later)
- A couple splashes of lemon juice
- I'll admit it, 1 can of garlic roasted diced tomatoes

Beautiful tomatoes from my garden

So, let's first start with the pasta sauce. Getting the tomatoes ready is the hardest part. First you need to de-skin. The east way to do that is first cut an "X" lightly on the bottom and scald the tomatoes for about sixty seconds.

Just throw the suckers in boiling water for one minute

Then immediately put the tomatoes into ice water. The stress in temperature loosens the skin and makes it super easy to pull off the tomato.

See? Simple.

Then there is the not so fun part. Tomatoes are FULL of seeds (obvious) and water (not so obvious). So to make your life easier, core & quarter the tomato. Then de-seed & squeeze out as much water as you can.

Not going to lie, this felt really gross. And finding the seed quarters is like gutting a fish. Really encouraged my dislike of raw tomatoes. Bleck. But soon as you get this over with, the real fun begins: making a tasty tomato sauce.

What squeezed tomatoes with skins look like

The sauce is pretty easy. I just tossed the tomatoes into a pot & used a potato masher to break down the tomato. I also sauteed the garlic & onion before throwing it in with the tomatoes, spices, lemon juice & wine. Later on I threw in some last minute sugar because I learned a little helps the sauce last longer since it's so acidic. I'm not going to lie, it doesn't look pretty at first.

It will first look chunky yet watery.

But don't worry; over time, it will look, smell, and taste much better. I did simmer it for about an hour and 45 minutes to get some of the extra water out. And I ended up using the diced tomatoes so I ended up with more sauce. I now see why you need so much tomatoes. With my 14 tomatoes AND can of diced tomatoes, I still only ended up with TWO jars of sauce. I guess this will be more of a can as you go kind of thing.

Ok. So, about an hour or so before your sauce is ready, it's time to get your canning gear in place. Thankfully I have all I needed after my mother bought me a canning set: pot, jars, lids, rings, magnetic wand, funnel, tongs, jar rack, and a little thing that helps you get all the extra air out of the jar.

Back when I first received the kit

For each canning session, you need to get your jars, lids & rings clean. So again, about an hour before the sauce was ready, I threw the jars into the dishwasher. I also put a few of the lids & rings into boiling water. After those are clean, you'll need to keep them warm until you are ready to can. That way the jar won't crack when you put hot sauce into it & the rubber on the lid is hot and can make a proper seal.

You should also start heating up the water bath early. And take it form me, put on a lid on the pot. It takes forever to get the water boiling. And silly me, I didn't put the lid on so it took even longer. Frankly, the water didn't get to a good boil until after I got tired & put the jars in. Which I'm sure is a no-no.

Sauce reduced and is ready

So after everything is ready to go, I filled the jars right to under where the threading begins. You want to give the tomatoes enough room to expand when in the boiling bath. I used a clean towel to dry of the tops of the jars & bottoms of the lids before placing the lids onto the jars. Then place the rings only finger tight around the jar. It just needs to keep the boiling water out. You then place the jars into the bath.

I still had about 1/2 - 1 inch of water above the jars

I ended up leaving the jars in the bath for about 30 minutes. The sauce & jars were already quite warm before going into the bath. I also noticed the pressure pushed the lids up, which I hope is a good thing. And after that, I used the tongs to pull them out & set on up of a towel on the counter. I'm happy to say, both lids gave the satisfying "pop" in only a few minutes afterwards.

ta-daaaa

 I am resisting the temptation to mess them more because you're supposed to leave them completely alone for 12-24 hours to ensure a good seal. After that, I plan to test the lids to see if the move up or down at all. The suspense is killing me.

Word is after you know you have a good seal, you should remove the rings to prevent any rusting. The sealed lids should be enough. And while you can reuse the rings, you should never reuse the lids.

So that's how my first experience with canning went. Since I only made two jars, I'm sue we'll end up testing out the sauce soon. And while I enjoyed learning about using the water-bath method, I'll probably test out a pressure-system next time. Mom swears by it.

Speaking of, I ended up taking the best advice from my mother & step-mom when it came to the sauce & canning. I guess I should of just taken that route instead of getting confused online. I guess that's the moral of the story.

Now that I got my first canning out of the way, my next big attempt is making a chicken bone broth. One of my favorite bloggers, The Healthy Home Economist, writes that making & using homemade bone broths & stocks is the number one way replenish the nutrients your body is lacking. I've wanted to make my own broth for months, but now that a friend is giving me one of his chickens (that I know was well care for/fed/exercised) , I will soon make my dream a reality. But you'll have to wait another week or two. I'm actually taking a short vacation next week. With that said, I'm not sure there will be a post next week. All depends on how busy I'm enjoying a few days off. Maybe this last photo of my kitchen buddy will make up for it.

"Let me help you cook."

By the way, if you follow me on twitter, you'd know all about this fun adventure.

In Vino Veritas

Disclaimer: This week's focus is on booze. I enjoy alcoholic beverages, but am a responsible drinker. And I can only wish others are the same. Please do not judge or criticize my choices.

With that being said...

Hello. My name is Manda. And I am a wino.

But I'm still sneaky enough to have limited photos of myself drinking wine

I enjoy other forms of alcohol, but my true love is wine. Semi-sweet whites to be exact. While there were times I drank more Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon, there's something to be said about sweet (not too tart) taste that's light and doesn't linger. My most recent obsession is Moscato (especially if they are D'Asti).

Thankfully, I live in one of the best places for a wine-lover to reside, outside of Europe & California of course. We have two wineries in our little heaven in Western Kentucky...

Wine tasting at local Purple Toad Winery with great friends

And you wouldn't believe how many vineyards are across the river into Southern Illinois. In fact, there's 32 in the southern region of the state. Even better, that includes an area called the Shawnee Hills American Viticultural Area; where there's 21 wineries and 55 vineyards. It's nationally recognized as one the most well known & respected wine regions. There's even a trail to several of these areas I wish to travel one day. But until then, I will just keep visiting one of the best: Blue Sky Vineyards. We actually took one of my best friends from from Central Illinois there this weekend.

Good Wine, Good Food, And Great Company

So in between my love for fermented grapes during dinner and how often we socialize, we go through a lot of wine bottles. And most of the time, we just end up recycling. But I thought I would share a few ways that you can use left over wine bottles.


The first idea we stole from my husband's lovely parents a long time ago: we use an old wine bottle to carry dish soap. At the time, his parents picked out the bottle for us to use, but you can always try any left over bottle of your favorite wine... or any beverage for that matter.

Another good use that we are now trying out is watering the plants. It's a cheaper version of the watering globe they sold on TV years ago. It can also hold more water & is more durable since the glass is thicker. You pretty much wash it out, fill with water, then shove into the ground. The soil does the rest.

Not only do we hope it can help save the squash, but now my garden can drink with me

There are other great uses for wine bottles when it comes to home decor'. You can paint them, put lights or candles in them, reuse them with other beverages, use them as vases, use them as yard torches, I've even found a few links about cutting some of the glass to make cool designs. I plan to try that if I find enough bottles with colorful glass. I also need to get my hands on chalkboard paint eventually- buahaha.

I love the sight of a vineyard as sunset

So raise a glass to the never-ending enjoyment of wine. Even the mayo clinic notes that red wine (in responsible, moderate amounts) can help the cardiovascular system. The antioxidants in red wine may help protect the lining of blood vessels in the heart. One antioxidant - resveratrol - could reduce bad cholestrol & has shown to reduce the risk to obesity and diabetes in mice. Unfortunately, I can't say that includes my preference of white wine, but it is still a good beverage choice in moderation. And both red & wine wines can bring great additional flavors to certain dishes in the kitchen.

And what's the wine bottle without the cork? I'm currently trying to store up corks to make an pot holder. And thanks to one best friends, I now have an awesome container for the corks. I'll be sure to share how it all turns out.

Awesome, right?

And if you happen to end up using the bottles for your home & garden, you may avoid the risk of looking like an alcoholic come recycle day.

IN MY DEFENSE- there were mostly beer bottles. And it was after a HUGE house party. DON'T JUDGE ME.

Growing Up

So I just realized I missed the one year anniversary of this blog. It was on June 30th 2011, that I wrote my first musing for the world to see. So happy be-lated anniversary to Limelight Musings and all my readers. I can't believe you all have followed me as I've written (about) one a week for a full year. Thanks for sticking with me guys.

But if anything this past year has taught me is that I'm still growing up. Within the past twelve months I've learned a lot about friends, family, politics, and the world in general. And after everything is all said and done, I realize I'm becoming a foodie.

I'm sure you've all witnessed how the majority of my posts are now food based. And I hope you like what I've written. I seem to say it every time, but I'm learning more and more about true nutrition and real food. And I want to share what I've learned. For so long, most of us just consider food as a meal. Something you just gobble up. We've developed such a mindless connection to something that is supposed to become a part of us. Your dinner, no. Every meal should an experience you have with delicious dishes that will in turn fuel you mind, body & soul.

I guess over this year I learned that I don't give myself the time to fully look into or enjoy what I consume. And I feel that's a common mistake in my society. Your meals fulfill so many needs. Not only does it give your body fuel to keep going, but it should (key word) provide the nutrients you need to be in your prime. As many quote the father of medicine, Hippocrates: "let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." We are so focused on calories or fat that we don't think about the nutrients we need to take in every. single. day. There's fiber, calcium, omega fats, and countless vitamins & minerals... Lots of little pieces that help make us us.
 
To give you just one example- you can thank the diet of our ancestors for our heightened intelligence above all living things. Omega-3 fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain. Studies show they appear to be important for cognitive & behavioral function. And it's not just Omega 3's- saturated animal fats and cholesterol are also in your noggin. Both are part of a sheath that surrounds nerve fibers and preserves proper function of the brain & nervous system.

And food isn't just beneficial. It's delicious. There's a reason we crave fresh, crispy produce or savory, juicy meat. Our taste buds help us enjoy what we need to eat. And I promise if you take a few extra moments today to think about how your lunch tastes, you'd be surprised by what you find. 

Needless to say, there's quite a few reasons to really consider & enjoy what you are eating. If you think about it, food is such a huge part of our lives. While we all enjoy the benefits of cars, phones, hobbies, etc., food is a primal need in order to survive. So it deserves your time & effort.

With all of that being said, I'm super excited to say I registered to listen in on a Real Food Summit. Go ahead, click the link. It's free to watch & if you register with your email address, they'll throw in a couple freebies along the way. One of my favorite bloggers, The Healthy Home Economist even speaks today. But if you don't have time to watch all of the presentations, I hope to share some of the key points I learn along the way this week. I've already learned so much & it's only been one day.

That's my rant for the week. And once again, it's about food. I do feel bad that I didn't show any fun photos. So here's a look at my monstrous mint plant.

Made me realize I need to make mojitos. Lots & lots of mojitos.

Speaking of mint, here's something to keep in mind. It's a beautiful, fragrant plant that I feel everyone should grow. But never, ever, ever plant it in the ground. Ever. Unless you want a yard full of ravenous mint in a few years. This year's turned out so big I may divide it for a matching urn. It's still pretty. And it will provide fresh menthol for future mint oils, possible homemade toothpaste, and tea.