Ode to Fall

          Fall at last! Fall is possibly my favorite season because 1) everything is pumpkin flavored 2) ideal squirrel chasing 3) it is acceptable to wear a costume.

          Besides baking more than boyfriend could possibly eat (lets add a #4 to that list above – chubby boyfriend) I decided to celebrate by adding festive handmade items to my Etsy shop. Check it out!

Pumpkin Soup

Like I said, I love fall, and you may have noticed, pumpkin. Inspired after a trip to the pumpkin patch I thought I would make some pumpkin soup for the first time this season. This recipe also works for any kind of winter squash. I have also made it with carrots. It is just the basic outline of the recipe as squash size would really change the amounts of each ingredient. Just a note - jack-o-lantern pumpkins are not very tasty, i suggest sugar pie pumpkin or a butternut squash.

Ingredients:

Pumpkin or winter squash

Butter

Curry Powder

Salt/Pepper

Broth

Take your squash, cut it in half, and scoop out the seeds. Melt together butter and curry powder and slather the open side of the squash. Leave the skin on an onion and cut it in half. Butter up the cut side with the curry powder mixture. Place everything face down on a baking sheet and bake until tender.

Scoop the soft flesh of the squash into the blender with the peeled onion, salt, pepper and some broth. Use enough broth to get the desired texture. Some people like to add a little chili powder or cayenne pepper to put some pep in their step. It is also delicious with a little yogurt.

Pieday

          When we lived in San Francisco our friends started a tradition called Pieday. It started when a local woman who was hit hard by the slow economy started selling her homemade pie out of her bar on Fridays. It was so popular people from all walks of life would line up around the block in our less than ideal neighborhood just to get a slice. She was overwhelmed by the amount of pie she had to bake and cut the pie making back to just the third Friday of the month. Our friends renamed Friday Pieday and decided to make an event of it. On the third Friday of each month we would go to their house, which was around the corner from the infamous pie selling bar, to catch up and enjoy a pie themed meal (pizza pie, pot pie, shepherds pie...) and some fun related to the month (For example Pieday the 13th we told ghost stories... you get the idea). Even after the woman stopped making pie in her bar, the tradition continued and we looked forward to going every month.
           There are just a handful of things that we miss now that we have moved away form San Francisco, and Pieday is one of them. We decided we didn't need to miss it, and are starting the Pieday tradition here in the Great State of Oregon. Our first one was this Pieday October 21^st. We kept to the pie theme with pasties ("hand pies") and pumpkin pie. It was almost like we were back in the Bay Area!

A Break in the Crafts

Applications are in! Now off to 10 days in paradise! Hawaii here I come!

Houseguests!

This past week has been crazy! Apparently our endless invitations to our friends and family to come and visit were all taken up at once.  Luckily, since we moved here boyfriend and I have been compiling an ultimate Portland tour. When we were in San Sebastian, Spain (Basque Country) last summer, we stayed at the best pension ever. The mother daughter team who ran the place were not only the happiest people I have ever met, but also provided us with exactly the information we would provide to people visiting the bay area. They gave us a map of the area and highlighted all of their favorite spots for eating (complete with ordering recommendations), views, and activities. Love!

           When we moved to Portland we asked all of our native Portland friends what we couldn’t miss while we lived here. Nobody had any suggestions. Boyfriend grew up in San Francisco and prides himself on his city tour and recommendations. He takes all guests to the most delicious hole-in-the wall Mexican restaurant, the locals only spot for the best views, explains the history of the different parts of the city, everything! When we realized that nobody could show us Portland in that way, we vowed to put together our own guide for when these houseguests finally arrived including streets to stroll, parks, hikes, bars, restaurants, seasonal events, and unique features. At last, this week, we had our chance to practice! 50 cups of coffee, 100 miles of walking, and tons of fun later we have added to our ultimate tour guide and are looking forward to more guests. If they keep coming, maybe our own pension is in our future…

At Last the Shop Is Up

At long last I have put something in my Etsy shop!

So far, there are just 2 styles of cards, but I am here carving away to get a little more variety.

Check out my shop and share!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SlowOveralls

Coming Soon!