pumpkins and squash, some treasures

Well, I can't believe it, but winter is just around the corner.  The autumn season flew by faster than summer, it seems. A whole lot of fall fun and love to be thankful for...

A few fall treasures:

• making butterut squash pear bisque from this cookbook on many nights after a long day at work.  i used a butternut squash trick from here.  Instead of spending all of that time peeling the squash, you just cut it in half, bake it cut side down on a cookie sheet for 40 or so minutes at 375.  While it bakes, you can get the rest of the soup together.  Scoop out the soft squash after it cools right into your soup and blend away!
• Mock Thanksgiving - some what of a tradition at donna's house.  she hosts a few weeks before the real day.  It is festive and fun to visit with everyone and we get to eat thanksgiving dinner twice this month!! Oh and there is a christmas cracker moment - which involves a paper crown wearing contest.  I did not win this year. 

• acorn squash seeds - roasted with salt and paprika - YUM
• sewing and knitting on these chilly evenings as it gets dark earlier and earlier
• this amazing tree - i used to look at it from my home office when we lived across the street.  now i can see it from my bedroom window! the yellows and reds have been making my commute to work so much more enjoyable than usual. 

• The many visits to my farmers' market this fall; getting so much that I could barely carry it all back to my car! 
• Some lovely nephew time, playing in the sunny, fall leaves 
• Pumpkin cranberry muffins using this recipe (substituted 1/4 brown sugar + 1/4 maple syrup for the honey - so less sugar overall and added cranberries from the farmers market and skipped the walnuts!)
• Milk Oolong tea that Mike bought me from a fancy tea place in DC

• Getting ready and excited for visiting for thanksgiving and then for christmas!