~Happy Halloween~

May you enjoy your apple bobbing, trick or treating, jack-o'-lantern carving, spooky night!

~type you soon~

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~Brussels Sprouts~

I’m on a Brussels sprout kick right now. It all started when I received one of the many nutritional/health magazines/newsletters that my mom gets me a subscription to every year for my birthday (thanks mom!). One of the magazines stated that Brussels sprouts are a powerhouse veggie. They are good for everything from cholesterol to cancer.

As I read the article I crinkled my nose as I remembered when I was a kid and my mom used to make me sit at the dinner table for hours simply because there were four little balls of grossness still remaining on my plate. The sad standoff would usually end approximately 20 minutes before it was bedtime…my mom would position herself at the end of the table with one raised brow and unsympathetically point out, “It’s almost bedtime.”

After she’d turned and left the room I’d reluctantly pinch the end of my nose, swiftly shove all four into my mouth, chew really fast, gag, chew really fast some more, gag again, then swallow the pulverized mess down in a single gulp, quickly reaching for my glass of water to chase the huge clump of food that was slowly lodging itself in my throat.

After some research and reading over dozens of recipes I went to the market and bought what I needed to fix my first batch of sprouts. Guess what!? I now LOVE these cute little baby cabbages and can’t get enough of them.

 BTW I called my mom and asked her why she served Brussels sprouts when she knew I hated them. Her reply, “Because they were good for you.”

Then I asked her how she had cooked them (I don’t’ remember—I’m much too traumatized to remember the details), to which she replied, “I boiled them in salt water.”

NO WONDER I HATED THEM!

Aris’s Nutmeg & Cheese Brussels Sprouts

1 pound Brussels sprouts

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove of minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 heaping tablespoons of Parmesan cheese (preferably fresh grated)

Directions

Trim the ends, rinse under cold water, and cut in half. Place in veggie steamer for 10 minutes (I have an electric one that has a plastic basket and you pour the water in the bottom). You want them just slightly cooked/tender. They will cook more later.

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and garlic and cook for several minutes. I like the edges of the sprouts to get a little brown—about 2 to 3 minutes works for me. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper cook about 1 minute longer. Turn out into a serving bowl and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Toss to coat well. Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

*To retain their healthful benefits you don’t want to overcook them to the point they are mushy.

~type you soon~

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~Smile~Relax~Be Happy~

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Whose House Is This?

Do you know whose house this is? 

 It’s located in Bangor Maine.  I think it looks a little haunted!

I love the gate and fence…spooky…

So do you know who owns this lovely home? Give up?

He’s the master of mystery and horror…you guessed it, Stephen King.

My mom was a member of his fan club and she received all his new releases in hardback and several weeks before the release date. I actually grew up reading King and Koontz…no wonder I’m so messed up. I didn’t read my first romance novel until I was 16.

~type you soon~

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~I LOVE Pumpkin~

I love almost anything made with pumpkin.

 I love to drink pumkin...

The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes are sinful…

 I love pumpkin soup on a cold day...

Pumpkin Pancakes are so good with pumpkin butter...

Though my fmaily loves to carve pumpkins, we love to roast the seeds even more...

Every year I make pumpkin pound bread and give it out to family & friends...

If you promise not to tell anyone my secret recipe I’ll share it with you…

Aris’s Pumpkin Pound Cake

½ cup butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 cup organic canned pumpkin

2 eggs

1 tsp almond extract

 1 ½ cups flour

 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350F. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, eggs, almond extract—stir well. In a small bowl, stir together dry ingredients, add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool before slicing. ENJOY!

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