Pumpkin Feast

Dani and I love Thanksgiving the most. It's the coziest holiday: warm hues, soft knits, and togetherness, so we decided to have a pumpkin feast. Our menu was planned via secret Pinterest board months in advance, and the day after I returned to Philadelphia we put on our cozy knits and baked, blended, and pureed pumpkins through the evening.

Dani, Rex, and noddles

Our appetizer was a roasted garlic and rosemary pumpkin hummus. I don't have a picture of this because we ate it all.

This was followed by pumpkin spice smoothies. Now. The thing is that these smoothies are essentially a less sugary version of pumpkin pie filling.

Ali: Is that the witch's brew?
More on this later.^

The main course was a pumpkin lasagna. I don't know how Mom Mom would feel about this, but it's my* kitchen and I can experiment. This dish is like if Panera tried to be Italian-American but then was like oops we put gourds in hte spagheti, which is perfect for people like me.

*my parent's kitchen

We ended the night with cheesecake filled baked apples. The website with this recipe vanished, but that's ok.

^So back to witch's brew. Thanksgiving was only days away and I was busy making some apple pecan pie that tasted great but didn't look that good.

The top was supposed to be crumbles but instead it's idk idc

Ali was hosting a party at Tristan's apartment two nights later, and I said I was going to bring pie. I had already agreed to bring pumpkin pie because 'these smoothies are essentially a less sugary version of pumpkin pie filling' was an idea that stuck with me, and it's my* kitchen and I can experiment.

*my parent's kitchen

The rest of the night went like this:
I'll look up pumpkin pie recipes
Oh ok I'll just add a bunch of sugar to this
Blind baking can't be that hard

Everything is ruined
No I'll just add more crust to the sides and never blind bake ever again
I hope this tastes good
11:45PM You know I have enough apple slices left from that pie I made earlier I may as well make another one
Why did I do this
Do you love me now Martha

Looks:

Taste:
None

Tips:
More sugar†
Never sleepy bake

Thanksgiving baking was wild and confusing, but more importantly fun and experimental. Thanksgiving is that time of year when our hearts begin to flutter with love and cheer.

†in pies and in life

I Forgot the Milk

Last time we left off, I put a leaf wreath on that hook on the door. The hook fell off, my guess is because of rain and humidity, so I bought a new hook and did that thing where you fasten a hook upside down to the back of the door and feed ribbon to the front. I didn't have ribbon and I didn't want to ask someone to take me to the craft store, but surely I could find something at Kroger while some of my house mates and I were grocery shopping. I went to the greeting card aisle, and Kroger didn't even have that thin shiny present ribbon (which I could have made work if I had to.) And one of the employees asked if I needed help. "Well-" So I explained what I was trying to do and she said we could check with floral. The floral department was selling an assortment of festive fabric bows. Perfect. I bought the bow and got a free rose! Then I went home to make Martha proud.

I've had this Pumpkin Dream Cake recipe pinned for a while, and when my director posted sign ups for the pumpkin carving potluck in her backyard I instantly knew I was going to use this recipe for cupcakes and add pumpkin spice and cinnamon to the frosting then make fondant and cover the cakes to look like mummies.

"I definitely won't forget baking soda like I did that one time in the Finger Lakes with the biscotti."

"I haven't made cupcakes in so long, I forgot how thick cake batter is! Time to bake."

That was when I began making panicked phone calls to family members because I realized I forgot to add milk.

They turned out fine. Mm. So moist.

Me adding things to the cream cheese frosting. The color is perfect for that rotting flesh look of fresh mummies.

Every time I make fondant I tell myself it's the last time I'm making fondant. Here are pictures of the cupcakes covered in fondant.

They're called nummy mummies (named by Ali Caiazzo.) If you notice, in the back especially, they are shiny mummies. Why are the mummies sweaty? Maybe this is because they sat out for a day wrapped in tinfoil? Someone help me.

I spent a long time thinking about the incredibly complicated design I would carve into my pumpkin to impress my colleagues before I decided on doing swirly eyes and a teethy smile.

In the 90s I had my Halloween costumes lined up for the next 10 years.
The costumes on the list that I can remember:

• Team Rocket
• A toy soldier

Maybe one day I'll be those.

This was the year I'd finally go to a live showing of Rocky Horror. On Halloween. Before Halloween I walked by the graveyard #festive to POPS Resale to find pieces.

"I'll make these into gold shorts! Perfect for Rocky Horror. It can't be that hard."

My spooky daytime plans included attending a children's show at work so I needed a second costume. Mac from Foster's Home! I bought a white long sleeve shirt at the Goodwill next to POPS. I needed to make a Bloo for this costume, and I needed to be glitterier for Halloween night, so Michael and I headed out to find supplies at Spirit of Halloween and Claire's.

Michael and I decided to be fancy and go to Greentree Tearoom. Tea is served at noon. The November menu was as follows:

Lobster Bisque

Sweet Potato Scone with Honey Butter & Fayette Cream

Turkey a la Turk (turkey and berry pilaf in fillo) with Cranberry Relish

Cheddar with Caramelized Onion, Curried Egg Salad, & Herbed Carrot Round Tea Sandwiches

Citrus Spice Pannacotta, Chocolate Drop Cookies & Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

Winter Blend Tea

When you arrive at the tea house you have to ring the doorbell. Then you are led in, seated, and served your tea. I want to come back and eat every month's menu.

We had some time off between performances so I visited Matt in Cleveland. He's getting his Master's at CIM. Before seeing him as the count in Le Nozze di Figaro we visited the Lake View Cemetery and saw the Garfield monument. The gravesite has bathrooms. We also went to the North Union Farmers Market and I bought some apple butter to put on everything.

B and the graveside bathrooms

I didn't buy these but look

Look at this beautiful book store. I would have spent hours in Loganberry Books but we went to the lake instead. But first I grabbed a buck eye!

Both of the buildings

Then we visited Lake Erie and Shaker Lakes Park.

She's waiting

Autumn away from home has been incredibly festive. I'm looking forward to heading home this weekend to make my first pie of the season and a feast of apples and pumpkins.

Pumpkin Days

North America is a solid month into fall right now. So far I've celebrated the Halloween season by consuming pumpkin spice with every meal and watching Hocus Pocus; Halloweentown; It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; The Nightmare Before Christmas; and re-runs of Rock of Love. One cannot watch spooky films without spooky snacks. Luckily Trader Joe's has pumpkin everything, and thanks to a visit from my mom, now I do too. I have the two most important meals of the day covered with Joe's Pumpkin Os and pumpkin pie mochi ice cream. For sips I went to Wildcat Drive-In Liquor and picked up some moscato to mix with the Flag Fork Herb Farm mulled cider spices I purchased at the farmers market that one time. The mulled wine was a perfect addition to an autumn night. I also used 3/4 of the enormous bottle making the cider, and I tried to drink it all before going to the bar, but then it was time to go so I put it in the fridge (save some for later.) While mulled cider/wine is wonderful, if you are in a rush/don't have the ingredients just add Fireball to whatever you're drinking and it's basically the same thing. I don't have a picture of this, but imagine a snapshot your typical actor housing kitchen with the oven clock reading 8:30 and a boy in a Hufflepuff jersey holding a near-empty wine bottle standing next to a double sink filled with ??? above a caption that reads "please help me."

One Sunday we went to the arboretum at University of Kentucky. While walking along one of the many paths we came across a plant that was 85.723% bees and the rest % flowers. These bees were huge. Farther down the path I spotted several monarchs, and I hadn't seen a monarch butterfly in at least twelve years. I walked through the butterfly garden trying to get a picture of the orange and black floaty things but they kept flapping away. I hope they're having a safe journey south. After the butterflies left me I was introduced to a number of irises (still in bloom?) Since they can't speak English I learned their names from their name tags. My two favorites were Power Point and Uncle Jim. 

A good use for that pocket 

Spooky black peppers

My show opened a few days later, and Michael and I celebrated by going to Goodfellas Pizzeria. I ordered the Dean Martin sub, which was an incredibly messy/delicious chicken sandwich that everyone should have. The website lists their four locations so please help yourself. Before eating I went to the restroom. There was one long urinal and no stalls. Where were the stalls? I never found out. 

A few performances later one of my cast members, Adam, was talking about the unique flavors at Crank and Boom. We went immediately and I tried the pumpkin ice cream because I had to and then got a very large scoop of bourbon and honey. My description for the flavor would be, "I went down a secret back road behind an abandoned factory and discovered bliss on an evening in early October."

Bike racks made of bike parts

Did somebody say "boom?"

Now that I've had bourbon truffles (multiple truffles because I've been back to Old Kentucky Chocolates several times now) and bourbon ice cream it was time that I try Kentucky bourbon. The Alltech Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. is literally a two minute walk from my house. Kara gave us a tour through the facilities, which includes an old ice house constructed in 1900. Large pipes transporting the mash into the distillery hung over our heads as we were welcomed by barrels and the scent of bread. This was also the same day that I made bread with Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett. The first thing we learned was that bourbon is the spirit of the US. Then we learned what makes bourbon different from other whiskeys. Alltech uses their barrels first for bourbon, then for beer (which gives the beer a bourbony taste), and finally for whiskey. After being thrice used the barrels are shipped to Canada, Ireland, or Scotland to make more whiskey! After the lesson and looking at things we were able to taste the bourbon. I didn't like it. But if someone was going to force me to drink bourbon I would choose the Bluegrass Sundown. This bourbon is very similar to Irish coffee. The bourbon is mixed with boiling water, then cream is poured over spoon and into the glass which results in a foamy top layer of milkiness.

Pipes calling

Later that day my mom came to visit! The first night we went to Shakespeare & Co. My heart aches for the delicious mashed potatoes that I ate that night. We liked it so much we went back for breakfast the next day. 

The check came in this.

After going to Daily Offering (several times over the course of the weekend) my mom and I visited the Mary Todd Lincoln house. It was really Ms. Lincoln's step mother's house, but the tour was about the history of the First Lady. The Kentucky Ash floors are original to the house (and I want them in my house), on one wall hangs a program from Our American Cousin, and the historians put a crown on the canopy over Ms. Lincoln's bed because "she deserves it." I want a crown. Adjacent to the locked sugar cabinet in the kitchen is a counter made of Kentucky limestone. The slab is surprisingly cold which makes it an excellent surface for making pies and biscuits. I want the limestone, too. 

Then we saw this castle and horses.

This horse came up to say hi and I felt really bad leaving.

Saul Good's decorating style is kind of like someone wanted a pub but also a Sex in the City inspired restaurant and then a little kid said "why not both" kind of like that taco shell commercial. So that's nice. This s'mores martini was also nice, with chocolate and graham crackers on the rim. And the pasta and chocolate fondu that followed. 

Peggy's diamonds

My mom and I sat outside at Blue Heron and I ate a fifth of a wheel of brie. After salads I had a warm apple crumble with calvados and ice cream. 

I had a problem eating chicken with all these birds around.

Six of us went to Boyd Orchards in Versailles the following weekend. I learned that this town is not pronounced like the palace in France but like an American reading the word for the first time. There are loads of fall activities six days a week at the orchard this season. One of the best ones is eating, and we knew the day would end with the purchase of apple cider donuts (which are sold warm in their plastic cartons.)

I could see the whole orchard from the top of this pyramid, and I smiled uncontrollably.

Michael was 17 on this day.

Cider and burger

Since I'm here for most of the fall and since we are in the heart of the season I decided it was wreath time. Last September I posted about a mid winter crescent wreath I made out of sticks. I attempted to do this again but could not find the right shape/type of sticks to succeed, and the wreath exploded at least three times. This happened last week on the back porch under cover of darkness so no one saw. I decided that maybe I should do a leaf wreath. The leaves are changing much slower than the pace I am used to, and maybe that's because down here the temperature fluctuates from 36-72˚F on the reg. But autumn leaves are out there, so I grabbed two Kroger bags and began exploring the town with my eyes down. There are some beautiful houses here, and I would have taken pictures but I don't want to be arrested. 

The Courtyard Deli is located in an old church turned high end antique store in the center of town. I ordered the turkey, brie, and Amish hot pepper jelly on grilled sourdough. This jelly was incredible. And there is a decent amount of turkey stuffed between the slices as well, which made for an excellent lunch. The kitchen is open, so you can see your food being prepared!

Also, Sweet Spot.

Chocolate pumpkin

My room came together! I return to Delco in twenty nine days. 

Keeping track of Cracker Barrel. The jack-o-lantern and candy in the middle were made of index cards and highlighters to decorate my desk in 2010. The come out every year. To the right: placemats from Shakespeare & Co. On the reverse are crossword puzzles I didn't do.

My mom bought gourds for me.