Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a short post...we've been having computer problems..so I've been off the blogosphere for a bit. I think the gremlins are gone....but you never know...they seem to pop up at the most inopportune times!
Got out last night to check out an old friend who's had a band now for a few years, but the marriage thing has kept me home more than out. Underground Stampede rocked the Meadowbrook last night. Bud was fighting a cold, but they sounded great anyway! Thanks for the good time guys!
This morning I am dragging a bit. I don't have the cooking dinner commitment this year though. My sister is doing Thanksgiving, I'm doing Christmas dinner. I only have to make sweet potatoes (mashed w/cinnamon & maple syrup), and squash (carmelized acorn squash w/curry powder & brown sugar). I am thankful that our family is healthy, and happy and that we won't have to fight snow to get to Kim & Dave's house!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving all!

Is it that time? Lentil Soup w/sausage

OH man...I had the whole post written...the recipe was there....I even finally figured out how to type a name....and have the link automatically attached to it....then I clicked on the wrong thing...and it was all gone....every bit of it...except the title.

Well....here's the lentil soup I had tonight....tomorrow I will try again to post my story, and the recipe....my brain is too fried right now.....Mondays always do that to me.

This is fall?

This week has brought us incredible weather here in WNY. Every day has been sunny, and in the 60's...today had to have hit 70. I work in a cubicle all day, so most of my enjoyment has come from looking out the window at the last of the leaves slowly falling from the trees. I told my brother I was jealous of him this week...he's a landscaper...they have been loving the great weather! Fall is my favorite time of year...I love the colors of the leaves, we've been blessed to move into a house with alot of maple trees in the yard. Although the leaves can be a nuisance, they smell absolutely wonderful this time of year. My sister and I still talk about how we like to rake the leaves into a pile & jump in them...will I ever grow up?
Soon enough the snow will be arriving, so tomorrow I blow leaves around the yard...their destiny...the garden. They will become mulch...slowly nuturing the soil, so perhaps next year we will have more than a bunch of tomatoes and alot of weeds! (first year in the house...the garden didn't fare too well)
No pics today...I'll grab one tomorrow before the leaves.

Simple Supper

Sometimes a simple sandwich is all you need at the end of a crazy day in a crazy world. The weekend brought news of the death of a neighbor's son, and another Bills loss. While they are apples and oranges...neither were welcome news.
Yesterday found me making sauce while I watched the Bills lose....thinking about my neighbor the entire time....willing and praying for her to have strength during this difficult time. The sauce became lasagne for Ed & I, and stuffed shells for the neighbor & her family. When Ed & I took the food to them in the evening, I was wishing there was so much more I could do. Death is rarely easy, and words often feel inadequate.
Tonight cooking is not something I am eager to do...honestly Monday is often pizza night....Monday is often my down night....'Mary time'.
I made myself a Cuban sandwich tonight. Now there are some truths about Cubans....the consist of bread, roast pork, ham, mustard, pickles, and cheese...layered and grilled...weighed down by a brick, iron pan or in a sandwich press. I won't pretend to know all of the tradition ingredients in the matters of bread & mustard...ham & cheese. I know what I like. My sandwich consisted of Schwebels sliced italian bread, provolone cheese, deli ham, some tenderloin pork roast I made on Sat., hot honey mustard and Claussen hearty garlic sandwich slice pickles. Start by buttering the bread, then put mustard on one side - layer cheese, pork, ham, pickles & more cheese - top with another piece of bread covered w/mustard on one side, and butter on the other. Grill as you would grilled cheese...using a heavy pan to weigh the sandwich down when you flip it. Enjoy with extra pickles.
Whatever you do tonight...give your family an extra hug...knowing that life is short, and you need to appreciate every minute of it! I'm off for some frenetic tv watching...the Sabres are playing, SNL is having their pre election show, & Dancing w/the Stars is on.
Have a good night....

Welcome to my world!

This is my initial blog post....I'm sure so many people start their first blog post this way. Loving life, loving to write and having so many things stuck up in my brain waiting to get out..it's such an 'original' way to begin my blogging life.
I suppose the purpose of my blog will be what blogs were originally intended to be...an online diary of my life....mainly cooking and my 'minor' food obsession...but also to share my love of the outdoors, holidays, family, friends and everything else life has to offer! I'd like to share what I'm cooking, what I'm doing, and I'm hoping that my writing will develop with it each day or week or whenever the muse strikes.
I'll begin with a seasonally appropriate pic from our pumpkin carving gathering last weekend. The hubby loves to carve pumpkins, and everyone is catching on to that. My sister & her DH, along with a couple friends brought their pumpkins over last week for his assistance. Nothing fancy here folks...we use the carving kits & templates you can get at Walmart...although I did find a ton of templates online and printed those too...we're building our collection quite nicely.

Today I'm roasting massive amounts of pumpkins...ok....10...but it seems massive to me! Right now they're in the cooling stage...soon they'll be tucked away in the freezer, becoming bread and soup and dessert over the cold winter months ahead. Stay tuned for lots of yummy recipes!
I'm watching PBS...Mark Bittman just finished....it's my favorite Saturday indulgence...watching cooking shows on PBS.
Enjoy your day!