Sharing Autumn Bounty!

I made this lovely salad for dinner this evening!  It came out so well, that I wanted to share it with all of my regulars!

WARM FALL SALAD


Ingredients:
1/2 cup pine nuts, roasted
1/2 of a spaghetti squash
2 cups chopped fingerling potatoes (I chose mixed ones)
8 leaves red leaf lettuce, chopped
2 Pears, cored and thinly sliced
2 cups cubed rotisserie chicken (already cooked)
1/2 red onion, diced
Olive oil (for spaghetti squash and potatoes)
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
Juice of 1/2 Lemon (or lime)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Mustard powder (or yellow mustard)
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste

PREPARATION:

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 DEGREES    Line a baking sheet and spread out pine nuts over it.  When oven is ready, place baking sheet on center rack and roast pine nuts for 7-10 minutes stirring twice.  Remove from oven when done.  Up the heat to 450 degrees.  Slice spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds from one of the halves.  Brush a little olive oil over the squash flesh and season with salt and pepper.  Place on a lined baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes on center rack.  Meanwhile wash and dice fingerling potatoes.  Toss lightly with olive oil.  Season potatoes with salt, pepper and a little garlic powder.  After the spaghetti squash has roasted for 30 minutes add diced potatoes to the same baking sheet along with the spaghetti squash, and place back in oven to roast for another 10 minutes.  Wash and slice red leaf lettuce.  Slice pears.  Cube 1/2 the meat from the rotisserie chicken that is hot.  Dice 1/2 of a red onion.  When the spaghetti squash is out of the oven, fluff the squash with a fork and place the squash flesh into a large salad bowl.  Add all other ingredients.  Mix up dressing in a small bowl with a whisk to emulsify well.  Pour dressing over salad and toss well to coat evenly.  Serve immediately.

This is a really unique and delicious recipe!  Try it!  It's a little work, but it is really worth it!


PEACE - LOVE & JOY

Linda

Sewing It Up!

Eric, my 15-year-old grandson is quite a soccer player; and that is not just his Granma's opinion. He was just accepted in the Olympic Development Program here in Georgia! Go Eric!

Last weekend, while playing, another player grabbed him by the front of his $55.00 jersey and tore it from the neck down to the belly button! Yikes! By the way,that is a foul. Anyway, last night he delivered the torn Jersey to me to try and make a repair so that he can wear it this weekend. Another shirt is on order, but he is playing this weekend and must have a jersey to wear. So, this morning Granma was off to Hobby Lobby to pick up some fusible fabric to put behind the tear. After cutting a piece big enough to go behind the damaged area, I carefully ironed it in place. Then, taking a single strand of matching thread, I approximated the rough edges on top of the fused area. It actually came out really well. I am glad that I can sew!

It is becoming more and more common that women no longer sew. Oh, most can sew on a button, but anything beyond that is a challenge. There are a lot of places where you can get sewing lessons, like Singer stores, Hancock Fabrics and even Hobby Lobby. Ladies, it isn't a bad thing to know the sewing basics! Knowing how to repair a hem in your pants or skirt, or repairing one of your children's clothes can really come in handy when someone else isn't around to do it for you.

I have made Halloween costumes for myself and others since I was a child. I also made Barbie clothes for my sister's Barbie. That was the best dressed doll in the neighborhood! This past year I made cheerleader outfits for my granddaughter and some of her friends so their American Girl dolls could be dressed like them during their Competition Cheerleading Events.

The girls loved them! By the way, there are people out there charging $80.00 EACH for those things! So, you could possibly make a little money if you find you like sewing.

You can create great memories by sewing for your friends and children too. Last Christmas I made beautiful white nightgowns with red ribbon trim for the girls and their dolls. These are treasured little memories the girls will carry with them into adulthood. Maybe a good place to start would be for your to begin with doll clothes. There are all kinds of patterns out there...some simple and some more difficult. Here are a few things I made last year...

So, why don't you give it a try?! It really doesn't take a lot of "talent", just a little patience; and it is so rewarding.

Sew for it!

TODAYS RECIPE

Salsa Chicken Stir Fry

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
1/2 sweet onion, sliced thinly
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 sweet red pepper, sliced thinly
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup of your favorite salsa
Salt and Pepper to Taste
You may add some Cayenne, or Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning to "light" up
the heat a bit.

Cook the children in a large nonstick skillet, stirring frequently until it is no longer pink and the juices run clear. Remove the chicken from the pan. In the same pan, cook onion, garlic, pepper and broccoli until crisp-tender. Return the chicken to the pan and add salsa and stir to cot. Cook together for one to two minutes. Season to taste. Serve immediately over Rice or pasta.

Calories in Chicken Stir-Fry (not including rice or pasta)... Calories 167, 28 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 2 g fat, 66 mg cholesterol, 326 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.

You can use other veggies if your family is not fond of broccoli...snow peas, green beans, etc.

EAT UP!