Here's the recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash soup, the sort that I've made for Thanksgiving for maybe 15 years - well, not every year - ever since I saw Wolfgang Puck make it on one of the network morning shows. I've since lost the original recipe, so here's my current version. I present it partly for the amusement of my guests, but mostly so I won't forget the recipe that I made this week.
4 medium butternut squashes
2 sticks salted butter
2 large sweet white onions, diced
4 "lunchbox size" Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
4-6 cups chicken stock base
1/4 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1-2 T brown sugar
1/2 pint heavy cream, for garnish
Melt one stick of butter.
Slice 3 of the squashes lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place face-up on a cookie sheet. Brush melted butter over the cut surface and cover loosely with foil. Roast at 450°F for at least an hour, until the flesh is tender and starting to caramelize. Remove from the oven and let it cool for several hours, or until you can handle it.
Place any remaining butter in a stock pot and add the other stick. Allow the butter to melt and saute the onions until they start to lightly brown. Add the apples and continue to saute until the apples are tender.
Meanwhile, scoop the squash flesh out of the skins.
Add the stock to the saute, and add the scooped out squash and the spices. Simmer for 20 or 30 minutes until the squash breaks down. Add salt if required but the salt in the butter and stock is usually adequate.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add more stock as necessary to achieve the right soup-like consistency.
Garnish
Peel, seed, and cube the fourth squash. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute the squash until it starts to caramelize. Sprinkle with brown sugar and continue to saute until the cubes are very tender.
Spoon a pile of squash cubes in the center of the serving, and drizzle heavy cream over the surface.
To begin, let me point out that 'The Today Show' needs some serious help with recipes, if this is representative of their usual work. Not only was it apparent that they did some downsized quantity conversions, but they also missed a substantial number of the ingredients in the directions. Thus, I left out the tomato, and have no idea what was to be done with the half-bundle of parsley that was in the ingredients. So, this recipe bears repeating - with all the ingredients.
Nevertheless, I saw this on 'The Today Show's' segment on Universal Studios' Harry Potter features this week and said "Sunday dinner!"
I made a decision a couple of weeks ago, that I would get really serious about some quality "play" clothing. There are a couple of reasons, not the least of which is a sense of professionalism about my "other job" as creatrix - which includes the whole concept of building organizational skills.
The project piles haven't been cutting it as far as getting to some sense of sartorial satisfaction. So I started a Gantt chart. Well, it started out as a Gantt chart, but that didn't really serve the purpose, because I don't have a lot of dependent processes; I mostly have a list of things, ideas and deadlines which are based on event dates.
This starts with the crazy creative image/ideas stage. What do I want to do? What do I want to look like? How can I relate it to the events' themes, and be comfortable, stylish, and make an impression? How to keep it cohesive to conserve resources (time, quality, finances), and so I don't end up packing for events all the stuff because I might want it? Working in two genres, I made two decisions; mid-century 14th century, and 1890s. Frankly, I also need to clean out my closet.
It helped that I scheduled DVSS for the rest of the year; I have a pretty good idea about how the SCA is going for the rest of 2014. I mostly have one complete outfit/impression/ensemble scheduled for each of the next four events. And so I started charting by dates on the horizontal axis and projects on the vertical.
The breakdown looks like this:
- Coronation - fillet, hood and veils, kyrtle and gown, finish shoes. I need to buy wool for either the kyrtle or the gown, and some bunny fur for the gown.
- DVSS Day at the Gardens - blouse and dickey (ready to stitch up), spats, and a bicycle skirt for which I need khaki fabric. Tool belt, for which I have the leather, but need to purchase the corselet pattern from TV.
- Crossroads in Time - here's the BIG ONE. I need a full wardrobe for me and for Evan. So a couple of gowns and about four tunics each. And dress accessories. This will wait until school's out to be started, and I might take a couple of days off for sewing in early June.
I'm going to be very tired of sewing by the time the CiT clothing is done. But I'm excited about the possibilities. I hope that I can start posting statuses soon.
Thinking a lot about things today.
I'm making connections between the way my thought/organizational processes work, and situations that I've encountered both in the past and presently. As I examine my reactions to situations and others' reactions to what are (justifiably) perceived as my own failures - in light of my ADHD (dys)function - I'm gaining understanding of the "whys" and learning strategies to cope and improve. I'm also gaining the ability to allow other ADHD/creatives to be intense and focused and featherheaded without being critical.
OTOH, there are plenty of opportunities for me to be irritated. No, I'm not forgetful and I don't fail to follow through because it "isn't important enough". I don't miss deadlines because I don't care, and my house doesn't look like this because I'm a slob. I don't struggle with finances because I'm a deadbeat.
The only way to really understand this is to be "in here". It seems that my therapy is to be one and to know many.
ADHD housecleaning this morning.
- Put a load of clothes in the wash.
- Choose one horizontal surface to clean off. Continue until said horizontal surface is done or the laundry needs a change.
- Take out the trash on the way to change the laundry.
- Spend some time at the work bench. Continue until creative idea peters out or the laundry needs a change.
- Take stuff that goes to car to car on the way to change the laundry. Bring back the Christmas wreath that Sheila made for me last year and hang it on the door.
- Choose another task. (I did dishes.) Finish dishes and transfer to workbench until laundry needs a change.
- Change laundry. Hang the sweet surprise from the storage unit - some Steamy ornaments that I'd picked up last year - on the tree.
- Fold laundry.
- Write a blog entry.
- Take a shower.
- Choose one horizontal surface to clean off. Continue until said horizontal surface is done.
- Rinse and repeat.
In short, cut the overwhelming living room into chunks interspersed with something fun, and something that requires a task change. I can now see the entirety of my futon couch, my fancy bench, and the kitchen counter. I have probably a dozen more ornaments in process and just did some Christmas decorating, and have clean jeans in which to go visit Frederick and Robin this afternoon.
I'd say it works.
Feeling overwhelmed. There are conversations with Evan's school going on (meaning big issues); I'm dealing with administrative issues with my school, and working long hours on end-of semester things. Home is a disaster of dirty dishes, unfinished projects, piled up laundry, messy cat boxes and no heat. Finances are tight, and in this festive season, I have no time to make festive.
Probably partly seasonal, partly situational - but I'm anxious and depressed. And really don't want to be. I want to be making merry, decorating and wrapping presents; I want to be invigorated by all this creative energy. Instead, I'm eating comfort food (i.e. cookies and cinnamon rolls) and trying to get enough sleep to be functional tomorrow.
Now I'm at work, and I really want to go home and take time to deal with important things.
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| Our Thanksgiving spread. Mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, the stuffed bird surrounded by roasted root veggies, leftover stuffing, butternut squash soup, broccoli, and ham. The hollandaise sauce and gravy are off screen to the right. |
Thanksgiving was at my house this year, and of course, there
almost wasn't enough food. We had 4 adults and three kids, and that seems to be the load limit on my apartment. Although not on the kitchen, which nicely handled dinner for 14. And yes, I'm quite good at math, thank you.
There's good reason that I like holiday meals with quantity and variety; not only is there enough to express generosity, but also enough that leftovers don't get boring. We had chef salads on Friday with the cold turkey and ham; Sunday was a "bowl" with turkey, stuffing, and gravy. Monday night was eggs Benedict using the leftover Hollandaise and ham. I have had pie for breakfast, and roasted veggies for mid-afternoon snacks. And the ham hock has become ham stock. Solidly frozen on the back porch at the moment, but ready for the 20-bean mixture. No pot pies or turkey tetrazzini in sight.
Okay, so we ate two hours late. I kinda slowed things down when the guests was later than expected, but didn't factor in the half hour it takes some people to peel and cut potatoes.
In other discoveries, kids at a "kids' table" will not necessarily eat Thanksgiving dinner. Especially when they know where the electronics are.
Did I forget anything?
Menu and recipes under the cut
Raven's Ramble
