Halloween Swap!

Elizabeth of MommyChef hosted a Halloween Swap. Bloggers who wanted to participate sent Elizabeth a brief description of themselves and then Elizabeth matched us up. Participants were to plan, assemble and send a package of Halloween-related items and recipients were to post about their packages. Well, since I love Halloween, this was a no-brainer for me. I sent Elizabeth my info and waited.

It wasn't long before I got my assignment, a young (probably young enough to be my daughter) mom in Utah, Kristen of One and Two Make Three. Already I was excited, since the Wintle family includes a little girl, Allyson, meaning I got to factor her in while putting together a package. Since my youngest child is now a preteen, this was a definite plus for me. I began checking in with the Wintles and really enjoying the pictures of Ally and reading about their family life.

I began planning what I wanted to send, some things that the Wintles could incorporate into their Halloween traditions, and and something that they could pull out on subsequent Halloweens that would remind them of me and the rest of the Dowd family. I wanted to include something that would be unique to our region, and something that captured the fun and flavor of the season. In the midst of this preparation and planning, Molly broke her leg at school and besides my full time job, part-time consulting, blog, and just being a mom, suddenly my life was full of ortho consults, x-rays, crutches, wheelchairs, icepacks, and tons of make-up schoolwork.

As we finally started to get back into somewhat of a semi-normal routine, we took our last-of- the-year camping trip with our friends Julie, Anthony and Lilly, and when we returned, there was a box from the Wintle family waiting for us.

The girls were so excited, that they wouldn't even let me finish unpacking the car before we had to open the package. Seriously, it was just like Christmas! After I found the scissors and cut the tape that held the seams of the box together, we opened the flaps and there was a rolled up scroll nestles in a bed of shredded paper that directed us to read it first.

Kristen had clearly taken as much time packaging as she had selecting, with each item having its own note, and contained in a Halloween-themed bag, which made each item like a seperate gift. We pulled out our treasures one by one, with everyone ooh-ing and aah-ing.

There were Kristen's favorite sugar cookie recipe and a pumpkin cookie cutter (I didn't have one!) and some black annd orange sprinkles that we put to work that very evening, decoration Bridget's birthday cake!

The girls' favorite was a terrific CD of Halloween themed music and sounds which we promptly listened too, and were so excited to use on Halloween night!

Kristen also included some really cute decorative items that are now part of our Halloween tradition. I show a picture that we took when we unwraped them and then another picture to show you that these items immediately found a home in our house!

This swap was so much fun and I hope that Kristen and the Wintle family enjoyed the items that we all selected for her, and the next time you see the opportunity to participate in a swap, grab it! It really is as much fun to give as to receive! P.S. Kristen, your package was boo-tiful!

Curses.... Tagged again!!

I have probably shared more than anyone wants to know about me, but I am a sucker for memes, and I was tagged by Kristen at to share 6 things people don't know about me. The trick is thinking of things I haven't already shared, but here goes:

1) I am an amateur songwriter. I don't actually write any music, but I write words to common tunes for birthdays in our office or by request for other occasions. It is a fun outlet,but the funny part is that I have never written one for any of my family members (I am not sure why)

2)I was a pre-med major in college. I really wanted to go to med school or become a nurse-midwife, but my second year I got math burnout (love science, math... not so much, calculus... not at all!). I took a non-fiction writing course, and the rest is history!

3) Over twenty years ago, I delivered a neighbor's baby (this was the incident that made me want to be a midwife). I was only home with my own baby about 2 weeks when she went into labor. I heard her screaming and ran over (we were in opposite sides of a duplex). Her husband called the paramedics while I delivered the baby! It was an awesome experience!!

4) I have been insulted because I have six children. I once had a person in a grocery store when she saw me with four small children ask me if I had heard of birth control, and once during a job interview, a female interviewer asked me if I believed in birth control and whether I was planning to have any more children(I had 5 at that time). My Response? I told her that I thought that these days the wrong people believed in birth control. I got the job.

5) I can't stand licorice. I can't even stand the smell of it. I have only recently tried (and liked) fennel.

6) I am a Christmas season addict. I make no apologies. I love everything decorated, lighted, fragrant. I am always the last person I know to take down the Christmas tree because I hate the end of the season so much. My husband considers it a victory if he gets me to take down the tree in time for the Super Bowl!

This meme has been around quite a bit so I won't tag anyone, but if you have not participated before and would like to, consider yourself tagged!

Fall Butternut Squash Fries

The calendar says October, but still, Indian summer continues to hang around here in Tidewater, no matter how much I am craving chilly nights, and hearty foods. The challenge? Finding ways that incorporate fall favorites that are not too heavy for these still-warm and muggy evenings. That is how I came to find Butternut Squash Fries. Now first I have to say that peeling a butternut squash is a b*@!ch, and if anyone out there has some quick tip that will keep me from feeling that at any moment I might lose an appendage while trying to cut it, I would be eternally grateful, because I love butternut squash. It has a sweet/savory richness and a color that, to me, personifies fall. It can be used in a variety of ways- in pies, rolls, caramelized, roasted, in creamy soups, and now, in a delicious and healthy alternative to french fries.

For those of you who have never bought or made butternut squash, it is nutritionally superior to summer squashes and zucchini. Its deep-orange flesh is richer in complex carbohydrates and beta-carotene and is a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, and a good amount of potassium. They are available all year around, with peak season starting in late summer and running through fall and winter. An average butternut squash is between 2-4 pounds and should have a uniform tan color. The rind should be smooth and dry and dull; if the rind is shiny, the squash may have been picked too early, and will not be as sweet as a mature squash.

So if you are ready for butternut squash or are just looking for a healthier substitute for conventional french fries, give these a try. Your taste buds (and your waist) will thank you!

Butternut Squash Fries

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4-1/2 inch matchsticks

non-stick spray

kosher salt

Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray. Place squash fries on sheet, not touching, in a single layer. Spray fries with non-stick spray and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes until fries are light brown on the edges and cooked through.

P.S. In looking for information about butternut squash, I found the RJW automated butternut squash peeler. Check it out, it is really cool!

A beautiful Wedding.... of flavors!

As a food blogger, you are always looking for a subject to blog about, and it is sometimes hard just to enjoy a new place or experience without trying to "mine" it for material. However, when I went to my niece's wedding nearly two months ago, blogging or blog material was the last thing on my mind. For awhile in our family, it seemed that the only time we got together was for a uneral, but over the past two summers we have had two weddings, and they have been wonderful events, a chance to bring together cousins, aunts and uncles, from the West Coast to New York from Virginia and as far away as Ireland to celebrate whole new branches of the family tree. For the aunts and uncles, to see the children that all played together as toddlers all grown up, the young adults they have become, and to see them laughing and enjoying each others' company like they had not been states or countries or oceans apart, well, that is really special. The point is , when I went to my niece's wedding, all I really hoped to do was to catch up with the cousins, dance with my kids, toast the bride and groom(see the wedding party, left!), and just generally have a great time.

So why am I blogging about the wedding - was it the food ? Well, though the food was very good, good food in and of itself is not necessarily fodder for a blog post. What piqued my interest was when I saw guests trawling tables to see if other guests (their relatives and friends no less) had left their favors on the table so that they could scarf them up. It made me curious as to what was in the little bags on the table at each place. In the coveted bags were generous servings of Taylor's Toffee, chocolate-covered toffee that is handmade in small batches by Marilyn Taylor, a Coast Guard wife who is also a friend of the mother of the bride. Marilyn's recipe has been perfected from a family recipe, and she keeps it a secret, even today. I figured that since my nieces and nephews knew Marilyn, they had probably had this confection before, and since they were encouraging everyone to take the unclaimed bags, it must be something special, and when I tasted it, I knew why. The chocolate was creamy and had just the right balance of bitter and sweet, and the toffee center was sweet and crunchy with the rich flavors of pure ingredients shining through. I love toffee and this was one of the best I have ever had.

I asked Marilyn about her toffee (after I sent my kids trawling for unclaimed bags) and found that she started making her toffee as gifts for friends and neighbors along with cookies but after awhile, people only requested the toffee, so she abandoned the cookies and began making toffee for gifts and special occasions, and now she fills orders for weddings, Christmas lists, and other special occasions with her sweet treat. She still makes the confection in her own kitchen in small batches to maintain quality control, with the Christmas season being her busiest time. If you are looking for a special treat for your employees, something unique for a wedding, for a gift, or just to enjoy yourself or impress your guests, you can order your own Taylor-made toffee by contacting Marilyn at ttoffee@comcast.net, and have the benefit of really homemade taste without the work (at least for you!). Marilyn asked me to warn you, though, that her toffee is so addictive, you might have to enroll into TTA (Taylor's Toffee Anonymous)!

Need an idea of something to do with toffee (if you don't eat it all immediately)? Try this elegant but simple dessert for your next dinner party, it is sure to be a hit!

Adults-Only Toffee Sundae

For each sundae:

1 scoop of premium coffee ice cream or gelato

1-2 tablespoons Kahlua, Creme de Cacao, or chocolate flavored liqueur

2-3 tablespoons crushed toffee bits

Place scoop of ice cream in a dish, drizzle with liqueur and sprinkle top with toffee bits. Serve and collect the compliments!

My (Bridget's!) picture on Tastespotting!

Just a quick note because I am so thrilled that the picture that Bridget took of the cheeseball from Simply Cheddar that we discovered on our recent trip to the mountains, sitting on a log is posted on Tastespotting! In case you didnt see it, it was on this blog on our our camping post and now on Tastespotting at #4773! You go, girl!

Time to get out the Fall...foods!

With cool nights finally upon us, and even the drought-stressed leaves beginning to turn and fall, and my closets over-run with both summer and fall clothes needed to get through the transition, it seems that Autumn is finally here! And just as sure as it is time to pull out the sweaters, and the fleece and the knee socks, the change of seasons signals a change in what is in our fridge and pantry as well as what hangs in our closets. The sight of your breath on the morning air, the smell of wood smoke in the evening, pulling out the gourds and Indian corn, these are some of my favorite signs that we are headed for the season of comfort food.

Apples and cinnamon, gingerbread, butternut squash, pumpkin... all signal the coming of fall for me. Most of my mobile garden has gone to seed, or has started to fade, Tractor Joe's fresh corn and tomatoes have been eaten, and fresh strawberries and peaches have given way to apples and pumpkins. The lemonade mix in my pantry has been replaced with cocoa mix. Sangria is out and Port is in. I have pulled out my crockpot and my fondue pot, and bought flavored decaf coffees (for after dinner on cold evenings). I search through blogs and cooking magazines for new crockpot recipes, soups and stews, and my family starts craving some of our family favorites like meatloaf and pumpkin soup, and shepherd's pie, bread pudding and chocolate pudding cake.

Even my freezer begins to look different with more chuck roasts than flank steaks, stew meat, kielbasa and chorizo. The bounty of summer that has been lovingly frozen and stored has a place of honor, to be pulled out and used in the cold gray winter.

At our house, the Halloween decorations come out, along with fall leaves and the cornucopia to be filled with gourds, mini pumpkins and the bounty of fall. Sundays mean dinners centered around the Redskins games, and soon, our round table will be moved to the living room in front of the fireplace to provide a place for a weekend game of Monopoly or our family's new favorite card game, Spoons.

It doesn't make sense, but it takes me less time to change out my pantry and prepare my house for cold weather than it does to change out my closets as the seasons change.

Maybe because the foods and decorations and the traditions that they bring with them provide comfort against the chilly days to come.

How about you? How do the seasons change your pantry, and what do you most look forward to as the temperatures begin to slide?

... And pictures to prove it!

Some of my proudest moments as a mom are when my kids cook, but when they do the whole thing, from planning to cooking, to serving, now that's something special! After the last time my daughters cooked and I mentioned them on this blog, they decided that they would not only cook, but they would take pictures of their culinary adventures as well so that I would have good pictures of the food (and them) to post. Frankly, looking back at the pictures they took after the meal was almost as delicious as what they cooked.

They started the meal with an appetizer that I absolutely love - Bremmer wafers topped with goat cheese and red pepper jelly. I normally made this with cream cheese, but the girls saw this done with goat cheese, and it was really delicious. This was Molly's dish, and she took care of the assembly and serving.

Molly concentrates on making it perfect!

I could tell that the girls had looked through the cooking magazines, since Bridget picked an entree that we had seen in The Best of Fine Cooking 101 Quick and Delicious Recipes.

Hoisin-Glazed Flank Steak Spirals with Carrot, Red Pepper and Scallions sounds like an ambitions project but according to Chef Bridget, the most difficult thing was slicing the flank steak thinly for the rolls. Her advice? Slice while the steak is still partially frozen (Fine Cooking did not include that bit of advice in its recipe!) Since this dish included lots of veggies, the girls served it on its own as an entree, but if you needed a side dish either wild rice or potatoes would be good.

For dessert we had Molly's Magic Bullet Chocolate "Mousse'' (previously posted) which was a light and creamy (not to mention chocolate) way to end a fabulous meal. And I didn't have to do a thing... and I actually think they took better pictures than me!

Hoisin-Glazed Flank Steak Spirals with Carrot, Red Pepper and Scallions

From Fine Cooking's 2006 101 Quick and Delicious Recipes

1 lb flank steak, sliced thin against the grain (best done while meat is partially frozen)

kosher salt

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

2 tsp asian chile sauce (like Sriracha)

2 medium carrots shredded and squeezed dry

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin 2 inch long strips

1 bunch scallions (dark green parts only) halved lengthwise and cut into 2 inch strips

Position a rack about 6 inches from broiler and heat broiler on high. Season slices beef with kosher salt. Mix hoisin sauce and chile sauce and brush on both sides of beef. Sprinkle veggies with salt. Arrange pepper and scallion down the length of the beef slices. Sprinkle carrots over the scallions and peppers and roll the slices into tight spirals and place seam side down on broiler pan. Brush the tops with reserved hoisin sauce and broil until beef starts to brown and is firm (4-6 minutes), being careful not to burn. Turn off the oven and let spirals stand in oven for another 3 minutes, until cooked through but meat is still pink. To serve, insert toothpicks evenly down the length of the roll and slice between them to make bite-sized pieces.

Bridget makes it look easy!

But that apron will need some Tide!