It's sooooooooooooooooo lonely in this forum........ Someone open a curtain and LET SOME LIGHT IN!!!! The sun is half-heatedly shining here today. No snow. How 'bout those presidential candidate primaries? Huh? GUUUUUURL POWER.... and the good ole Mac boy network rides again. NHSuzanne, was your town voting center a madhouse last night? Back to packing....and juicing! I end all project in "and juicing" now...lol. I bought a couple of books on de-cluttering...I tossed my other decluttering books when I was decluttering last time...so I am re-inspired, especially since I am packing for the move NOW. It's time to really assess how much material stuff I need to operate in this life. So far, It's been pretty amazing how many pairs of boots I NEED! And I packed an entire box of books regarding death. I'm wondering how Feng Shui fits into THAT! I feel like I should have put a stick of sage incense or a flute cure in that box or something. Oh, I heard a funny thing in the island bookstore last weeknend. A lady went to the cash wrap to buy her books and the guy said, "Are you from here...or are you visiting?" She answered, "I'm from HERE, but just visiting..........earth." Now I know there are a LOT of hippies on the island, but this sort of took the cake for me. Whilst I was there, I bought a book called, "GIVING...How Each Of Us Can Change The World." Gonna start reading it tonight. What's everyone else HERE reading right now???????? I could ramble on quite a bit more, but I feel I should let someone else get a word in, eh?

I made this recipe but it was called 'Wayne's Beef and Macaroni', from a Maryland chef. When Paula Deen made it on her show, even she called it 'Wayne's Beef and Macaroni' but now Wayne is out of the picture. It always amazes me that even though she doesn't really invent her own recipes, after she makes them, they become 'attached' to her as if she did. Don't get me wrong, I love Paula Deen and she has an amazing talent for finding great recipes. I left the cumin out when I made this. I'm not a big cumin fan.

Sorry Joann! I guess I should have paid attention to the preview! Hope this is better. Roasted PumpkinApple Soup From EatingWell Apples add just a hint of sweetness to this velvety pumpkin soup. Try it as a delightful first course for a special meal or for dinner with grilled sharp Cheddar sandwiches. 12 servings, about 1 cup each Ingredients 4 pounds pie pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks (see Tip) 4 large sweet-tart apples, such as Empire, Cameo or Braeburn, unpeeled, cored and cut into eighths 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth 1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted (see Tip) 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 450�F. 2. Toss pumpkin (or squash), apples, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring once, for 30 minutes. Stir in sage and continue roasting until very tender and starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. 3. Transfer about one-third of the pumpkin (or squash) and apples to a blender along with 2 cups broth. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a Dutch oven and repeat for two more batches. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and heat through over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to prevent splattering, for about 6 minutes. Serve each portion topped with hazelnuts and a drizzle of hazelnut oil. Tips & Notes Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave on High, covered, stirring frequently, or on the stovetop over medium heat. Tips: Make it easier to cut a pumpkin, acorn squash or other winter squash: pierce in several places with a fork; microwave on High for 45 to 60 seconds. Use a large sharp knife to cut in half. Remove the seeds and stringy fibres with a spoon. To toast chopped nuts, small nuts and seeds, place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

I used to make marinated carrots. We called them "copper pennies". I like spaghetti squash. It's hard to cut through the rind on it, though. So I stab it a few times, put it in a microwave safe pan with some water and cook on high for 11-13 minutes. No problem cutting it in half then. We ate a lot of it when Harry was on low carb. Tried to trick him into thinking he was getting pasta, but it didn't work :-) SPAGHETTI SQUASH CASSEROLE 1 Large Spaghetti Squash, baked 1 Cup Ricotta Cheese 1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1/4 Cup Fresh Basil, chopped 6 Ounces Thick Bacon, cooked crispy 4 Ounces Gruyere or Swiss Cheese 1 Pinch Salt and Pepper 1 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper (opt.) Slice squash in half longwise. Bake squash, skin side up, at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, until very soft. Let cool and pre-heat oven to 375. Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Let tomatoes cook until they get soft. Use a spoon to press on them and burst them open.Continue to cook tomatoes down for 10 minutes. Add crushed red pepper if you're using it. Once tomatoes are thick, turn off heat and add fresh basil. Stir to combine. Bake bacon on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 15 minutes so it stays nice and crispy. It works best if you can cook the bacon on a wire rack. Once squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the seeds and use a fork to lightly scrape out the inside flesh of the squash, which should form strands that look like spaghetti. Mix squash flesh with ricotta cheese in a small bowl and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Lightly butter a 2.5 quart baking dish. Then layer in half of the spaghetti squash mixture. Top squash with tomato sauce and bacon strips. Then cover with other half of squash mixture. Top with grated Gruyere or swiss cheese. Bake casserole at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately