Grilled Acorn Squash

Make an infused olive oil, by cooking the oil at a low heat with sage. Dunk the sliced (quarter to half inch thick) and pealed squash into the oil. Grill 4 minutes on a medium heat on each side.

Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.

Purple Carrots

Purple Carrots. Need I say more?

Pumpkin Soup

I had a whole pumpkin, and wanted to try something different. Once I pureed up the pumpkin, it looked like it would make good soup. And it did.

• 1 Whole Pumpkin, pureed (maybe that is a can's worth)
• 1 can of chicken broth
• 1 cup half and half
• 3 tablespoons of brown butter
• rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper to taste (you won't need much salt)
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup potato flakes

Toss all into crock pot, on low for about 2 hours, ta-da!

Cider Soco

• 2 cups ginger ale
• 2 cups apple cider
• 4 shots Southern Comfort
• 1 orange, studded with cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks

Put everything into a pot, and bring up to a steamy hotness. Cook it slow, want is more orangy? Zest the orange a bit.

Leaf Bowl

This beautiful leaf shaped bowl:
Better Homes and Gardens Brand for Wal-mart, $10, dishwasher, microwave safe. Apple Beautiful.
Seriously, $10.

Garage Light

How is that for a quick makeover? Got rid of the old one brassy light (there was only one) and replaced with two more modern looking ones. Fabulous.

Caramel Apples

We bought some caramel apples from Ferguson's. They were super yummy, so yummy it turned Connor into the Incredible Hulk who does not share!

We decided to make our own, but they did not turn out as lovely as the Ferguson's one. I just melted some caramel candies down, and dipped the apples in. Of course, I had no Popsicle sticks, so I used plastic forks. Decorated them with M&Ms. The caramel got way too hard when it hardened. So, next time I will make my own caramel. I need to get a candy thermometer.

Potato Topper

Inspired by Topper's Potato Topper Pizza.
Here we go:

• Heather's Special Ranch Dressing (mayo, sour cream, fresh dill, garlic, thyme, oregano, kosher salt, pepper)
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• 4 potatoes
• 5 slices of bacon
• 1 minced garlic clove

I used my standard crust, but did 3 cups AP flour, 1 cup whole wheat.
Cut the bacon up into smallish pieces, and fry up. Remove bacon, let sit on some paper towels. I boiled the potatoes till they were nearly done, then cut them up into 1 inch chunks. Fry the potatoes up in the bacon grease with the garlic. Get them a little crisp.
I blind baked the crust for about ten minutes at 400, just get it ready for all the ranch.
Spread the ranch, I used about 3/4 a cup of it. Top with cheddar cheese, the potatoes and bacon. Bake for about 10 minutes.

I talked to an employee of Toppers, and they said that Toppers uses garlic butter for the sauce and puts ranch on top. But, they don't use Heather's Special Ranch either. I like the way mayo tastes when it bakes, so that is why I did it this way.

I really loved this. John did too. Blind baking the crust really helped make it nice and crisp.