Happy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

My little parrot! So appropriate because he loves his own voice ;)

Can you guess what I'll be for Halloween?

I feel bad, this year I didn't have a chance to carve a pumpkin with V ( although technically , it's not too late!).

But I did manage to finally make these ghoulish finger cookies last night. I have been longing to attempt making these, but I am not as confident in the kitchen when it comes to baking. Because of my "Off Road Cooking" style, I tend not to stick to recipes and do my own thing. As you know, baking is a science, and you just can't deviate from the instructions!
I was very happy with the way the cookies turned out, although there was lots of butter in this recipe which made the fingers chubby when they came out of the oven. They sort of lost their shape. I will know for next time!

Creepy butter cookie fingers with bloody almond nail. They taste really good!

Off Road Cooking: Gourds are gourd for you

Following my October post, I thought it would be nice to show you what I've been stirring up in my baby kitchen these days!

Victor is really loving gourds, who doesn't. I particularly love cooking with pumpkins or butternut squash. Not only are they delicious and creamy, they cook so fast and they are easy to cut and peel (I use a peeler). As you all know, gourds can be intimidating to cook with because the skin is so hard and bumpy. An easy trick is to use a good sharp knife, preferably with a ceramic blade. You can cut it in half, remove the seeds,  bake it first and peel the insides, or simply chop it up and steam. I have seen gourds being sold in cubes at the grocery store which is a nice way to eat healthy, save time and avoid the intimidation. Listen, I am all for short cuts, if the end result is worth it.

Last weekend, Victor ate his first traditional Thanksgiving meal which consisted of mash potatoes, turkey breast, brussel sprouts, stuffing and a teaspoon of cranberry sauce. He LOVED it! I brought the baby bullet at the in-laws since I had been anticipating this day for a while now. It was nice to have the evening off in the kitchen. When it came to desert, I felt bad watching V stare at my homemade pumpkin pie, so I gave him a bite of the middle... his arms kept flapping in the air while he rolled his wrists, which is the symbol for "YUM, I WANT MORE!".

Poor thing, I wasn't going to give him more sugar desert, but I did make this for him... my version of Baby Apple Pumpkin Pie.

Are you sick of Turkey leftovers yet? What's your favourite Thanksgiving dish? Are you finding it hard to catch up to the 4-day week? Good news, tomorrow is Friday!

Apple Pumpkin Pie (homemade apple and pumpkin puree in water with cinnamon and nutmeg) 

Thanksgiving and all things October

I think everyone has a soft spot for October. Think about it... it's harvest time, the leaves turn gold and red, the skarves and sweaters come out, turkey and all things pumpkin fills our belly and of course we are gearing up for Halloween!

No wonder it's such a busy time for everyone. I wish October was a longer month, it's so under appreciated.

It's Thanksgiving today and I'd like to take a minute to be thankful for my health, the health of my family, and last but not least my new little man V that has changed my life in oh so many ways!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and in V's favourite words.. Gobble gobble!