October 2011 Cooking Thread

blue gecko · 10-01-2011, 09:31 AM

I adore this time of year. The weather is cool enough for baking and slow cooking. It was in the 40's this morning and that means there will be a pot-o-something on the stove more often.

Last night we had chicken baked with mushroom gravy, shoe-peg corn and green beans.

flourbug · 10-01-2011, 10:09 AM

It's finally dipped into the 80's here, with a delightful 69 degrees this morning! Which means I can start cooking *outside*. Still too warm to heat up the house, but I can stand over a pot or grill out on the patio without feeling like I'm going to melt into the pavement. I can taste the pulled pork now... mmm.

lilly · 10-01-2011, 10:50 AM

Going to start long cooking soups with plenty of celery, garlic and root vegatable in the slow cooker if I can dig it out.

Bought some shrimp chowder for breakfast and added a lot of crab. A good start for the day. Also now the keurig machine at the bank has apple cider for the machine, so I made up a batch in the plastic bottle they are giving out. Usually get their pomogranite tea which they no longer supply. Our library also has a keurig, and I get tea or cocoa as the weather in the streets dictates. A mix of cocoa and coffee when it is raw, and tea for ordinary weather in season. While I buy a lot of expensive juices, blood orange and tangerine and clementine, plus a load of coconut juice,cranberry juices and other drinks on sale, Tomorrow maple oatmeal and cream for breakfast with a large free coffee over at Burger King. Getting a few things free makes my more expensive tastes in juices into reasonable purchases.

I like peak tastes in season.

LvDemWings · 10-01-2011, 01:22 PM

Its a raw fall day here which means soup time. Today I'm making vegetable beef barley soup using locally grown vegies and fresh baked bread. I can't decide yet between a lava cake or baked custard for dessert. Both sound good right now.

Coyote · 10-01-2011, 06:48 PM

It's been a very dark, rainy week around here. Yesterday was the only sunny day of the week and that only lasted 'til noon.

I've been out catching beaver all week. Combine the dispersal with a couple of weeks of rain and "beaver floods" are getting to be a problem.

I was sitting out on a beaver dam early this morning when something orange shined out of the gloom. "Chicken of the woods" mushrooms! Even a beginner like me can recognize those. Young, tender and plentiful. When I finished working I picked a big bag full.

This afternoon I thawed out some quail, made an herbed pasta dough and put together some quail and mushroom raviolis. Made a fresh marinara sauce to top it off and washed it all down with some Chianti.

A little bit of heaven it was.

blue gecko · 10-05-2011, 08:19 PM

Today I went fishing with Max. He has a lovely pond on his place and we caught a nice mess. So for dinner tonight it was fresh bass and bluegill with rice and italian green beans.

Coyote · 10-05-2011, 10:04 PM

Ya know, that sounds pretty good.

We're finally getting a break in the weather and I've been working to much lately. Going fishing has a good feel to it.

blue gecko · 10-06-2011, 12:03 AM

I've got 2 more fishing trips planned in the next week! One with Max and One with "the girls" it takes a little planning and compromise but its worth it. Life is good.

Coyote · 10-09-2011, 08:47 PM

I finally got some fishing in. I really was hoping for trout but settled for perch. I had some folks over today sooo....

I made perch fillets and sweet potato fries with corn on the cob for a side.. Beer and wine to help it go down.

Even the perch virgins were happy, although dubious to start.

A wonderful day.

blue gecko · 10-09-2011, 09:42 PM

Perch Virgins LOL.

Tonight we had doctored up store bought pizza. It's been a long weekend: Music porch pickin' on Friday then a wine festival on Saturday. Today I tried to make it a down day but...after a slow start it turned into a catch-up cleaning, laundry and grocery store day. So much for a lazy Sunday.

blue gecko · 10-14-2011, 09:05 PM

Sometimes the days just rush by! I can't believe its been 4 days since I last posted on this thread.

Tonight we had baked chicken, steamed broccoli and shoe peg corn. My dad finished his meal with ice cream and pecan shortbread cookies. I will probably finish mine with a rum and coke

Feather · 10-14-2011, 10:46 PM

I have no clue what DH had, but I hand cereal for dinner and for desert I had a banana.

Coyote · 10-15-2011, 07:33 PM

After three days of pouring rain coming straight out of the south we finally had a clear day. Lots of wind to help dry things out. Still too warm but a little cooler than it has been.

I've been having weird food cravings all week and today was no different sooo...

I made pumpkin raviolis, roasted turkey breast and cranberry sauce. Hard cider to wash it down.

Happy Thanksgiving!

blue gecko · 10-15-2011, 08:07 PM

Pumpkin raviolis sound interesting! So does the hard cider

I've been on a whirlwind around here today. I started in the garden and picked whats most likely the last vine ripe tomato. I ate it for lunch with a nice tuna salad made with apples and cashews. After the garden it was on to my on-going fall cleaning with vacuuming and mopping, organizing a closet and laundry. When I came to my senses it was nearly 6pm....yikes!! So dinner tonight was doctored commercial pizza (my mainstay lifesaver lol)

Feather · 10-15-2011, 10:09 PM

We had a nice beef roast cooked in the crockpot. It was so tender, it fell apart with a fork.

Twoolf · 10-15-2011, 10:45 PM

Since my son has taken a Job on the East Coast, I don't really cook much anymore but I had a craving for Beef Stroganoff. Made some fresh pasta, a nice salad and some steamed asparagus.

Ate way too much and will probably regret it in the morning.

Feather · 10-16-2011, 11:48 PM

Tonight I made meatloaf. It's the 16th aniversary of us sharing a home.

blue gecko · 10-19-2011, 06:00 PM

We had company last night. I roasted a turkey, made cornbread dressing and gravy, a lovely salad, cranberry sauce, sourdough rolls and a peach pie with ice cream for dessert. Tonight it left overs heated over the first fire in the woodstove!

This morning was homemade flakey biscuits (the kind with lots of layers that peel apart and melt in your mouth) with apple butter, sausage gravy and scrambled eggs. It's been nice to cook for a crowd!

Arianwen · 10-25-2011, 09:21 PM

I've been baking up a storm. Yesterday, bagels. Today, muffins and two loaves of Amish bread. I also made a big batch of veggie chilli.

flowerchild · 10-26-2011, 06:15 AM

Yesterday I made a pork roll. I rolled a pork loin with a flattened chicken breast, stuffed with spinach, chopped portabellas, onions, garlic, fresh rosemary and goat cheese.

Feather · 10-26-2011, 08:00 PM

A pork & chicken version of a turduken

Hagar · 10-26-2011, 09:55 PM

Flowerchild your pork roll really sounds good!!!

Arianwen · 10-27-2011, 07:29 PM

Quiche, from scratch (including the pie crust.) Ugh, the mess!!!!

Coyote · 10-28-2011, 10:44 PM

It's been camp cooking for a couple or weeks. Beaver, muskrat, squirrels, rabbit (hare), chicken, all in the form of stew. It was getting kind of old.

We stopped for some Chinese food on the way home today. It was a little salty but good none the less.

blue gecko · 10-28-2011, 11:02 PM

Just simple meals here. Tonight we had cubed steak with onion gravy, roma green beans and shoe peg corn.