Around our house October and November mean lots of pumpkins, big fat orange ones, and dainty, and not so dainty, white ones, fat, skinny, perfect and totally warped ones. I never ever have enough pumpkins to satisfy my never-ending use for them. Of course the pumpkin isn’t the only autumn fruit/vegetable that is worthy of attention in the colorful scheme of this most loved part of the year.
Gourds, corn stalks, and the different array of apples, from green to yellow to red and a combination of all the previous mentioned colors, it really is the most colorful season.

We enjoy using the colorful selection as an inviting grouping on the front porch, a lovely selection of pumpkins on the farm table in the dining room is very fitting.
A few scattered around the gardens provide a little touch of color to a somewhat fading look by this time of year.

And…of course we must not forget the Jack-O-Lantern.

What would October be without that special face sitting by the door greeting everyone who passes by or comes to call.

One of my very favorite uses for the pumpkin is in the kitchen of course.

For the family meal at Thanksgiving I use a medium size “Sugar Pumpkin”…(best for cooking)as a serving bowl for our favorite stew.

The options are many, just use your imagination for the stew.

Cut the top from a medium size Sugar Pumpkin, scoop out at least half of the pulp/without leaving the shell too thin. Set aside to use in the stew.

In a large deep pan place the pumpkin in boiling water, about 1/3 of the way up on the pumpkin.
Place in a very hot oven and cook until all the water is gone or until the pumpkin is just starting to get soft.(don’t overcook)

Remove from oven, let sit for a few minutes to cool slightly.

Sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper or your favorite spices.

Saute’ the firm parts of the pumpkin pulp, season according to your other ingredients. Stir all together and add to the pumpkin shell. Put it back in the oven and cook about 20 minutes, just enough to blend the flavors.

Makes a lovely centerpiece for the table and delicious too!

Enjoy this season, however you celebrate …it is ever so special.

 

Eating In Season…continued~
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In a research study conducted in 1997 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in London, England, significant differences were found in the nutrient content of cows milk in summer versus winter. Iodine was higher in the winter; beta-carotene was higher in the summer. The Ministry discovered that these differences in milk composition were primarily due to differences in the diets of the cows. With more salt-preserved foods in winter and more fresh plants in the summer, cows ended up producing nutritionally different milks during the two seasons. Similarly, researchers in Japan found three-fold differences in the vitamin C content of spinach harvested in summer versus winter.

Eating In Season~
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Eating foods when nature produces them is what people the world over have done naturally throughout most of history, before supermarkets landed on every corner of the landscape and processed foods became ubiquitous. Seasonal eating is also a cornerstone of several ancient and holistic medical traditions, which view it as integral to good health and emotional balance.

Blissoma is the elegant marriage of herbal form and function, crafted by the exploitative mind of Julie Longyear, an artist enamored with science.

 After years of making do with my own skin care from my own garden….I have finally found a wonderful, organic, all healthy, fruits and vegetables, carefully crafted into a delicious skin care product.

I have opted to be an affiliate for Blissoma…that means I will make a commission when products are purchased through my website…
You also know I never put my seal of approval on anything less than the best…

How much better could this product be….If it’s good for the inside, it has to be good for the outside….

Take a tour, the reading is exciting and something you don’t find on most labels.

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What makes Blissoma special?

 Blissoma formulations faithfully offer the best medicinal compounds from plants that are research-proven to have healing superpowers for the human body. Ingredients are fresh, stored and combined at optimal temperatures, and blended with skill to offer a final product that is uniquely effective, pleasant to use, and a direct experience with plants as nature created them. Generally the ingredients are just 1 step away from the original plant material from which they came. Many are cold-processed and raw so that no damage is done to heat-sensitive vitamins and other valuable compounds. An initial feel of the products demonstrates the difference as the texture, color, and smell all distinctly tell the story of the nutritive ingredients contained therein. By not changing the botanical’s Blissoma offers a big change for your skin.

Sage Hill’s Patriotic Kitchen is more than a place to cook and eat…although that is a priority…most days…..It’s also a place where honest, hard working people, dedicated to love of God, family, and country, come together to feast…not only with food, but with love and respect for all those whom have gone before us…paved the way…paid the price….left a legacy worthy of carrying on.
My patriotic kitchen has birthed good music, blues, country, and gospel…
Football is sometimes king and the southeastern conference is the kingdom….
In my Patriotic kitchen age matters…yes ma’am…no ma’am…please and thank you.
You can wear shoes or not, no one cares…but you will say grace and salute the flag…for you see…my Patriotic kitchen is a state of “Amazing” grace.