Pumpkins

Pumpkins
Originally uploaded by 'mstea'

I made a stuffed pumpkin for dessert the other night... mmm.

Stuffed Pumpkin

Prep Time 20 Minutes
Cook Time 1 Hour
Servings about 4
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

1 whole Sugar Pie Pumpkin, Small-medium
1 whole Apple, Gingergold Or Granny Smith
1 whole Pear, D'anjou (or Peach)
½ cups Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Nutmeg
¼ teaspoons Allspice
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
¼ cups Raisins, Optional

1. Take a small to medium-sized sugar pie pumpkin, wash well and cut out the top.
2. Scoop out the seeds (save for roasting).
3. Stuff the pumpkin with a mixture of sliced apples/pears/peaches (any fruit available). Leave enough room to place the top back on.
4. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, lemon juice, and if you want, raisins.
5. Gently mix the ingredients.
5. Replace the top and bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for at least one hour. The dessert is done when the pumpkin is fork tender and the fruit inside is soft.
6. To serve, scoop out the fruit mixture and sauce, making sure to get some of the pumpkin.
7. Serve on its own or with vanilla ice cream.
8. Top with roasted pumpkin seeds (optional).

messing with photos

I have been playing around with a photo and just thought I would post about it. This is a bird I snapped in Tucson while at the zoo. He was not in the zoo. He was a visitor like me, zooming and flying around the water feature.

You can click on the photos to get a bigger picture.

Original Photo













Edit 1 - a softening of the picture, darkening the edges













Edit 2 - color focus around the subject; b&w for surround

Long and Winding road yarn

Even though we are leaving very soon for Euro 3 (third trip to Europe), we took a very nice trip to Portland for La Boheme and IKEA this weekend. We also managed to get in a visit to the Japanese Garden.

Why IKEA again you might ask? Well, we were in search of a cabinet for storing linens and bottles of sorts AND a yarn winding station.

Yes. A yarn winding station that is in the form of a trestle with a shelf. Vika Artur is the name of the item. Here is someone else's picture as an example.

HERE IS A PICTURE OF MINE! I PUT IT TOGETHER THIS MORNING! I even caked a hank of Malabrigo Aquarella in the Solis colorway. This is for Alan's neckwarmer.

Isn't that just clever? I never know where to put each piece and you can only hold it for so long. Try winding 2,000 yards of yarn while holding the winder. Crazy!