pumpkin this and that

Pumpkin this and that and everything else forges ahead. As previously, emphatically stated, I don’t do pumpkin drinks, but pumpkin in all sorts of other dishes is another story. Quite frankly, I’ve ended up with portions of leftover pumpkin. That happens when you bake muffins and the recipe only uses half of the can; hence, the need for resourceful, but fabulous ways to use up the orts.

a wee bit of irish inspired eats

shepherd’s pie, meat and vegetables topped with chunky smashed potatoes

Top o’ the morning, friends! I know a very cliché way to start out a St. Paddy’s Day food blog, but that’s what I have today. And truth be told, I do have some Irish blood flowing through my veins and, everyone else is Irish for at least one day a year, right?

fennel + sausage, thanks Trader Joe’s

allow the fennel and onions to caramelize to a light brown

A big bulb of frondy fennel walked into Trader Joe’s with some fat juicy Brats. Oh, actually, it was me who walked into Traders, and they who were serving a sauté of chicken sausage and slivered fennel, as a side dish.

They had me at the fennel part, but I tumbled further with the addition of the savory sausage.

sausage and oktoberfest, it’s a thing

sausage counter at sheridan market, PDX

Sausage. Does the word make you drool just thinking about ground meat, seasoned to perfection, stuffed into a casing and fried up in a pan?

Yeah, me too, and that’s coming from a girl who doesn’t make meat a priority, much to the chagrin of a good part of her family. Maybe it can be contributed to the whole Oktoberfest season thing, but fat, juicy sausages in all shapes, sizes and flavors are what I’m craving.