Pinot update: Our sweet little doggie is already doing much better! I don't want to jinx it, but he's even walking a bit (with guidance and watchful eyes) on his own. Thank you, everyone. The words of encouragement have been truly treasured.
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Now that we're married, and setting into our blissful domesticity, I'm trying to figure out how to make use of several un-asked-for gadgets that could not be returned. It seems a golden opportunity to explore Halloweeniness in the everyday.
First on our list: the Nutmeg Grater (mine is much more plastic than that in the picture).
Receiving a nutmeg grater is an invitation into the world of truly delicious
pumpkin recipes, because it is a perfect compliment to that special gourd that we all cherish -- and let me tell you, from someone who never liked nutmeg, you just can't top fresh nutmeg over the stuff you find on the spice aisle. It smells better, it tastes better, and you end up with a finer texture that all but disappears in your baking.
My first nutmeg grater project is
PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST FOR TWO (or pumpkin toast casserole, because this is really more of a baking experiment). You will need:
- bread (I always use that is in danger of going old before it gets eaten) -- french bread loaves or brioche are the ideal here; enough to line a smallish casserole dish
- Canned Pumpkin (1 cup -- not the pie filling stuff)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup cream (or half and half)
- 3 tbl. brown sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (I only used a 1/4, but then it's not my favorite flavor)
- 1 pinch salt
- NUTMEG + your Nutmeg Grater (this is to taste, but I would recommend somewhere between a pinch and 1/2 tsp). Grate it. Smell it. Love it.
- 3 large eggs
- Toasted Pecans (optional)
Line your casserole dish bottom with the bread. I leave mine in thick slices, but if you would prefer a more casserole-y experience, you could break it into large pieces.
Mix all the other ingredients (everything but the bread, eggs, and pecans) in a medium or large bowl. The resulting mixture will be a thick liquid.
Fold your eggs into the pumpkin mix until thoroughly combined.
Pour evenly over your toast in the casserole dish.
Place in the fridge overnight.
Bake for 30 minutes at 425
oF. Serve sprinkled with toasted nuts; having real whipped cream and warm maple syrup on the table for your spouse or loved one is bonus points.
This recipe is subtly sweet if you don't use syrup, and it reminds me of what would happen if you tried to balance pumpkin pie and bread pudding in a breakfast meal. Yumminess.
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Did you receive any wedding or Christmas gifts you don't know what do with? Let me know and I'll try to figure something out.
creepy.cupcakes@yahoo.com
Do you see this? It's called a Jack O' Lantern, and it's made of orange juice and Cognac. You can find it and 9 other great Halloween cocktail recipes here.
Barbolot over at Craftster made this excellent stack of pumpkin pillows with her family this past year, in lieu of carving the real thing.
Little white pumpkins with cute, long stems -- dripped with blood using red puff paint!
This is in the attic of an abandoned house that has been in my family since before the civil war. Pre-wedding. I loved being up there, but I came out dusty. :) Some day my plan is to remodel and move back there... it's going to take a lot of money and work.
Oh, our 
What am I smiling so hard for? I hate having my picture taken and I'm wearing a wedding dress for goodness sakes (a damn fine wedding dress, might I add)!
Now, if I could just wipe that stupid smile off my face:
This is kind of nice as a year-round homey touch; if you keep display kitchen jars, use Martha's instructions to make one that's a little bit batty.
A little bit of textured cloth (I'm betting that old pillow-cases would, indeed, do the trick), some black lace, and some trim... the back beading would be icing on the proverbial cake, would it not?
I've been looking for glove and mitten patterns to knit or crochet, because we are experiencing our yearly "one-week-of-cold-oh-my-goth-it-might-snow" event here in the south. And if you don't get regular cold, you don't have regular clothes for it.
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