Autumn at the Castle

I'm pretending it's not 80-something outside, am doing some Autumn baking and cooking and enjoying the decorations I put up last week! Above is my entryway table, those are framed reproductions of antique Halloween cards. The little witch hat & sign sits atop my corner wine bar.

Below is my dining room table, underneath is the dining room "wreath" I made using a Christmas card holder. Again, the cards are simply copies of vintage postcards. I really like the affect, what do you think?







And last but not least is Jezebel, my favorite little witchy kitty!

Wonderful Weekend

We're having a wonderful weekend so far, a perfect combination of work & play. Friday was spent on the boat, sailed all around Biscayne Bay and even as far out as Stiltsville! Even though we got caught in some rain, it was still a lovely day of sailing.





Saturday was spent doing some much-needed castle maintenance, visiting with friends & family, then we headed to Oktoberfest. We had a great time dancing to the live band and enjoying the delicious German food & beer. Yummy!

Today is football, movies, and perhaps a dip in the pool, weather permitting. Hope everyone is having an enjoyable weekend as well!

On My Recent Hearth

Lily made this meal the other night, it was absolutely fabulous! A perfect Autumn dinner even if it's still 90 degrees outside.

Stuffed Zucchini and Red Bell Peppers

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, Lily's favorite chef. Note: She substituted veggie crumbles for the turkey making this a tasty vegetarian dish.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, grated
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 large egg
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup dried plain bread crumbs
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat
2 zucchini, ends removed, halved lengthwise and crosswise
1 short orange bell pepper, halved and seeded
1 short red bell pepper, halved and seeded
1 short yellow bell pepper, halved and seeded
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly drizzle the olive oil into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Whisk the onion, parsley, egg, ketchup, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and bread crumbs. Mix in the turkey. Cover and refrigerate the turkey mixture.

Using a melon baller or spoon, carefully scrape out the seeds and inner flesh from the zucchini, leaving 1/8-inch-thick shells. Be careful not to pierce through the skin. Fill the zucchini and pepper halves with the turkey mixture, dividing equally and mounding slightly. Arrange the stuffed vegetables in the baking dish. Pour the marinara sauce over the stuffed vegetables.

Bake uncovered until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown and a thermometer inserted into the filling registers 165 degrees F, about 45 minutes. Transfer the stuffed vegetables to a platter and serve.


Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
User Rating: 5 Stars

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Blueberry and Nectarine Cobbler
From Food Network Kitchens

When adding juicy summer fruit (like blueberries) to pies and cobblers, you generally need something to help the fruit coalesce into a sauce. We love instant tapioca, as it thickens while fading into the background, letting the fruit shine.

Fruit:
6 ripe nectarines, about 1 pound
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon instant tapioca
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced into small pieces, plus more for the pan

Cobbler Top:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced into small pieces
1 large egg
1/2 cup heavy cream

Serving suggestions: Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

For the fruit: Halve the nectarines along their natural seam, but leave skins on. Cut each half into 3 wedges. Toss nectarines with blueberries, sugar, and tapioca and put into a buttered 9-inch round gratin or casserole dish. Dot the top of the fruit with the pieces of butter.

For the cobbler top: Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Rub in 2 tablespoons of the butter with your fingertips until no visible pieces remain. Rub in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter just until it is in even, pea-size pieces. Whisk together the egg and cream and stir into the dry ingredients to make a shaggy, loose dough.

Spoon large spoonfuls of dough on top of the fruit in clumps (it should look like rough, old-fashioned cobblestones, hence the name cobbler). Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the topping comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool cobbler on a rack, about 20 minutes.

Serve warm or room temperature, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Daily Inspiration: Moving Through Darkness

Daily Om October 2, 2007
Moving Through Darkness
The Places We Go

In life, most of us want things to go to the places we have envisioned ourselves going. We have plans and visions, some of them divinely inspired, that we want to see through to completion. We want to be happy, successful, and healthy, all of which are perfectly natural and perfectly human. So when life takes us to places we didn’t consciously want to go, we often feel as if something has gone wrong, or we must have made a mistake somewhere along the line, or any number of other disheartening possibilities. This is just life’s way of taking us to a place we need to go for reasons that go deeper than our own ability to reason. These hard knocks and trials are designed to shed light on our unconscious workings and deepen our experience of reality.

Often it takes something major to wake us up, to shake us loose from our ego’s grip as it struggles to maintain an illusion of control. It is loss of control more than anything else that humbles us and enables us to see the big picture. It reminds us that the key to the universe lies in what we do not know, and what we do know is a small fraction of the great mystery in which we live. This awareness softens and lightens us, as we release our resistance to what is. Another gift gleaned from going to these seemingly undesirable places is that, in our response to difficulty, we can see all the patterns and unresolved emotional baggage that stand in the way of our unconditional joyfulness. Joy exists within us independently of whether things go our way or not. And when we don’t feel it, we can trust that we will find it if we are willing to surrender to the situation, moving through it as we move through our difficult feelings.

We can take our inspiration from any fairy tale that finds its central character lost in a dark wood, frightened and alone. We know that the journey through the wood provides its own kind of beauty and richness. On the other side, we will emerge transformed, lighter and brighter, braver and more confident for having moved through that darkness.

Quiet Time

Thanks so much to all of you who are still visiting The Castle even though I have been remiss in my writing. I've been putting my focus elsewhere - lots of reading, Halloween decorating, cooking, movie watching, a bit of exercising. I've been exploring some new interests, more about that later. Not a lot of writing or even as much computer time. *shrug* Not sure what's up but I'm just listening to myself and doing what feels right. Maybe this is the way I'm handling the ongoing stress and continuous changes that continue to be hurled at me, not to mention the enormous stress that others close to me are experiencing. (yeah, I tend to soak up their emotions, too). I normally vent, either through blogging or my friends, and I'm still doing a bit of that but mostly I'm self-medicating, for lack of a better word. It's rare for a Leo to withdraw..grin..but when we do, it's for good reason and is much better for us and the people around us, believe me.

So, again, thank you. I do read all of your lovely comments and am so glad that my blogging friends are hanging in there with me. I promise I'll be visiting your own fabulous sites again soon.

Love to all..xoxoxoxo

On My Hearth: Kale and Chickpea Soup with Parmesan

It's a dreary, rainy day here, perfect weather for a nice pot of soup! We're going back to our little veggie adventure, on the letter "K" this week so I'm making Kale and Chickpea Soup with Parmesan. This recipe is from Jack Bishop’s A Year In A Vegetarian Kitchen.

* 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle over the bowls
* 2 medium onions, finely chopped
* 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
* 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
* 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
* 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
* salt
* 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
* 6 cups water
* 1 Parmesan cheese rind
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 sprig fresh rosemary
* 3/4 lb. kale, leaves stripped from tough stalks, stalks discarded, and leaves chopped (about 6 packed cups)
* 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for the table

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1 tsp salt and bring to a simmer. Add the chickpeas and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the water, cheese rind, bay leaves, and rosemary and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer about 30 minutes to blend the flavors. Add kale and continue to simmer until kale is tender, another 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust the seasoning, adding more salt to taste. Remove the bay leaves, cheese rind, and rosemary.

Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle some olive oil over each portion. Sprinkle with cheese, and serve, passing more cheese at the table to taste.

Today's Inspiration: Shifting with the Tide

This comes at an interesting time as just last night I spent some time at the beach, felt the incredible urge to see the full moon over the ocean. Beren was sweet enough to indulge my desires, joined me there for a moonlight meal and a glass of wine. It was absolutely lovely, I simply can't get enough of la luna, and combined with the aria di mare...sigh...heavenly..

And, of course, more about change...with the new season comes other transitions as well. More about that another time...

Daily Om
September 28, 2007

Shifting With The Tide
Energetic Motion

Since our lives are constantly in motion energetically, change is a constant element of our existence. As dynamic as that energy is, it is not random or haphazard in nature—the shifts in energy that are constantly taking place are the result of our choices. The formulation of intention, a change in perspective, or the creation of a goal can transform our lives in blink of an eye. We think positive thoughts and the world becomes a brighter place. Or we decide who we want to be and become that person. With each passing moment, we are given innumerable opportunities to create change using nothing more than our awareness.

In the span of a single second, our lives can change immeasurably because energy moves at a pace more rapid than anything we can consciously fathom. Though we may not at first be sensitive to the vibrational shifts taking place, our choices are ultimately at the heart of these transformations. We can typically recognize the consequences of key decisions because we anticipated the resultant energetic shifts. But many, if not most, of the choices we make each day are a product of instantaneous reactions, and these still have a significant impact on the energy of our existence. It is for this reason that we should learn to wield what control we can over these shifts. If we bear in mind that all we think and all we do will shape the existence we know, we can deliberately direct the energetic motion of our lives.

Each day, you make an infinite array of decisions that cause energy shifts in the world around you. In many cases, these transitions are almost imperceptible, while in others the change that takes place is palpable not only to you but also to those in your sphere of influence. Your awareness of the immediate energetic consequences of your thoughts and actions can guide you as you endeavor to make the most of the autonomy that defines you as an individual. The myriad choices you make from moment to moment, however inconsequential they may seem, represent your personal power, which sanctions you to transform the energetic tide of your existence with nothing more than your will.

Now Showing at the Castle: Phenomenon

Yesterday Beren and I watched one of my old favorites, Phenomenon. Since he'd never seen it before, I was anxious to share it with him. He wasn't disappointed, nor was the film any less enjoyable 11 years after my first viewing. I still believe that the shaving/hair cut scene is one of the sexiest ever filmed, and there was absolutely no sex. Just tenderness and love...and who doesn't want to see John Travolta in a romantic role again? *swoon*

I'm pulling out the soundtrack to enjoy as I drive to work this morning..sigh..what a lovely, lovely flick.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my Mom's birthday! Since she doesn't care about such things I'll tell you: Mom is 67 today. She sure doesn't look it, does she?! My Dad's a lucky guy!



She has requested her favorite dish of mine, Stuffed Shells. Since she is not a fan of spinach, I always make a batch for her sans the green stuff. I bought a strawberry cheesecake, her usual b/d request. Her other favorite is coconut cake; when I was a little girl I decided to make her one, I believe I tossed an entire bag of coconut on the top of that poor cake, but Mom ate it anyway and claimed it was delicious. What a trooper! I'm so pleased that the whole family will be here today, none of the kids have to work. So we'll wine & dine and open gifts, generally have a good ol' time!

I love you, Mommy. Hope you have a wonderful day!!

Stuffed Shells Florentine Recipe

This is a favorite in my house, have been making it for 20 years now, it always on our Christmas Eve menu! I think this is part of the reason my kids love spinach! If I'm serving non-spinach lovers, I simply split the cheese mixture before stuffing and add the greens to only half.

Ingredients

* 1 Package (12oz) Jumbo Shells
* 4 cups (32oz) ricotta cheese
* 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, diced or shredded
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 10 oz frozen spinach
* 2 eggs
* 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1 jar (32oz) spaghetti sauce


Directions

1. Prepare pasta as directed on package, cooking 9 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water, drain and arrange in single layer to fill.
2. Thaw and drain spinach, set aside.
3. Mix together cheeses, eggs, drained spinach, parsley, salt, and pepper . Fill cooked shells with cheese mixture.
4. Cover bottom of roasting pan with some of the sauce. Arrange filled shells in single layer in the pan. Pour remaining sauce over shells and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until hot. (I usually cover the pan with foil, uncover for the last 15 minutes). Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

On My Hearth: Three Sisters Harvest Stew

Ahh..Autumn, my favorite time of year! Witches are everywhere, Samhain is right around the corner! Even here in the tropics the weather changes ever-so-slightly, the sun shines differently, there's a little breeze. I turn inward, my Kitchen Witch comes out and I start spending more time over the hearth.

To celebrate Mabon, I am going to make the stew below, served alongside a salad and some crusty bread, perhaps baked apples or pears for dessert.

Three Sisters Harvest Stew

This comes from a great book, Witch in the Kitchen by Cait Johnson. This is a dish rich with textures, colors, and history. The "three sisters" refer to what the early Native Americans called corn, squash and beans.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large carrot cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup butternut squash, cubed (for a quicker-cooking variation, use 1 cup yellow or crookneck squash, cubed)
1 can beans, drained (garbanzos, with their harvest gold color, are my favorite, but you could try butter beans, small red beans, or pintos - whatever pleases you)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
sea salt
1 dried chipotle pepper (optional)
Water or vegetable broth, as needed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a large stew pot, heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and stir to coat with the oil.

Saute until golden, the add the garlic, carrot pieces, squash, beans, corn, sage, sea salt to taste, and the chipotle pepper, if you desire. Though the pepper is optional, the smoky taste is reminiscent of the first hearth fires of the season, perfect for autumn.

Simmer the stew, adding the water or vegetable broth as needed, until the squash is tender, the add the parsley and stir thoroughly.

Serve piping hot.