For years the mister has refused to buy a generator, he's a Marine and he don't need no stinkin' generator!  Nevermind his long-suffering wife who DOES!  Well, well, well...guess what the mister sorely wants now but can't find?!  That's right, the OLD Marine has decided it's time to get plugged in (at least the TV as he simply cannot live without it because it's football season and Tennessee has a team this year!) and he is in a sour-state because he can't find one anywhere!!  He is desperate I tell you!  Desperate enough to make a late night trip to Home Depot to offer up our bank account and/or one of our children for a generator!  I'm sure they are still laughing, along with the generator guys at Lowes and Costco because they were all sold out the minute the weathermen announced the double-punch storm headed our way.  The mister should have floored it to one of those places immediately!  He did not.  He waited three more days and THEN, late at night, he decided the time was right and off he went, speeding down the hill determined to return with a generator 5 minutes before TWO major wind storms.  Now that the mister has been denied, he is at the end of his rope.  I know this because he asked me to find one ON-LINE and he thinks ordering anything on-line is of the devil - he doesn't trust anyone's security - he's still a money-under-the-mattress kind of guy - not that we have any under ours so don't get any ideas, but that's how he thinks.  So the first order of business this morning is to buy a generator on-line and have it shipped - sadly it won't be here in time to help us if/when the power goes out today but that's okay with me as I will be headed to a hotel the minute the lights flicker! 

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Let's talk soup.  Pumpkin soup.  The kind of pumpkin soup that is ordered in fancy-schmancy restaurants prepared by uppity chefs who have 2 Michelin Stars.  The kind of pumpkin soup that after the first sip you sit back in your chair and say mmmmmm.  Yes.  Mmmmmmm.  The kind of pumpkin soup that has you wondering what's in it that is so velvety and seductive.  Oh, that would be the coconut milk.  This is that kind of pumpkin soup.  It's rich and rewarding...it will fill your senses and your stomach and you'll go back for more, I promise.  This pumpkin soup stands on it's own, too.  It doesn't need the Sage Pesto or the Spicy Pumpkin Seeds...it's dang good without them.  But.  Or should I say BUT?  Yes, this deserves a BIG BUT...so let me rephrase...this soup doesn't need the Sage Pesto or Spicy Pumpkin Seeds BUT it is absolutely 5 DANGS WORTH of Delicious with the toppings so make them...swirl the pesto into the soup... enjoy the crunch of the seeds and savor the mmmmmmm.

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There are three steps to making this soup and all three are easy.  You can do them in advance, too, even days in advance.  The Sage Pesto will keep for a week in the refrigerator and the Spicy Pumpkin seeds will, too.  The pesto and the seeds make a lot, more than you'll need for one batch of soup, so you could even freeze the pesto and use it at a later time because you will want to make this soup again and again!

The soup is not overly spiced, and it's just a teensy bit on the sweet side.  If you want more heat, you can always add in more cayenne pepper, it's your funeral.

Look kids, it's Pumpkin Season.  Don't be like the mister and wait until the 11th hour.  Don't wait until the pumpkin shelves are empty at the market.  Could happen...just this week the water shelves at our local Safeway were swept clean - we LIVE in water and people were buying water!  I guess they don't know that when the power goes off the faucets still work?! At any rate, what if there WAS a run on pumpkin?!?!? Think how sad and devastated you would be then! So don't wait to make this, pumpkin season doesn't last forever you know!

 

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Pumpkin Soup with Sage Pesto and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds - Adapted from Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest

Sage Pesto:

1 cup fresh parsley

10 large sage leaves

1/4 cup shelled pistachios

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup crumpled Blue cheese (or you could substitute Feta or Parmesan)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

 

Spicy Pumpkin Seeds:

1 cup Pepitas/Pumpkin seeds (I bought mine at Trader Joe's but Safeway also carries them)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Pumpkin Soup:

2 cans prepared pumpkin (15 oz. can)

salt and pepper to taste

6 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup finely diced shallots, (about 2 small shallots)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups coconut milk

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to your liking)

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Make the Pesto:  In the bowl of a food processor, combine parsley, sage, pistachios and process until finely chopped, then pour in the olive oil, with processor running.  Add Blue cheese and pepper, and pulse a few more times until combined.  Taste for seasonings and add additional pepper and salt if needed.  Remove and set aside.  (It making a day or two ahead of time, refrigerate until ready to use.)

Make the Spicy Pumpkin Seeds:  In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, combine the pumpkin seeds, brown sugar, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Stir continuously until the sugar begins to melt and stick to the seeds and the seeds become fragrant and begin to brown slightly, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Remove to a cookie sheet or a piece of parchment and allow to cool.  When cool break into small pieces.  Set aside.  If making these ahead, keep in an air-tight container until ready to use. 

Make the Pumpkin Soup:  In a large Dutch Oven, or other heavy bottomed pan, add butter  and shallots.  Cook until soft and slightly caramelized, about 7 minutes.  Add the thyme and cook another 30 seconds.  Add the garlic and cook for one minute more.  Add the pumpkin, chicken broth, coconut milk, cayenne, nutmeg and maple syrup.  Bring soup to a low simmer and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.  Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper if needed.  Add more cayenne if desired.

To assemble soup:  Ladle soup into bowls and top each bowl with a dollop of Sage Pesto, then sprinkle Spicy Pumpkin Seeds on top.  Serve hot.  Makes 6 servings.

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Now, before I let y'all go, I want to share my  FALL TO DO LIST with you.  There are several of these kinds of lists on Pinterest, and I found one I liked and added to it...okay, granted, some are lame-o, but c'mon, work with me, it was the best I could do!  Tick-tock, there's still plenty of time to get out there and enjoy this wonderful time of year!

99 Fun Things To Do This Fall

  1. Make apple cider/applesauce/apple butter
  2. Visit a corn maze
  3. Go apple picking
  4. Play backyard football
  5. Visit a chocolate factory
  6. Roast marshmallows
  7. Go hiking
  8. Read outside
  9. Make Rice Krispies treats
  10. Go to an antique show
  11. Host a bonfire
  12. Go apple bobbing
  13. Make a “thankful for” list
  14. Have a popcorn movie day
  15. Go pumpkin picking
  16. Create a leaf craft
  17. Eat corn on the cob
  18. Visit a farm
  19. Drive through the country
  20. Bake a pie
  21. Go horse back riding
  22. Make granola/trail mix
  23. DIY a front door wreath
  24. Visit a fall festival
  25. Make pumpkin bread
  26. Paint or carve pumpkins
  27. Create your Halloween costume
  28. Go on a hay ride
  29. Make chowder
  30. Rake leaves for a neighbor
  31. Make candy apples
  32. Attend a library program
  33. Learn the history of Thanksgiving
  34. Have a fall photo shoot
  35. Make a breakfast casserole
  36. Make pumpkins erupt
  37. Update fire alarms
  38. Make a scarf/wear a scarf
  39. Eat candy corn
  40. Try a new pumpkin recipe
  41. Attend a football game
  42. Go on a bike ride
  43. Volunteer at a food pantry
  44. Roast pumpkin seeds
  45. Make leaf shaped sugar cookies
  46. Go through summer clothes
  47. Join a book club
  48. Create a fall scrapbook
  49. Watch the sunset
  50. Make a caramel smoothie
  51. Have a family game night
  52. Tie a fleece blanket
  53. Make a pumpkin dip
  54. Collect rocks/leaves on a walk
  55. Stuff a scarecrow
  56. Make cinnamon play dough
  57. Make chili
  58. Jump in leaf piles
  59. Watch a fall movie
  60. Enjoy a foggy morning walk
  61. Burn some new candles
  62. Do a random act of kindness
  63. Go thrift shopping for treasures
  64. Put together a large puzzle
  65. Make apple cupcakes
  66. Try a new flavor of coffee/tea
  67. Visit a haunted house
  68. Make licorice caramels
  69. Make pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips
  70. Make pumpkin pancakes
  71. Make “dead-man” meatloaf
  72. Go to a craft show
  73. Make a new Thanksgiving food
  74. Make Pumpkin Butter
  75. Record yourself/kids screaming to play on Halloween
  76. Decorate your home inside and out
  77. Wrap up in a quilt
  78. Get a temporary skull tattoo
  79. Plant cabbages, mums and pansies
  80. Mix apple cider with 7-Up for sparkling cider
  81. Make creepy Halloween food
  82. Host a donut party
  83. Make special treats for your favorite Trick-or-Treaters
  84. Wear a hat
  85. Take a cooking class
  86. Make cheesecloth ghosts
  87. Leave treat on doorstep then ding-dong-ditch
  88. Wear a costume
  89. Assemble “care package” in plastic bag, pass out to needy
  90. Read It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
  91. Put new batteries in Flashlights
  92. Star gaze on a clear, cold night
  93. Make Corn Pudding
  94. Make Cranberry sauce
  95. Wear rubber boots/walk in puddles
  96. Have a weekly Family time
  97. Tell ghost stories
  98. Enjoy this wonderful time of year!