Snowbirds

Chilly chickens

We're having a wonderful, but unusually long, snowy season here. Fluffy white everywhere, and then the clear, cold, windy days that are a rare joy in the land of winter rain. The girls seem to be doing ok--with some extra winter steps. Their water freezes quickly, so they get warm water a few times a day. And each morning I make them oatmeal. Tomorrow I think I'll add some berries and share their breakfast. Spoiled? You betcha.

To each her own

Variations on a theme.

Thanks to the garden....

I've never had wonderful luck with pumpkins in my yard, but I try each year anyway. This year I planted a Cinderella pumpkin (Rouge Vif D’Etampes for you qui parle heirloom squash). The result was a single beautiful red fruit. It sat on the dining room table for weeks, waiting for the livery-clad mice.

No rodents arrived, so by Thanksgiving, I decided to try to make pie from my solitary squash. Chopped and roasted initially in a 400 degree oven until soft. However I noticed as I scooped it out of the skin it seemed a bit juicier than the old canned Libby's. Onto the stove it went, then 4 hours of simmering until one pumpkin yielded about 2 cups of pumpkin meat.

From that point, I followed the Libby's recipe for pumpkin pie (thanks chickens for the eggs). Of course adding more ginger and cinnamon than the recipe recommended(no supertaster, I) .

The result was delicious--creamier and with a fuller, earthier taste than my traditional pie. All eaten in warmth with new friends and old. Thanks Cinderelly!