Halloween Stew

Fall is in full swing now, which means it's definately time for the soup pots to be working overtime. There is nothing like a bowl of hot soup and a slice of fresh bread to warm up from the autumn chill. Gina over at Home Joys has been posting some of her soup recipes and has inspired me to post one of our favorites.

Now here's the problem. I'm not much of a recipe follower. Maybe it's my way of rebellion, but I always seem to change it, just a little here or a bit there. The real trouble comes in when I'm going totally off the cuff. Usually in a rush just to put something on the table I rarely (meaning never) write down what I'm doing.

A couple of years ago I wanted to experiment with a squash soup. It was halloween and I wanted something hearty to fill us up and keep us warm. Well, it turned out to be a hit. At my husbands urging, I did the unthinkable. I actually wrote down the recipe, as I could remember it of course. Here it is. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. It has become a tradition in our home, one that I look forward to making ago very soon.

Halloween Stew
¼ lb bacon
1 small onion
1 acorn squash
1 can sweet corn
1 can beef broth
½ tsp each salt and pepper
¼ tsp basil
¼ tsp marjoram

cut bacon into small pieces
sautee bacon and onions
cook squash in microwave for 8-12 minutes or until cooked through
add can of corn
add squash chunked into Tbs sized pieces or smaller
add beef broth and seasonings
simmer for about 30 minutes

Jack-o-Lantern Jug

Here's a fun little project that took absolutely no time, money, or talent. Just the way


I like things.


Start with an empty juice bottle. A gallon size water or milk jug would do too. Really


any container could work, but I especially like the apple juice jug because of the green

top.

Just draw your spooky face with a permanent marker. Fill the jug with water and food

coloring if you are going to display it, or mix up some orange juice or Tang and add a

fun touch to your breakfast table.

(I really did this for the kids, and they do like it. But it's my husband has had the most fun with it, always asking for more pumpkin guts to drink.)

Our Big 2 Year Old

Happy Birthday Nelly!!

I really wanted to make a birthday cake for Nelly, but since we were on vaccation during her birthday that just didn't happen. I couldn't let it go though, so I decided to through a last minute party together. She had gotten some butterfly wings for her birthday, so we did a butterfly party at the park. Thankfully the weather held out, although it was pretty cold. We had a great time. I brought a pot of chili and some corn muffins, and the cake of course. It turned out okay I guess, but I still need lots of practice.

There has been a lot going on here at the Crooked Plum. Thanks to all of my amazing devoted followers for your patience. I promise it will be worth it when I finally get to posting more regularly.

We enjoyed a beautiful sunny day today. Spring has come back around and it feels as though new beginnings are in the air. A good time to try the whole blog thing again. I know I have to stop letting my perfectionism stop me from just getting to it. I suppose I can apply that to a lot of things in my life. So, that's that, and here goes.

The girls and I took a walk to my favorite thrift store today. I found a lovely vintage curtain set for $2. We ladies are going to look just dandy in it on Sunday, all matchy-matchy. There is just enough fabric there for the three of us.

I also got a sweet pale yellow dress for Nelly for 25 cents. A few miscellaneous books and some chunky beaded necklaces that Nelly just had to have rounded out the trip. It is good to get out with my girls and enjoy the sun, and a few great buys make it all the better.

Yard Sale

I've been spending the week getting ready for our first yard sale. It's all a part of the big experiment. We're cutting back, saving up, and getting creative with our resources. I don't know if I'll make $20, but that's really not the point. The point is doing as much as you can with what you have. We want to live better on less and it's going to take all of our courage, innovation, patience, humility, and humor. Wish us Luck!