Not a Finalist

Well, as I was beginning to suspect, I am not one of the 100 finalists in the Pillsbury Bake Off. I will post my recipe for Lemon-Cranberry Scones, that I developed to use two of their products, soon. I modified my, very good in my opinion, basic scone recipe to use their flour (negligible difference, I use whatever we have or is on sale) and Yoplait Lemon yogurt, rather than the buttermilk I normally use. I had to fiddle with amounts and baking times to make it all work the right way, since the yogurt wasn't quite the same viscosity or consistency of buttermilk, and after baking several batches in different ways, and serving them to many people, came up with a great recipe. It was evidently not what they were looking for, though. I would think they would want a recipe to use up the lemon yogurt, since I cannot imagine that it sells all that well. Ah, well, their loss I suppose, and I'll share the recipe with you and my original recipe.

How Many Things Can You Make with a Squash?

Well, it is squash season. I have made a roasted, onion and garlic stuffed, buttercup squash. I have two butternuts. One will become soup and the other will be sliced and sauteed in olive oil with garlic, red peppers, carrots and thyme. I passed up an opportunity to pick up a mini hubbard and a cheese squash at the farmers' market, which I regret. I may have to go back and get some. I'll probably pick up some cippolinis and beets as well. I love fall vegetables. We didn't grow any veggies this year, not even tomatoes, so we will be spending the fall preparing the yard for a garden next spring. I wish we had grown our sugar pumpkins and tomatoes at least.

So, what are your favorite squashes and how do you eat them? Leave a comment to tell me.

My favorites are the winter squash. I really only like the yellow crookneck and zucchini tyoe summer squash (we will be growing a kousa type in the spring). Patty pan squash and I don't get along, and I don't believe I've tried cocozelle. I adore pumpkin type squash, rouge vif d'etamps, small sugar, and butternut squash of any kind, buttercups, cheese, delicata, hubbards, sweet dumpling. I can take or leave acorn squash, they're alright, but I likely won't grow any. Ditto for spaghetti squash.

Our menus this week have been lovely. Sunday we had grilled pizzas with a nice salad, we had our neighbors over for dinner. Monday, we ate leftovers, because I wasn't feeling all that well. Last night we had a kind of cross between a chicken pot pie and chicken and dumplings with dill biscuits cut out and baked on top of the chicken filling. Tonight is the butternut squash soup and a salad with more of those herbed biscuits. Tomorrow is brisket with carrots, onions, peas and potato pancakes. Friday is homemade mac and cheese with some fruit and a salad. Saturday, chili and cornbread. Sunday a pizza party for Alexander's birthday party. More details to come.