Barley Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash

Oh my, is this recipe ever good!

I have wanted to try my hand at risotto for a very long time. But with babies in the house sure to have needs that would pull me away from the equally needy pot on the stove, I decided to wait until they were a little older.

Enter the October issue of Country Living magazine and this recipe.

Being a fan of barley and an even bigger fan of roasted butternut squash, and knowing that barley has a much higher fiber and protein content than rice, I was sold on the idea before I even read the rest of the page.

And I was not disappointed, even slightly. Yes, making the dish did involve much standing at the stove and stirring, but the result was SO worth it. The only changes I made were to leave out the lemon zest and replace the thyme (my patch in the herb garden being way past prime) with parsley, and I used grated Parmesan in place of the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Give it a try... I dare you!

Into the Woods

A recent trail cam sequence that makes me smile...

(Singing together) "Ohhhh... We're just a happy couple of brothers (yes we are!), out for an afternoon stroll..."

"Brothers we are three, but the wisest one is meeeee... and I'm off to take me a nap"

"(me too!)"

(seeing his brothers disappear into the forest, suddenly the slowpoke becomes his own imaginary Leader of the Pack) "Ohhhh... I'm the Alpha Wolf, roaming wild and freeeee... Nothing, no one, no how, can beat meeee..."


"ACK! WHAT WAS THAT???"


(mumbling) "Good grief, who am I kidding anyway? I'm a pack animal for crying out loud... now where did my brothers head off to?

New York Style

Having never been to the Big Apple to eat the real thing, I have no idea just how authentic this pizza really is, but in my uneducated opinion, we have some decidedly yummy, spicy, garlicky goodness in our little town.

We usually grab and go.

But yesterday was unseasonably warm and humid, so the picnic table outside looked very inviting.

To the nice PGE lady who stopped and smiled at my kids and asked what on earth I was eating, then went and bought one for herself, I am so very sorry that you are now hooked on what are most likely the most greasy, garlicky, chewy, thigh-enlarging, and delicious breadsticks in the world.

I would avoid them at all cost if I could, but Sparky's just happens to be 2 doors down from the UPS Store, where I go at least once a week to do the bulk of my pattern chart copying (and the kids watch hopefully for a UPS Man sighting).

It is awfully hard to resist when the very air smells like garlic.

Firsts

First corn harvest of the season...


Followed by our first family game night (ever), featuring "Hi-Ho Cherry-O", circa 1979-ish (a favorite saved from my childhood)...


followed by a new ritual, that has been going on for a week or two, the Daddy and Kids evening game of checkers...

An End... For Now

Don't panic... I'm not closing my blog or design business or anything major like that... no way!

But, I am going to let my Heartstring Primitives shop go. I just don't have the time to invest in it these days, and the finished goods that I do manage to get listed seem to just sit and sit. And knowing that they are sitting there, and not having the time to do what should be done to create an active, current shop, well... its a little added pressure that I just don't need.

I might put a finished item in my pattern shop from time to time, or I might not. I will always be available if someone has a custom request for a paper cutting or pinkeep or whatever.

I have gone through the items left in my shop and marked them all down. Anything left on October 4th, I will re-evaluate and either remove or mark down one more time. So, if you have had your eye on any of my little offerings, this is your chance!