Kitty: Thinking of Fall

For the first time in a few months, the floor was cold on my toes when I got out of bed this morning. That funny chill you get on the first day you know fall is here. The gitty excitement of a child on Christmas morning that there treasured time of year has arrived again.

Now I must find plenty of yarn and books to snuggled under the covers for just that much longer in the evenings. The kitty girls are always happy to have warm bodies to snuggle with in the winter. They would tell you summer sucks because they have to wait until we are sound asleep to snuggle in because the mean adults claim they are to hot and heavy. The winter months are good kitty times when you need a warm kitty to snuggle your cold toes against and snuggle under the blankets.

Ah Fall and Winter, so many things to be thankful for this holiday season and yet also to be so sad about all those who have lost so much.

Thinking of Fall;

Have you all checked out the wonderful contest that Tiffany is having over at Princess Knits So here is my response to Tiffany's Contest for which the prize is the most gorgeous hand painted sock yarn you can imagine.

1. favorite fall book to read:

Moon Lady by Amy Tan, Gretchen Schields (Illustrator)

Edgar Allan Poe: Selected Works, Deluxe Edition [UNABRIDGED] (Hardcover) by Edgar Allan Poe

2. favorite fall soup to eat:

Beefy Noodle Soup
1 large Beef  Roast
6 cans of Beef  Broth
1/2  to 1/4 head of Garlic ( to taste)
12 slices of Ginger
1 /2 to 1 tablespoons Chili Bean Paste
1/4 cup of Star of Anise
1 tablespoon five spice power
3 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Rice Wine
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 tablespoon of
Cooking Oil

1) Chop up Garlic to small slices and slice Ginger.
2) Place Ginger and garlic into a large soup pot with a tablespoon of cooking oil. Turn on heat to medium high.
3) Cut up beef into bite size pieces and place into soup pot.
4) Add Chili Bean Paste to mixture and cook beef until only pink inside.
5) Add Beef Broth and remainder of seasonings.
6) Allow to simmer for two to three hours.
7) Serve over cooked Spaghetti Noodles. 
Serves 8 to 10.

Or

Marmot Ramen Soup
Iron Chef's Morimoto Chicken Noodle Soup
(Though taste and style appeared more as Chin Kenechi)

Chicken Noodle Stock (Rich stock with lots of bone marrow, Rice Wine, Juju berries, other Chinese Herbs)
Wide Rice noodles
Chicken
Chinese Basil
Chinese Cilantro
Scallions

Our Recipe:
Stock:
2 Chickens ( one whole, one chopped)
1/4 cup of juju berries (Morimoto used White Juju berries to avoid the colour.)
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
Splash of Saki
health shaking of MSG

Note: The taste was correct though make sure to use really strong scallions. We used an entire scallion and ended up having to add another to each bowl of ramen for the flavor.

3. favorite fall stew to eat

Brunswick Stew This always makes me think of Virginia. For some reason it is one of those things that makes me think of family. Everyone gathered around a pot of meat, onions, corn, tomatoes, beans, peas, pasta, you name it. Having a dish that would last many days and taste better with the last bowl.

or

Korean BBQ Hot Pot

1 Large Carrot
½ Onion
4 shitake mushrooms
¼ of a bunch of Enoki Mushrooms
4 Crimini Mushrooms
½ tablespoons of ginger strips
½ lb of thin slice beef
3 long fish rolls
1 "Ranma 1/2 style" Fish Cake Roll (White one with the pink circular line that spirals out from the middle)
1 cup of Korean BBQ Sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
Heavy sprinkle of MSG
Sprinkle salt and pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil

1) Heat the pan with Cooking oil and add ginger and onion
2) Cook the onions until they are lightly browned
3) Add Potatoes and cook until slightly soft
4) Add Carrots and mushrooms to the mixture
5) Add the sauce, sugar, MSG, salt and pepper to the vegetables
6) Add meet and cook until done
7) Allow to simmer for several minutes then serve

or

French Beef Stew with Asian sauces

Beef roast
2 onions
1 package of carrots
3 small baking potatoes
1/3 of a bottle of red wine
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of spicy salt
1/2 teaspoon of MSG
2 pinches of Japanese seven-spice/red pepper (This is purely to taste)
1/2 cup of juju berries

1) Sweat onions starting at high heat until they are golden brown in a 13at cast iron pot
2) Add cut up carrot and potatoes next allowing them to stir fry slightly for flavor
3) Add wine and fill the pot half way with water and add dry ingredients
4) Bring the contents of the pot to a boil
5) Add the pot roast to the mixture and bring to a boil again
6) Turn the pot to low and stew for 3 hours on low

Sauces
1) Soy sauce and sesame oil with a touch of Wasabi
2) Soy sauce and sesame oil with a touch of Wasabi and a hand full of roasted peanuts
Roasted peanuts were used since peanut oil and soy sauce don't blend well together
3) Wasabi, soy sauce, and yuzu sauce

4. favorite healthy muffin recipe

Well I am not really a muffin gal, but if we are talking Scones I know the perfect recipe. Hands down the best recipe and one of the best cookbook treasures for scones is the recipe for Savoy Scones from Taking Tea at the Savoy by Anton Edlemann

Not exactly a muffin recipe but I make it and put it in muffin tins Banana and Honey Bread. Does that count?

ok ok... here is a recipe for a muffin that I have eaten and adored but never tried making. Butternut Squash Muffins - A really good friend rants and raves about how easy these are and how much she loves them.

5. favorite fall tree:

A red maple or a plum tree

6. favorite fall knit:

Fluffy, cuddly, sweaters and maybe this year definitely comfy socks for the family if they give me there sizes.