Jack-o'-lantern

The fall holiday season which begins with Halloween has officially gotten underway as we hosted our annual pumpkin carving party last weekend. With orange rind as blank canvas, I thought you might like to take a peak at just a few of the jack-o'-lanterns that emerged from the creative minds and hands of our guests. Enjoy a sampling:

Since this is the season of harvest, I thought I might share two delicious pumpkin recipes you might like to try, if you cook up any of your pumpkins as I do. These sweet treats make a satisfying snack, coffee complement, or autumnal dessert.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

           

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

⅔ cup baking cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon table salt

1 cup pumpkin puree

½ cup buttermilk

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup brown sugar

¾ cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

1. Place cupcake liners in standard cupcake tins. Set aside.
2. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
3. Combine pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla and set aside.
4. Beat butter and sugars together in large bowl, with an electric mixer set on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until mixture is smooth and light. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, blending well after each addition.
5. Fill cupcake liners with ¼ cup batter each or until about two thirds full. Bake at 375° F until wooden skewer inserted into middle comes out clean, or about 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan for 5 minutes. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack prior to frosting, if desired.

Yield: 24 standard cupcakes

Apple-Flavored Winter Squash Bundt Cake

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 ½ cups cooked, pureed winter squash

½ cup apple cider

1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Apple cider glaze, if desired:

1½ cups confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup apple cider

1.      Butter and flour a 9 or 10-inch tube or Bundt pan.

2.      In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Slowly beat in sugar until mixed until light and fluffy again.

3.      Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add squash and apple cider, and beat until well mixed.

4.      Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Add to batter in 3 batches, beating well after each addition.

5.      Pour into the pan and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

6.      If making glaze, sift confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl. Add cider and whisk until smooth. Pour immediately over cooled cake and allow to set for 15 minutes.

Yield: 12 to 16 slices

Adapted from Gardeners’ Community Cookbook by Victoria Wise

Praise

I have been thinking about the nurses and healthcare providers around the globe, who are rolling up their sleeves to care for those with ebola despite the present risks and fear. If you have ever found yourself unexpectedly very sick or in the hospital or in a long term care facility for any reason, I think you know as well as I do how hard these individuals work and the difference they make in the lives of their patients. 

As with most of our working class, these are people, who receive insufficient praise and reward for their tireless efforts. Yes, there is an intrinsic reward and they are human, making mistakes at times just like us, but words of appreciation can go a long way to bolster people at work, working hard and working well, especially those at minimum wage or thereabouts.

In recent months, I have been trying to tell individuals I come across in my daily life that I appreciate a job well done, for example a clerk, who is exceptionally friendly or helps me solve a problem efficiently and effectively. I find that the more I do it, the less reticent I am to vocalize my praise and the easier it becomes. I also walk away feeling really good for sharing my gratitude. (To be fair, I have to add that I am trying to verbalize my dissatisfaction on the flipside as well, although this seems far less frequent.)

Today, I just want to send out a message to the universe or, at a minimum, the blogosphere, to say thank you to those caring for our most vulnerable patients here and abroad. Your work is seen within its difficult context and deeply appreciated. You, good workers, humble me by your example, which I sometimes need, too.

Good Workers

Gary Johnson

Let us praise good workers (you know who you are)
Who come gladly to the job and do what you can
For as long as it takes to repair the car
Or clean the house – the woman or man
Who dives in and works steadily straight through,
Not lagging and letting others carry the freight,
Who joke around but do what you need to do,
Like the home caregiver who comes daily at eight
A.m. to wash and dress the man in the wheelchair
And bring him meals and put him to bed at night
For minimum wage and stroke his pale brown hair.
He needs you. "Are you all right?" "I'm, all right,"
      He says. He needs you to give him these good days,
      You good worker. God's own angels sing your
      praise.