Supper in a Pumpkin

Supper was interesting and utilized more of our fresh garden products. Tonight we had supper in a pumpkin grown from Fiona's garden along with fresh baking powder biscuits. (Ok...make that warm, flaky biscuits...are you jealous?) Yes, the supper was contained entirely inside the pumpkin making clean up a snap as well as amazing presentation. (My mother-in-law would be so proud!)

I can't say I was completely "in love" with the dish as the spices seemed odd for me in a soup type dish...nutmeg and rosemary? However, it was hearty and it was good enough that I'd make it again and "experiment" on the spices next time. Fiona was so proud of our "pumpkin soup", especially the fact that the produce came from her garden. (Honesty, every gardener is, especially when you are four years old.)

In the process, I roasted the scooped out pumpkin seeds for my hubby to take to work and the slimy junk and pumpkin shell will join the compost out in the back yard. All in all, nothing going to waste. What more can I say?

Below is the recipe I used for our supper. Please feel free to "experiment" and, of course, let me know if you make this tasty dish.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Supper in a Puget Sound Fresh Pumpkin

1 Pumpkin, 10-12 inches in diameter
1 tsp. Rosemary
1 Cup Raw Rice
2 cans Chicken Broth (10 oz)
1 10 oz frozen mixed vegetables (or just peas, beans, or corn)
1 lb pork sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Cut off top of pumpkin, scoop out seeds and season pulp with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Brown sausage, drain, saute in onions, add rosemary. Cook rice in chicken broth according to directions. Combine all ingredients and stuff into your pumpkin. Replace pumpkin top and place on rack in roasting pan with 1 inch of water. Cover and steam in 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. Spoon out cooked walls of the pumpkin as you serve the stew.

Sunday Night Movie Tradition

Beginning in September unto the New Year, my talented hubby, Drew, has practices on Sunday nights with the Dicken's Carolers. (Click on Dicken's Carolers for my earlier August post on being a "singing widow".) This singing group delights audiences during the holiday season with Christmas songs throughout the Seattle region. Though it is an unique opportunity for Drew to combine one of his passions, singing (while still getting paid), it also means extra time with the kids for me.

The kids and I have our own tradition on Sunday nights when Dad is away making music. After supper we always get into our pj's a little early, pop a bowl of popcorn, and sit back to watch a movie. The kids always look forward to "the show" and I find it helps settle them down after a long weekend and keeps them occupied.

Since we aren't big TV watchers, (well...who could be when we only get two fuzzy channels!) this is such a special treat for the kids to enjoy on a Sunday night after a busy weekend. This little tradition definitely helps ease the transition from Dad being away on Sunday nights and helps us look forward to our times together without Dad (aka Drew). (As well as for Mom to do some major "damage control" around the little blue bungalow after the weekend. Thank you very much!)

Tonight's movie was by request... Mary Poppins. (Honestly, could it get any better?...your kids requesting Mary Poppins!) And as always, there was lots of laughter and singing along to "the show". It was beautiful...our blissful little movie tradition on a Sunday evening.

Oh... supercalifragilisticexpialidocius... (What? It didn't come up on spell check?)

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Thrifty Tip Thursday...Left-Over Fruit Smoothies

Let's face it folks...times are getting a bit tighter in everyone's budget and we all could use a tip to stretch our
dollars. (I hope you all have a budget...if not, now is the time to crunch the numbers.) I often have friends ask me how our family stretches our budget on one income so I thought I should start sharing some of what works for our family. Yes, we get creative, cut "luxuries" out of our budget, and try to enjoy free activities to make it work, but we truly feel like we never go "without".

Though being thrifty is nothing really new for us at the Little Blue Bungalow, I thought I'd start sharing a thrifty tip starting on Thursdays. Beginning this week, I'll will be giving you a little sneak peak on Thursdays into the cost-saving techniques we use at the Little Blue Bungalow.

My first tip is actually a special treat that is created from my kids left-over fruit. When my kids began eating I was really shocked and saddened to see how much food I was throwing away on a daily basis. No matter what I did to combat it, I still felt I was throwing away too much food. However, one day I decided to start throwing all of the fruit they left on their plates into a freezer bag. Every sporadic grape, 2 bites of banana left, etc I popped them into the bag and into our freezer.

In a couple of weeks I had a quart size freezer bag of apples slices, mandarin oranges, smashed bananas, a kiwi slice, random green grapes, etc. I set the bag on the counter for about an hour to thaw it a bit. Later I threw the contents of fruit bag, some skim milk, a few frozen blue berries I had on hand and honey (to taste) and turned the blender on for a few seconds. Walla! Instantly I had created a delicious fruit smoothie (or "ice cream" as my kids call it...ha, ha!) from the left-over fruit that would have ended up in the compost or garbage. What a cost saving and my entire family LOVES this special treat! The cool part is if you have any left-over smoothie you can just place it in a freezer container and place it into the freezer for another day. (Just scoop it out like ice cream...a little bit of heaven!) Our family has been enjoying these fruit smoothies for over a year now.

Hey, a penny is a penny. And we all could use an extra penny these days...well maybe more than a penny!

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Wordless Wednesday

Camping in the backyard for Father's Day 2008...

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

"...I Was Running." (Forest Gump Style)

So, I'm sure you're all dying to know about how my experience is going with the Y since my first exercising post back in May. Remember my traumatic first day at the YMCA? (Click on YMCA to read about my funny experience!)

Well, going to the Y has been a huge boast in my being. (Even after standing outside in my bathing suit for my first workout!) I am enjoying my personal time away for from the kids (Yeah to the Y Child Watch...you ladies ROCK!), gaining confidence about myself, loosing weight (about 27 lbs and many inches), and feeling strong mentally and physically.

And yes, these shoes are getting an amazing workout since being purchased on my birthday (August 15th)... Honestly, folks they are running further, performing exercises that I didn't were possible for this SAHM. (Stay at Home Mom) Drew is even trying to temp me with signing up for a triathlon next year. (R u kidding me?) Yes, I'm getting "exercised". Is that even a word(?)...well for today it will be. Katie Jean has been officially "exercised"!

To add onto my regular workouts, I am competing in the Y's Survivor's Challenge. I did this contest this summer, but was a level one. This time I got bumped to level two which is an entirely different ball field. (These people are hard core...complete in road races for fun, swim the Atlantic Ocean...OK, not really but you get my point.) Below is this week's Survivor Challenge for me to complete in addition to my regular workouts. (Hello folks...not making this up!)

Cardio:
Complete an Olympic Distance Triathlon by the end of the week.
(.93 miles swim, 24.8 miles bike, 6.2 miles run)
Yes, I just typed OLYMPIC DISTANCE TRIATHLON

Strength:
Complete all exercises two times in a row 3 times this week
Monster Walks (30 sec each of forward, back, side to side)
Bent Over Row on One Leg (10 reps/leg)
Clock Lunge w/front raise (10 reps)
Push Ups (15 reps) Crossover Squat (20 Reps)
Kneeling Triceps kickback (15 reps/arm)

Core:
Perform 3 sets 3 times this week
Vertical Leg Crunch (20)
Plank/Right side Plank/Plank/Left Side Plank (30 sec. each)

Hydration:
Consume 64 oz of water each day this week.

So...if you don't see me around...I'm probably at the Y...and 'I was running'...

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Farm Kids in the Making

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Back-Stage Pass: Ananda Farms

Our kids were in "their element" during Saturday's visit to Ananda Farms (outside of Port Townsend, WA) where Aunt Rachel works and resides. Despite some rain on and off, (Hello...Seattle weather...here) the kids spirits could not be dampened "down on the farm".

It is every kids dream to be up and close with farm animals and Aunt Rachel did not disappoint with our own "Back-Stage" pass of this great organic farm. Fiona and Keegan got to feed the sheep, pet the farm cats and dogs, hold baby chickens, stand and listen to the free-ranging turkeys (Gobble, gobble.), dig up beets from the garden for lunch, feed the chickens, and gather the eggs.

I was particularly curious about many of their gardening techniques as they have a successful Farmers Market crop and also eat primarily off their own land. This is a huge dream of my own so it was great to see an operation up close and personal as well as ask many questions. If you have ever read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle you know what I'm referring to in producing your own food and eating food completely locally. And...if you haven't read this book it is in my opinion a MUST read.

Honestly, the entire family was in "their element". As the kids snoozed in the back seat from a long day at the farm, Drew and I tossed back and forth dreams and ideas of actually owning our own land/farm someday. Maybe it is just a dream, but maybe it is a dream worth achieving.

In the meantime, I'm revamping ideas for the garden for next year. My main goals this next year are to:
1. Change my current composting system
2. Add a natural watering system (possibly utilizing a rain barrel)
3. Add fruit trees to our property
4. Add a chicken coop and chickens

Maybe our parents read too many farm books when we were kids or maybe that "Iowa" blood of working the land never leaves us...but being on the farm on Saturday brought such peace and joy to all of our souls.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean