Pesto Winter Squash with Chicken Apple Sausage

 

Though it may still be one hundred degrees here in the Central Valley, it still doesn't mean we can't enjoy some early Fall luxuries. While we dream of rain, fog, and cooler weather, let us enjoy an Autumn dish!

Spaghetti Squash and Butternut Squash will grace the plate, yum yum! Feel free to add Acorn Squash as well; I'm not the biggest fan of that particular Winter Squash.

Recipe:

• One medium sized Spaghetti Squash
• 2 cups chopped Butternut Squash
• 2 cups chopped chicken apple sausages
• 1 clove chopped garlic
• 4 tablespoons pesto, find our recipe here
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive Oil for spreading and sautéing
• 1/2 cup water

Step One:
Baking the Spaghetti Squash. Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut off the ends.

 

Cut in half long ways.

Scoop out seeds; be sure to save them for your chickens!

Brush the meat of the squash with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then lay face down on cookie sheet with parchment paper. Bake for about 40 minutes.

When 40 minutes are up, check to see if you can poke a fork into the squash with some ease. If you can, then it is done. Take out of oven and put aside to cool.

 

Step Two:
Cooking the Butternut Squash. Place chopped squash into a skillet, pour 1/2 cup of water and steam squash until soft.

Once you can stick a fork through the squash, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, sausage and a dash of salt. Sauté until sausage is fully cooked.

Step Three:
"Making spaghetti." When Spaghetti Squash is cool enough to handle, take a fork and scrape the inside of squash. You will see how it makes noodle like strands.

Scrape until the meat of the squash is gone, place in casserole dish. Repeat process with second half.

Combine ingredients from skillet into casserole dish. Add pesto, salt and pepper. Stir together; once fully combined serve and enjoy!

It's a very healthy dish, and you will enjoy all the flavors that mingle together. Super yummy!

Nancy Jane

Toasting Sesame Seeds

Toasting Sesame seeds is not a must, but adds a pack of flavor along with its already nutritional boost. We purchase them in bulk and keep toasted seeds on hand for salads, stir fries, breads and steamed vegetables.

To toast them, cover the bottom of a frying pan with seeds (we use cast iron), turn on the burner and stir the seeds until golden brown. You can always roast on a cookie sheet also, however, we prefer the skillet so we can keep our eyes posted on the little seeds; they burn quickly!

Be sure to add sesame seeds to your healthy kitchen's pantry.

Mother Judith

 

 

K.E.G.'s Love for Scones

There are only three things K.E.G. loves more than scones; Jesus, family, and pugs (specifically Poe).

With a nice cup of coffee, or tea, she exudes joy when the tasty pastry has found its way to a plate next to her.

But really, who can resist the temptation of the scone? It’s a sweet siren that beckons back to proper days of old. One can feel simply elegant in pajamas while eating the sophisticated pastry.

K.E.G. and I decided that today would be a lovely scone day, and per usual of this time of the year, we are still dealing with the ongoing quest of using up all the apples from the little orchard. So we started to bake!

 

Scooping out the ingredients.

Mixin'...

 

...and cuttin'.

 

The end result. She sure does know how to make a pretty (and delicious) scone!

Nancy Jane

Apple, Butternut Squash, & Chicken Crock-Pot Curry

Autumn is around the corner, and we are enjoying harvesting our Autumnish produce! With apples and butternut squashes profusely growing, we are still trying to find ways to use them! Curry seemed like a good idea, and boy was I right!

Indian food is one of my fiancé's and my favorite cuisine. There is a hole in the wall restaurant we frequently dine at, however, due to less then flattering events happening at the place, our attendance has lessened. In order to quench our Indian food cravings, I've been searching for a replacement.

This recipe is on the sweeter side, no spiciness; which is perfect for me. And did I mention how easy the recipe is? It's so simple!

Ingredients:
(This feeds two people, just double recipe for a family of four)

• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 can (13.5 oz) unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 chicken breasts, diced into chunks
• 1 cup diced apples
• 2 cups diced butternut squash
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped onions
• 2 tablespoon sweet yellow curry
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, optional
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 tablespoons whole wheat flour.

Except for flour, combine the ingredients into crock-pot.

 

 

Set lid on top and cook on high for 6-8 hours. After the 6 hours is up, the curry may be too liquidy. Simply add flour to the curry and it will thicken.

Serve with jasmine brown rice or quinoa. Then enjoy while watching the leaves turn into a rainbow of colors.



 

Nancy Jane

How to Dehydrate Fresh Herbs

My poor basil plant faced a serious emergency, its little branch broke. Thus leaving me with a bunch of perfectly fine basil leaves.

Really, this wasn't a big issue because I've had a plethora of ideas set for the plant. Storing the herb for winter use has been a priority of mine since it is a key ingredient in many recipes we enjoy. Lately the choice of storage has either been pesto, or drying the leaves for sauces! So I collected the little branch and went to work!

This technique works for almost any herb, and couldn't be any easier! There are a lot of ways to dry herbs, nonetheless, we prefer this technique due to the lack of bug issues.

Directions:
What you need:

• Dehydrator
• Herbs of your choice

Collect herb leaves, be sure to use ones without bug holes in them.

Place leaves in bowl and let soak. After soaking, pour leaves in colander, finish washing off, then lightly towel dry. Place leaves on dehydrator trays.

Let dry for 4-6 hours, or until leaves are crispy.

Sometimes a majority of the leaves will dry, leaving you with some still a little wet. You can choose to store the already dried ones and continue to dehydrate the others, or freeze the remaining damp leaves in a Ziploc bag.

To store the leaves you can leave the leaves whole, or crumble them in a mason jar for easy use.

We add the dried herbs to not only pasta sauces, but to sautéed veggies, dipping oil, soup, and Chile Verde sauce. It is just so tasty, and obviously full of flavor! You can make one jar for each herb, or combine the herbs to make special mixes! Basil and oregano is an old favorite of ours.

Hope you all can store your fresh herbs this summer for winter meals!

Nancy Jane

The Virtuous Pre-Wife, Part 3

He proposed to me under this tree.



For those who do not know, I recently got engaged to my ruggedly handsome man. I am so excited to spend the rest of my life with him!

Love my man!

As I excitedly wait for this new adventure in life, I find myself pondering about being a wife. Now moving forward to a new season; no longer waiting on the Lord to bring me a husband, but wondering how to be a Godly wife. How can I apply being a Proverbs 31 woman while engaged?

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.

Proverbs 31:10-11

 

Singleness is spent on being single for the Lord. While it is still very important to live my life for the Lord, however, being engaged means it is no longer just about me. What I do with my life does not only affect me anymore. What can I do to be more precious than jewels for my future husband? What characteristics do I need to build upon?


 

To find out we need to look upon real life examples of Virtuous Wives.

Luckily, Mother Judith and my future Mother-in-Law are fantastic examples of the Proverbs 31 wife. Both were given different paths by the Lord, and both follow this path faithfully. They work, yet keep the house clean. They raised their children to follow the Lord, and to serve the Lord. Both create inviting homes for their husbands to come home to after a long day of working in hot Central Valley Summers.

She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Proverbs 31:27

They do not eat the bread of idleness.

As a single woman we can look at similar ladies as examples, however, it is even more important as an engaged woman. I want to create a cozy home, warm meals, and a loving space for my future husband.

Ask yourself during the time of engagement what traits you need to grow, and begin to work on them! Oh, I have so many flaws! I will be quite the work in progress, however, the Lord is on my side.

The next year shall be an adventure and I look forward to it. I cannot wait to marry my man!

Nancy Jane

Guarding the Rose

Why do you instantly feel like a fancy lady when you look at a rose?

They're not stuck up, heavens no! They are seamlessly elegant, as if they could glide on ice.

Their scent is sweet and delicate, and they look so beautiful on the bush or arranged in a vase.

But be careful of those harsh thorns! They will protect their lovely blossoms from enemies.

Be like a rose, protect your beautiful heart from evil thoughts. Guard yourself with thorns, only let positive and good thoughts into your heart.

 

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Proverbs 4:23

 

Nancy Jane