It's not too late...

FOR PUMPKIN!

This is what we had for dessert yesterday and even though Thanksgiving sunday is over the month of October isn't and there is still many weeks left of pumpkin eating! So make these parfaits! Pumpkin Mousse, whipped cream, and crushed gingersnap cookies...yum! This can be made individually in pretty glasses or in a big bowl like a trifle.

Pumpkin Parfaits

Serves 8

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2 1/4 teaspoons)

1/4 cup cold water

1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cup chilled whipping cream, divided

1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, divided

20 good quality gingersnap cookies, coarsely crushed

Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan and let soften 1 minute. Bring to a bare simmer, stirring until gelatin has dissolved. Whisk together gelatin mixture, brown sugar, spices, and salt in a large bowl.

Beat 1 cup of cream with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla till it hold soft peaks, then fold into pumpkin mixture gently but throughly.

Beat remaining 1 1/4 cups cream with remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla until it holds soft peaks.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of pumpkin mixture into the bottom of 8 glasses or a big dollop in the bottom of a bowl.Then sprinkle in some cookies and top with 2 tablespoons of whip cream for each glass or a big dollop in the bowl. Repeat until cups are filled.

Chill until set, at least 2 hours. This can be made 2 days ahead! Yum!

Norway House

Happy Thanksgiving Sunday! It's so nice to be in the city, so many stop lights and stores! I spent all of yesterday running around to tons of stores and stocking up! So much to do! And now I am sitting in the kitchen, dessert is done, and I am enjoying the company of my family.

Now, Norway House, I absolutely love it. The people are friendly, the kids are the cutest, and the land is so beautiful! I am so very happy. And so very busy! I have been doing tons of catering for the school division as well as working at the school. It's just perfect!

Now for some pictures! I don't have many of my house...poor planning and busy-ness!

Zach and Stacey drove up with me and helped me settle right in. They even built me a book shelf!

By the time they left the house was practically unpacked!

We got to go for a super fast boat ride...super fast and super cool!

The last night was sad but we played Banana-grams and watched episodes of the office...which made us smile!

I was sad after they left but school started and I've been busy ever since!

On the second or third day of school it snowed...yup, snow. Here was my deck that morning:

I can't stop taking pictures of the beautiful sites outside my living room window...

And around town...

And a black bear!

I have had many visitors and so enjoy hosting them! Life is great!

Hope you are all well and getting ready for a big Thanksgiving feast!

Miss me?

I'm back in town for Thanksgiving!! That means for 2 days I have internet...stay posted! I have lots of photos to share, like this one, taken while driving up to Norway House 1 MONTH ago!

Saturday Photos

Here are some photos from the past Saturday from my friend Earl's camera!

Me in Subee on the way to the market on Saturday:

Where we met my Ant, Uncle, Annie Rose, and their new German exchange. This perfect shot was snapped:

Highlights were buying a watermelon, picking out yummy Manitoba pasta to take up North,

and buying our weekly bouquets:

Next up was a trip to Shelmardines, it was rainy and cold and there was hardly anyone there. I love Shelmardines (even though it is more expensive than T&T, right Brendini?) it is still so fun to go there and look at everything. I found a new apron:

And we also got some fall mums, if you have never gotten them get some this year. They are perfect for the fall doorstep and last forever!

I will definitely miss Saturday morning errands...

Sunday

Now I am officially down to counting 'lasts'. Yesterday was the last Sunday. It involved lots of eating (2 breakfasts and a brunch), some shopping, some resting, and a copious amount of muesli making!

My Mama will eat this everyday for breakfast....hopefully it'll last her a couple of months!

6 days to go...

I'm going to miss going to the Fyxx and seeing Stacey...and her putting a straw in my milk without me asking!

Summer Salad Rolls

When I was in Vancouver in February I ate so many of these, they were the perfect quick lunch and they kinda made me forget it was still winter and back in Charlottetown it was freezing cold! I made them for the first time this summer and I was so pleased with them, perfect snack, side dish, or lunch!

Makes 8 rolls

1 1/2 oz cellophane noodles (also called 'bean thread' noodles)

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut into very thin strips

1 carrot, peeled and cut into very thin strips

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into very thin strips

1 green onion, chopped

1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon fish sauce

Juice of half a lime

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped

16 fresh mint leaves

8 rice paper wrappers, can be found at Superstore in the Ethnic Cuisine section

Cook noodles according to package directions. If your noodles don't have directions or they are in another language, a good method is to bring a pot of water to a boil, turn of the heat, and add the noodles, let them sit for about 10 minutes and then drain. Toss drained noodles with sesame oil.

Combine all the vegetables, green onion and cilantro in a large bowl. Whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and some salt and pepper. Pour over vegetables and toss to coat. Taste it, if it doesn't taste good now it's not going taste good when you're done. Add salt if it's needed or any of the other marinade ingredients.

Fill a round cake pan or pie plate halfway with hot water. For each wrapper, immerse it in the hot water until it softens, about 30 seconds. Lay it on your work surface and fill it with 1-2 tablespoons of noodles. Then add 1/8 of the veggie mixture. Add 2-3 mint leaves. Roll it up like a burrito! Might take a couple of trys to get a 'nice' roll, keep at it, experiment with putting veggies on first, or placing ingredients in different areas or the rice paper (middle, front). Eat immediately or store in the fridge, covered, for at most 2 days.

Very important notes:

1. Originally this recipe came with a dipping sauce, the first time I made it I was taking them 'togo' and didn't want to have to deal with spilling sauce, so I just doubled the vegetable marinade so they veggies were extra juicy and even poured a bit on the noodles. They were juicy and flavourful enough to not need a sauce.

2. If you want a sauce you can use and Asian dipping sauce, either store bought or homemade. A peanut sauce, sweet chili sauce, etc.

3. I have made both vegetarian and non salad rolls, just omit the fish oil and add in soy sauce.

4. I used small-ish rice paper rounds that were perfect for appetizers. Experiment with what works best for you.

4. Lastly, to make this more filling I added strips of tofu that I tossed with the vegetable marinade and seasoned. You could also use cooked chicken or shrimp.