Speaking of pumpkin

The newest bestest reason to put pumpkin in the food proceesor: pumpkin eggnog! Holy moly. I realize you may not have scads of pie pumpkins going sneakily soft in your root cellar, and thus, are using your mental capacities for things other than dreaming up pumpkin recipes. How nice for you.

Here’s the short version of pumpkin eggnog recipe. Recipe for regular eggnog here.

Pumpkin Eggnog

blend the following ingredients

1 quart half and half (or 1 pint cream, 1 pint whole milk, can also simply use whole milk)

3 whole eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup honey or sugar (honey must be room temperature)

1 tsp vanilla

sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice (or nutmeg for traditionalists)

1/2 cup rum (optional, but barely)

Also, there was a little wordpress kerfluffle which may have prevented the DIY Kitchen Pumpkin Granola Recipe from landing in your e-mail/RSS. It’s officially posted (you can easily make it without the pumpkin, it’s just my normal granola recipe). Also, if you’ve read the post, you’ll understand why Dan’s been announcing to the kids, as soon as I spoon the last bite of breakfast in my mouth, “look, Mama’s horse blinders have come off! You can ask her for everything now.”

Root cellar pears also on special.

Today I am welcoming returning sponsor Kathie Lapcevic of Two Frog Home. Kathie is a wizardess of domestic arts and an accomplished teacher, both online and in her Montana community. She is launching the Homespun Seasonal Living e-course, just the name of which makes me swoon. This 3 month course, beginning January 7th, is a self-paced, teacher-guided exploration of what it means to live seasonally. Kathie will send out weekly e-mails with a short video and handouts on topics like Creating a Seasonal Refuge, Seasonal Celebrations and Gatherings, Tips, Recipes and Tutorials. More info here.

For me, living seasonally grounds me to the earth, my region and my own life in a deeply meaningful way, especially when the outside world looks like a loud, plastic carnival urging me to Buy More Stuff. Kathie is offering HALF OFF her 3 month workshop to readers of 6512 until Friday night. Use this special link when signing up via paypal.

What else is happening?

Col and I dug up the last of the garden roots, Dan and I had an argument about Col wearing holey jeans, and now Col has a lovely new assortment of thrift store pants.

The Fertile Ground Life Learners Homeschool Co-op presented their homemade book to the Durango Public Library.

Next time you’re at the library, feel free to request: The Super Candy Adventure (what did you think- homeschooled kids were all about kale and fish oil?)

Deer hide tanned!

The kids are embracing our motley assemblage of holiday celebrations. Rose has taken the opportunity to create a horde of new Christmas carols. This morning she asked Col,”do you want me to sing Christmas is coming, or Christmas is going?” They earnestly and sincerely recite the Hebrew Hanukkah blessing every night as we light the menorah, the menorah that illuminates the little jade buddha on our table, the table on which the laptop sits, playing “oh come let us adore him…”

With love,

Rachel

linking with Simple Lives Thursday