Keeping Up

I'm moving over here. And look! Three posts in the last week.

Butternut Squash Lasagna.

[ I spell the word "lasagna" wrong every. single. time. ]

This is kind of a full evening process. I love that I am able to start making dinner at six o'clock and not sit down to eat until after eight thirty. I recognize this is quite a luxury. The darkness of this time of year allows me to feel completely content inside listening to the radio, burning candles, and cooking.  And that is exactly what I did tonight.

Inspired by this recipe over at The Healthy Foodie.

Part I. Roasted Squash

three cups butternut squash, cut into half-inch cubes

one tablespoon olive oil

one tablespoon agave nectar (or honey)

one teaspoon nutmeg

one teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

one teaspoon salt

half teaspoon ground pepper

Part II. Sauce

olive oil

one shallot, chopped

one and a half cups cherry tomatoes, chopped

one teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

half teaspoon nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

two cups roasted butternut squash (above)

Part III. Sauteed Spinach

one shallot, chopped

one tablespoon olive oil

eight ounces baby spinach

salt and pepper to taste

Part IV. All the Rest

lasagna noodles

feta cheese (sorry, I didn't measure...)

mozzarella cheese (sorry, I didn't measure...)

Whisk together olive oil, agave, nutmeg, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Toss with butternut squash and place in baking dish. Add a little bit (a quarter of a cup or so) of water to the pan and place in a 400 degree oven. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until soft.

While the squash is baking, boil the lasagna noodles and lay flat on a dish towel. (Or, cheat like I did and use the no boil lasagna noodles.)

When the squash is finished, make the sauce. Heat a little olive oil in a sauce pan, the saute the shallot until translucent. Add two cups of the butternut squash (reserve one cup for later), tomatoes, nutmeg,  rosemary, and one cup of water. Stir and bring to a boil then add salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. The original recipes says twenty minutes, but it took longer than that for me. An all night process, remember?

When the sauce is finished, prepare the spinach. Heat olive oil in a skillet, add shallot and saute until translucent. Add spinach, salt, pepper, and a little bit of water. Toss gently (I use tongs) until the spinach is wilted.

And now, FINALLY, assemble the lasagna. You can do this anyway you like, but I layered like this:

Thin layer of sauce

Noodles

Sauce, spinach, and feta

Noodles

Spinach, remaining butternut squash, and feta

Noodles

Sauce and mozzarella cheese

Bake in a 375 degree oven for thirty (or so) minutes, until the cheese is good and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let cool a little bit before serving.

I am not a huge pasta person, and I probably will not make this all the time (if again at all this season), but something about spending the night making comfort food seemed just right tonight. And it was really good. I enjoyed the final product with sliced pears, a glass of red wine, and an episode of Homeland. And with Miss E begging for a bite the whole time.

Oh, and butternut squash? One of my favorite things about fall.

Sunday. Chilly walk. Birthday party photos. Handy zipper fix. Guacamole and afternoon Boardwalk Empire. Napping and simmering lentil soup. Dinner with Schmucks. Candles and rummy.

[ Sundays project with E. A photo from the day with a few words. Long-distance cousins. ]

Sunday. Warm coffee in a chilly apartment with the J's. Walk along the beach at Golden Gardens. Beach volleyball and sun umbrellas. Like summer, but not. Brunch at Hi-Life and keys locked in the car (yet, again). Nap listening to football. Statistics. Bike ride across town, then a jog. Lazy evening with popcorn and Boardwalk Empire.

[ Sundays project with E. A photo from the day with a few words. Long-distance cousins. ]

Sunday. Hard to wake from comfy bed. Hot tub and pancakes. Packing up and leaving Guemes Island Resort. Seahawks game at Anderson's General Store on the Island. Rummy, Dominos, and a Cabin Fever. Five minute ferry ride back to the Mainland. Walking through Washington Park in Anacortes. Sunshine. Back to Seattle. My first tea shop experience and helping Mrs. G with her statistics homework. Pagliacci Pizza and the Golden Globes. An episode of Boardwalk Empire in bed.

[ I missed a few weeks, but Sundays project with E. A photo from the day with a few words. Long-distance cousins. ]

Listening to the Indigo Girls Christmas album today at work. Looking forward to Holiday Break. Thinking there might need to be some baking tonight.

Sunday. Stumptown Coffee and I-90. Little Si, sunshine, and time in the woods. Back to the city and eggs benedict brunch. Errands downtown. A nap with the windows open. Water for Elephants. Knitting and Fantastic Mr. Fox.

No photo today (again).

[ Sundays project with E. A photo from the day with a few words. Long-distance cousins. ]

I have a lot in my head today. I suppose some of this comes with the Holidays and the end of the year. So, I guess another list. A few things that I cannot string together into a coherent paragraph.

It is a beautiful Seattle day. Snow in the mountains, visible from the city. Sunny. And a little chilly. These days are so great. But, I know darkness will be here in only a few hours. As I said a while back, I sure did enjoy the dark for a while, but now as we approach the shortest day of the year I am ready for the Solstice. Ready to turn the corner, back to lighter days.

Tomorrow is my Dad’s birthday. I’m making him a CD. As always.

Last night was one of the most fun soccer games we had played in a while. I headed the ball for the first time since I broke my jaw. And we won.

This morning on the radio John in the Morning played bits from Charlie Brown’s Christmas and this Run DMC song. The whole thing made me smile.

I know it has been a hard month for a lot of people. And, really, I feel so unbelievably lucky for everything I have in my life. I wish I could spread happiness and wellness everywhere.

I think I'm ready to move somewhere cold. With snow outside the door, not just in the mountains. Though, I would miss the mountains.

If you’re looking for something to play in your earbuds today, check out this free album from Grand Hallway. Lots of positive lyrics. I'm really liking By the Time it Gets Dark (a Yo La Tango cover).

I like.

:: Getting dressed up once in a while.

:: Arriving home after a long Wednesday to a surprise package on my doorstep.

:: Eating breakfast with J. Even if it means getting up early.

:: Candles and a Christmas tree lit with lights.

' Just when you think you've seen it all, there's always tomorrow. '

- Chris Kluwe, Minnesota Vikings punter regarding the Metrodome via Twitter.

I like (Monday Morning Edition).

:: Eggnog in my coffee.

:: Starting the week with a full tank of gas.

:: Sunshine after a soggy weekend.

:: Christmas music on the radio. (A repeat, but it sure does make me smile.)

Sunday. Slow, slow start. Coffee. Pinapple Express. Football with The Guys and knitting. Laughing at Saturday night stories. A spaghetti dinner with a glass of milk. Settlers of Catan. Preparing for the week. And to bed.

No photo today.

[ Sundays project with E. A photo from the day with a few words. Long-distance cousins. ]

I am pretty sure each item in my lunch today was highly freezer-burned up until they were zapped by the micorwave.

Frozen peas.

Soggy frozen sweet potato fries.

And a veggie burger (sans bun).

Despite the fact that I am wearing red tights and a Christmas sweater today, this made me sad. This is my lunch?

I'm a pretty firm believer that life is made up of the small things. And how we precieve the details - mondane or otherwise - can pretty much determine our happiness. This concept challenges me. A lot.

It is fairly easy for me to take pleasure in details - when I have carefully crafted the details. Or when they are so obviously fabulous. But. When the details involve freezer burn or rain when sunshine was expected, it is much much more difficult for me. 

At lunchtime, I feel so happy sitting and eating yummy leftovers from the night before or when I have thrown together a brightly colored salad. But. Today. I was not happy.

I decided that I really did not want to be disappointed in my lunch. (Why not? It is just lunch afterall. But, again, life is made up of small things. And habits. Habits of mind.)

So, I made a list.

Good things about my lunch.

:: Lots of color. Orange and green.

:: Vegetables are healthy.

:: Free.

:: Peas make me feel like a little kid.

There you go. I feel better already.

Sunday. Chocolate chip pancakes. Laundry. Walk to Queen Anne and the Urban Craft Uprising. Browsing and chatting with Mrs. G. Knitting and Christmas music. Butternut squash tacos. And to bed.

[ Sundays project with E. A photo from the day with a few words. Long-distance cousins. ]