Dave’s Pumpkins in Huntley, IL and Pumpkin Carving

Fall is my favorite time of the year and of course that means it is time to get pumpkins! I get several pumpkins over the course of September and October. I love pumpkin carving and, of course, roasting pumpkin seeds.  We’ve lived in Chicagoland almost two years now and I am thrilled that I found a great place for pumpkins this year – Dave’s Pumpkins in Huntley, IL. All pumpkins are $5 each so it is best to go early to have your pick of pumpkins.  They are located on Algonquin Rd, between Randall Rd. and Rte 47, and they are located on the westbound side of the road. There was plenty of parking today but I imagine as it gets later in the season, parking could be cramped. You pay for your pumpkins on the honor system – just follow the signs to the “self-pay” area.

Dave’s Pumpkins:

A whole bunch of pumpkins:

Pumpkin Express (these are the four we bought):

The pumpkin carving I did today was called “Stayin’ Undead” from Pumpkin Masters:

Happy Fall everyone

Egyptian Rice and Lentil Soup

Over the weekend I tried the Rice and Lentil Soup (Adas biz-ruz) from the cookbook Recipes for an Arabian Night by David Scott. It was pretty simple to make and had a rich flavor. The recipe called for 5 cups of water or vegetable broth and I had to add more during the cooking process, about an extra cup or two. I also doubled the amount of spices. I took this soup for lunch the next day and it was super thick so I recommend adding a little water to the soup before reheating. Next time to speed up the cooking process, I might make my rice on the side and then add it to the soup. Overall, I would definitely make this recipe again.

What’s For Dinner? Pasta!

I decided to try the “Quick Sauce” from Tony Danza’s cookbook Don’t Fill Up on the Antipasto. It was easy to prepare and takes about 30 minutes to simmer on the stove. It’s really just a basic pasta sauce but it was yummy. The recipe called for red wine but I substitued a scant 1/2 cup of vegetable broth plus a teaspoon of red wine vinegar. For the tomatoes, I use Caputo’s La Bella Romana San Marzano tomatoes. I also really like the La Bella Romana pastas, not to mention it’s only 99¢ a bag. For those of you not in the area, Caputo’s is grocery store chain in Chicagoland. I still haven’t found a store nearby that compares to Nino Salvaggio (where I used to shop when I lived in Suckigan….that’s Michigan for those of you not harboring rage against the state).

The cookbook, while obviously not vegan, has quite a few recipes that could be veganized and the memories behind the recipes were interesting to read. It’s a short cookbook with only 50 or so recipes but it is worth checking out at your local library. The sauce even reheated well the next day when I took leftovers for lunch.

Robin Pictures

These pictures are from when we visited my parents over Memorial Day weekend. This baby robin, well, it was bigger than a baby robin but not full grown, decided to rest on my parents’ deck. It sat on the deck rail and chirped while the mama bird looked for worms. I actually took all of these pictures through the family room window. The bird was on the left side of the deck and it ended up hopping along the deck rail and decided to stop right in front of the window!

Cute Robin:

Awwww, taking a nap:

I bet you never expected to see a picture of non-vegan food being consumed on this blog….LOL. I was thrilled to actually snap this action shot:

My Vitamix

I’ve wanted a Vita-Mix for over 10 years now and in April, I finally bought one. I saw that Vita-Mix was going to have a booth at a home improvement show in Schaumburg so it would give us a chance to see it in person. I also wanted to see how loud it was. The Vita-Mix is by no means a quiet machine, it’s a blender after all, but I don’t find the noise level to be irritating.  The demonstration was interesting and I was most intrigued by the easy cleanup (add some water and a drop or two of dish soap, turn the machine one, and it is like a mini-dishwasher inside).  I decided to get one at the show and as a bonus, they increased the warranty from 7 years to 8 years.

I have both a wet and dry container and use my Vita-Mix nearly every day. I like the dry container for things like making oat flour and grinding coffee. I use the wet container for fruit smoothies, sorbets, and making super smooth habanero hot sauce.  One of my favorite all fruit smoothies to make includes fresh kiwi, strawberries, and muscato grapes with ice and a squirt of agave nectar. We went back to Michigan over Memorial Day weekend and I brought my Vita-Mix with me. Here is a picture of my grandma who turned 97 in July standing next to the Vita-Mix, filled with fixings for my favorite all fruit smoothie mentioned above, before I put the lid on it:

Everyone enjoyed the fruit smoothies and my grandma was very impressed with the Vitamix. She loves anything to do with food. The Vita-Mix comes with a tamper that does not reach the blades. My grandma watched closely as I removed the opening in the lid, put the tamper in, and moved the fruit and ice around so it was completely mixed/pulverized. My grandma also enjoyed the Pineapple Sorbet/Ice I made, which is simply fresh pineapple and ice with a dash of agave nectar:

I’ve had my Vita-Mix for nearly 5 months and I love it. They are expensive but for me, I think it was well worth the price. I wish I had bought one ten years ago because of all the blenders I wore out during that time span. Be sure to look for future posts on my Vita-Mix.