I rolled over and looked at the red numbers beside my bed. 5:40am

Is that what I think it is?

I wondered, but I was entirely too tired and too cozy and warm to get out of bed, so I let the wondering cease and the sleeping continue.

Turns out , that was it: The squawk of a chicken laying an egg.

Today’s Feature: Not so much about the recipe, but more about the OVER-THE-MOON-I-CAN’T-BELIEVE-WE-ACTUALLY-HAVE-CHICKENS-THAT-LAY-EGGS-in our backyard-EXCITEMENT  …Hamburger with cheddar, bacon, and FREH EGG.

If you are reading this blog looking for recipes, and you happen to hate pumpkin, then I am just going to apologize to you now.  I don’t hate pumpkin.  In fact, I LOVE pumpkin in a way that I don’t admit to many people, in a way that is a bit crazy.  So here we are, me confessing my love for pumpkin to a pumpkin hating crowd and once again sharing a pumpkin recipe.

God bless my husband who does not complain about the abundance of squash recipes during the fall.  Good news for him, and for you the pumpkin hater:  this is my last pumpkin recipe.

I wasn’t sure about this recipe.  I mean, pumpkin and shrimp?  I would NEVER think the sweetness of pumpkin and the rocky flavor of shrimp would hold hands in the way that lovers do.  But I was wrong.  This is a must have recipe for your fall recipe list.

Today’s Feature: Pumpkin and Shrimp Bisque

*On another note, I am also going to share with you today how I was once again humbled to the true talent that food photographers have.   This soup did not photograph in the way I had hoped or intended.  Part of the reason we started “Food Friday” was to learn to photograph food in a pleasing way, in part inspired by this blog and this blog.  I will admit unashamed, I failed with this one.  The soup was not greasy in any way shape or form, but somehow managed to look that way on camera.  I almost didn’t post it in light of its un-photogenic nature (or the error of the photographer more likely), but then I decided that I would share this flop of a photo with you to show how HARD food photography is.  It is not just a matter of exposing and lighting it correctly, but also staging the food in a mouth watering and pleasing manner.  I come to you today again humbled by the challenge of photographing food….but don’t worry; I will keep trying and sharing our cooking adventures along the way.

I only have one regret. That I am posting this on the day after Thanksgiving, meaning that either you won’t see it because you are with family, or you are still too full to even look at a cookie and the idea of making one makes you sick.  Well, here is to hoping that you didn’t eat too much turkey and you really love pumpkin and you are dying to bake a batch of cookies TODAY.  In that case, here I am to bring you: ONE OF THE BEST COOKIES OF ALL TIME.  Is this hyperbole you ask?  Well, you will have to bake it and find out!

(But I will tell you now, it really is the best. cookie. of. all. time.)

Today’s Feature: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies**

These are so good, I took TWO pictures of them.  What can I say?  I am in love.

**You will note that the recipe I linked to calls for raisins, not chocolate chips.  Yeah, about that.  Ummm…I don’t put raisins in cookies.  Why ruin a perfectly great cookie?  So as recommended by my dear friend Kristy, I substituted chocolate chips.  And made it perfectly to die for.  And don’t be thrown off by the oatmeal, these do not taste (and are in no way, shape or form) healthy for you.  It just makes the cookie soft and moist.  While we are at it, if you are going to make these, as I hope you do, I strongly recommended putting in 1 cup butter (the recipe says 8 oz…it means 1 cup), two teaspoons of cinnamon (not one), and one teaspoon of nutmeg.  Then you will have it in your very own hand (and mouth) : The perfect cookie.

(And I can’t forget a HUGE shout out to Kristy who brought these over to my house…thus giving me the best cookie recipe of all time.  What a friend I tell you.  What a friend.)

What is Beef Bourguignon you ask? Just really tender, really good, really fancy, beef stew with all sorts of fancy ingredients (red wine, pearl onions, bacon, etc) that is slow cooked in the oven for a long time. At least that is my understanding of it anyway. This recipe that Daniel cooked was not actually titled “Beef Bourguignon”, the recipe called itself “Beef Stew”, but I thought I had a right to fancy it up a bit. I mean, it wasn’t cooked in a crock pot or anything, and it had all sorts of fancy ingredients, the same as a Bourguignon recipe, and Daniel took hours to make it…so I think the least it deserves is a fancier name. Right?

Presenting this week’s feature, as made by my own personal chef, my own personal Julia Child (that is if Julia Child was a really awesome, sexy husband like mine. Please don’t make the mistake that I am calling my husband a woman….just a great chef).

The not well photographed but indescribably good dish:

Beef Bourguignon

The clock was ticking.  I thought I had bought the sweet potatoes for this recipe, but in fact my potato drawer was …..empty.  (PANIC)  I had some acorn squash on hand.  (Think Ginette, think.) I was feeling  like a visionary. Acorn squash COULD pass as sweet, and had a somewhat potato like texture.  (YES.) It was cold outside, rainy, grey….perfect soup weather.  And the clock for dinner kept creeping along.

So I got creative.

It was perfectly warm, sweet with a hint of sour lime and garlic.  It was perfectly delicious for a cold winter day.

(Creativity scores a point!)

And so I decided to take a picture and share it with you….

Today’s Feature: Acorn Squash Coconut Lime Soup

Take this recipe, substitute sweet potato for acorn squash, add in some garlic with the ginger, and substitute fresh lime juice for the lemon juice, then serve  hot with cilantro and sour cream. Enjoy!