Pumpkin Patties with Goat Cheese on Mixed Greens

OK, OK, I know I cook pumpkin A LOT... but bear with me for awhile here.  I only have one left after this recipe.  And before we know it spring will be here and squash will be out of season, out of sight, and I'll have to start cooking food that maybe you'll appreciate more than pumpkin.  However, until that time comes I am going to shove this pumpkin recipe down your throat in hopes that maybe someone out there will decide to make something pumpkin inspired (that isn't dessert) and will fall in love with this winter vegetable in the same way I have.  

Without further ado, I bring you my very own recipe for Pumpkin Patties!

Ingredients

• half a medium sized pumpkin, rind cut off, and grated (with food processor unless you're working on your guns in the new year)
• 4 apples, 2 grated and 2 chopped
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp all spice

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  Form them into hamburger sized patties.  In a pan, melt a bit of butter and heat your patty until it's golden on both sides.  You'll be able to fit four or five in at once.  At this point, you may want to place your patties on a baking sheet and put them into the oven to keep warm while you finish cooking the rest of them.  It should make about 15 patties - hooray for left overs!

Place patties on a bed of mixed greens, sprinkle with goat cheese and toasted pine nuts, and dress with a simple balsamic vinaigrette.  And thank me, because I think this is on your diet plan.

Carrot + Ginger Soup

So how bout those new years resolutions?  Still going strong?  Yeahhhhhhhhhhh.  You may recall one of mine was eating healthy... man that can sure be a real drag.  I made some carrot soup tonight though.  So I thought maybe you'd like the recipe too - in case you're also trying to eat healthy.  It's pretty filling, and it has that clean feeling.

I got this recipe from Riverford, they deliver us organic groceries.  You may have noticed we've been eating a lot of carrots lately, that's because they're in season now.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 inch piece of ginger, grated
• salt and pepper
• 1 liter of stock
• 6 medium carrots
• 2 tbsp parsley
• natural yogurt to serve

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and sautee the onion with garlic, mustard powder, ginger, and season with salt and pepper until the onion is tender.  After this add a few tablespoons of stock, and then add your carrots.  Pour in the rest of your stock, bring to a boil and then let simmer for 40 minutes.  (I actually didn't use stock, I used a veggie stock cube and just added water where it called for stock).  Then puree the soup until it's smooth.  At this point you can add some parsley and yogurt to serve, but we didn't have any.

 It's tasty but not brag to your friends delicious.  It would probably benefit from a few more spices.  But, what the heck, it's good enough for a new years resolution dinner.

Heidi Comes Home

Wow yesterday was such an adventure!  We went all the way up to Sheffield to pick up our new dog-daughter, Heidi.  Sheffield isn't really that close to London, and public transportation was the only way we could get there and back.  If you can avoid it, taking a puppy on a train really isn't a good time and I would not recommend it!  We picked Heidi up around 2:30 and she said good-bye to her old family and hello to us, who promptly shoved her into a pet carrier, which she's never been in before, carried her away from her remaining bros and sisters, then brought her outside where it was freezing!  Cruel and unusual punishment?  Heidi sure seemed to think so!  She was screaming bloody murder about the whole ordeal.  I have never heard a puppy protest so much.  I mean she howled, yelped and whined for a good twenty minutes on the train platform.  Needless to say we were getting dirty looks.  But Nick and I are big fans of Cesar Millan, and we were trying very hard to listen to his advice and not comfort her.

Of course, this meant we were chastised as evil puppy parents by other passengers on the train.  "Aren't you going to let her out, I can't bear to hear her cry!" "You're taking her all the way to London?  I hope you let her out of the cage on the way.  Do you even have a garden?!"  Yes biznatch, mind your own business - we have a garden and we're not abusing her!  Ok, I didn't actually respond like that, but jeez, I can't even imagine how annoying it must be to raise children if people have so many opinions on puppy parenting!

Glamor shots?

She actually calmed down and slept quite a bit on the train journeys.  It was when we got off the train and we carried her around outside she got wound up again.  I tried to take her out of her crate between trains to use the potty, as some...well meaning people suggested - but she was terrified!  I pulled her out and set her down on the ground and she sat there, tail between her legs, shaking and looking like there was no hope left in the world.

Even the walk home was traumatizing because for some reason everyone was setting off fireworks!  Talk about one very freaked out little puppy.  But we finally managed to get her home and I am pleased to say I don't think she has any permanent scars from her ordeal.  She seemed a bit spooked by the garden at first, probably because of the fireworks, and we had a lot of trouble getting her to go potty outside, but shes calmed down a lot now and much to our delight is getting the hang of this potty training thing.

She has also conquered her fear of the ever-so-frightening... step into the kitchen!  One small step for a puppy, one giant leap for dog-kind.  I hope you like the pictures of her. I had a tough time getting her to sit still!

Camden Market

Today my dear friend Cecilia and I spent the day at Camden Market.  It's Monday, and even though it's not the busiest day at the market, and not all the stalls were open it was really an ideal day.  Last time I went there were tons of hipsters cramming the stalls and it was difficult to see everything the market had to offer.  Today it was almost like we had the place to ourselves and it was perfect!

We started off wandering the stalls....

And stumbled across these headbands... I was definitely eying up the blue one on the right, but I was once told I look silly in headbands so I held out for something better.

We moved on to well edited vintage shops and I tried on the cutest blue dress... unfortunately my hips were a bit too wide for it.  But Cecilia looked charming in a red beret!

And the trendy vintage shop assistant recommended a little veggie burger stand for us to go to for lunch.  The Ha Ha Veggie Bar.

Yum!  I love me some good street food.  I got the Halloumi Special.  It was de-lish!

After lunch we had a ton of luck finding amazing hats.  I've been looking for the perfect hat to start my hat collection.  And this pink turban number just screamed, "You can't leave Camden without me!"  And for a mere £10 it was all mine.  I haven't taken it off all day.

Then we discovered the true gem of Camden, Cyber Dogs.  What is a cyber dog?  I'm not really sure.

But between these giant C3PO's was a world of fashion the likes I have never seen.  If you can imagine where The Jetsons would shop... if they were on acid and went to raves - it would be this store.  We weren't allowed to take pictures of this outlandish clothing, but I managed to snag this one of Cecilia before a man, with what can only be described as a 3-way mohawk dyed neon yellow and orange, started yelling at me.  If you must know, the hat reads, "Jesus Raves".

I had so much fun shopping in Camden with Cecilia! There is really such a variety of things to explore here, and great people watching.  Even though it seems a bit touristy, this is definitely a tourist activity I would highly recommend.  And anywhere I can buy such awesome hats is alright with me!

The DeCourcy Hotel is Open for Business!

Ladies and Gentlemen, family, friends, and couch surfers, you will be pleased to know that work on the DeCourcy guest room is finally finished!

I don't think you can fully appreciate this charming London room until you see the state of utter disarray it was in a few months ago....

Please note the unpainted cupboards.  Nick had them built just before the first time I came to London, he meant to paint them before I arrived.  That was five years ago.

Those gray spots in the upper right hand corner are big holes from where Nick mounted a massive TV so he could game from bed *cough* loser *cough*.  The TV was taken off the wall and the holes were filled and sanded.

And for the piece de resistance... Nick's bright orange ceiling!  Slowly being painted away by yours truly! Six coats of paint later it was actually white.

And look at it now!

This charming outer London bedroom can be yours for just... well free if we like you.  It boasts crisp white cupboards.  Freshly painted and looking stunning after 3 coats of paint.

A ceiling that is no longer likely to blind you with the fire of a thousand suns.

A comfy wicker chair for that English Victorian elegance we know you're looking for.  Just perfect for reading a book and having a spot of tea.

An entertainment system complete with VCR and a plethora of local television channels (and by plethora I mean five).

And if there's two of you traveling there is also a pull out mattress underneath the bed.  It's ideal for slumber parties!  However, it's on limited offer because this single bed will soon be replaced with a double.  It may migrate to Nick's study, but that is yet to be determined.

Well, that concludes our tour.  Please call/facebook/email to inquire about availability.  I am very pleased to announce that we will be having our first guest staying with us as of tomorrow!  So you can't come tomorrow.  But as of the 15th the room is empty, just waiting for another weary traveler.  We love visitors so don't be shy!