It's Time

The Autumnal Shift has occurred.
It comes late here in Southern Indiana but when it does it's unmistakeable.
I find myself shuffling leaves when out walking Dixie.
The song of the locust is waning and the bird's songs are less frequent.

And I start making soup......

In my later years, I must have accumulated enough recipes that coming up with new ones, seems to be no problem. Have I possibly lived long enough to have mixed everything up together that I now know instinctively what works and what doesn't?

Recently, Eldest Son and Lovely Wife joined us for supper and I wanted it to be special.
The dinner won considerable kudos especially from me! Only I know how really surprised we all should have been that it all came out as well as it did!
And I want to share my new favorite recipes.....

(This first recipe, the soup course, was not my own invention...Wish it was...it was awesome!:D It is courtesy of a Dannon Yogurt ad in a Sunday supplement...)

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
1 3/4 cup Dannon all natural plain yogurt
2 TBSP. canola oil
1 large sweet onion, sliced
2 tsp ground cumin
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (ED NOTE: I parboiled the potatoes to make prep work easier; just slip off jackets and cube as required without all the hard work!)
1 1/2 Qt. chicken broth
2 TBSP chopped parsley or cilantro
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

1. In a soup pot heat oil. Add onions and cumin and saute 3-4 minutes. Add potatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer soup 20-25 minutes.
2. Puree soup with 1 1/2 cups of yogurt and parsley or cilantro. Serve each portion of soup with a dollop of remaining yogurt and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.

Makes 12 servings

Mustard Crusted Pork Loin

3 lb pork loin
4 cloves of garlic (peeled)
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 Dijon mustard
2 cups seasoned salad croutons
Canola spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Use a roasting pan with a rack. Spray the rack with the canola spray. Place the pork on the rack and make four deep slits with a sharp paring knife, evenly spaced. Place the peeled garlic in the deep slits.
2. Sprinkle the pork with the salt and pepper and pour the oil and vinegar over it all.3. Place pork, uncovered, in the oven for 15 minutes
4. Remove the pork and reduce oven temp to 350
5. Spread the mustard over the pork evenly, covering it well...
6. Crush the croutons (place them in a bag and roll over with a rolling pin) and sprinkle over the pork evenly
7. Place in the 350 degree oven for 2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees. do not overcook....

Mixed Baked Squash

Mix a variety of squash (I used patty pan, summer, zucchini, some unknown reddish orange squash I bought from the Amish at the Farmer's Market)

Cut open the squash that need it and remove seeds.

Place the sliced/cubed/quartered squash in a pyrex casserole.

Place butter pats on random squash pieces.
Sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar.
Chop 1/2 cup of pecans and sprinkle. Can also add raisins or other dried fruit. Live dangerously.

Place in a 350 degree oven for 30 min or until squash is tender...

Burn some vanilla candles and decorate with gourds that grew in your garden because you threw some out last year and the seeds just planted themselves.

Enjoy the new season, okay?

Off to the sewing room....