Yet, I never get around to carving one.

I love pumpkin. Love it. I have no real idea why, either. Maybe because I love fall, and that's the only time I get to have all the specialty pumpkin stuff.

Seriously, it's ridiculous. From October to December, I eat Trader Joe's Pumpkin Butter with my breakfast pretty much very morning (great on everything from waffles to cottage cheese...best on both together), relish my Starbucks pumpkin spice latte, and actually get excited when I see things like Dreyer's new Pumpkin Double Churned ice cream (it will be mine).

But pumpkin doesn't have to be banished to breakfast/dessert. When I was in my pasta-eating heyday, I once ordered pumpkin ravioli at the Il Fornaio restaurant on Coronado Island. And. almost. died. Unbelievable. And because I recreate things, I went home and got to work.

I used to be a badass and make my own pasta for this, but it's a lot of work and mess, and unless you have all afternoon to spend on it, not really worth it (though you can also use wonton wrappers, and that speeds it up). So I switched to stuffing manicotti or jumbo shells awhile ago. The problem now, however, is that those are both really hard to find in gluten-free options, so it's been over 3 years since I've been able to make it.

Until now. The craving got the better of me the other night, and it was decided pumpkin pasta was happening for Halloween. And while the scavenger hunt wasn't bump-free, I finally found my plan C...gluten-free lasagna noodles, which become pasta rolls in a pinch. Lots of them, which makes it unfortunate the husband doesn't feel the same way about pumpkin that I do.

Oh, well...more for me and my mama, who is visiting this weekend and more than happy to help.

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Stuffed Shells
One box jumbo shells (or manicotti)
About a cup cooked pureed pumpkin*
1 large shallot, minced
olive oil
1 container low-fat ricotta
1 egg
salt and pepper (large pinch of each)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
large pinch sage
About 1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Container light alfredo sauce
1% milk, about a 1/4 cup
Chopped parley for garnish

*I used pumpkin pie-ready canned pumpkin. If you use regular pumpkin, add a large pinch of nutmeg to the recipe.

Cook the shells according to package directions for al dente (not quite completely cooked). Drain.

Saute the shallot in a splash of olive oil for about 3 minutes or until soft. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.

Add pumpkin, ricotta, egg, parmesan, salt, pepper and sage to the shallots and mix well.

In large baking dish coated with cooking spray, pour about a half cup of alfredo sauce and spread it evenly across the bottom of the dish. Pour the rest of the sauce in a small bowl, and mix in milk and about half the chopped walnuts.

Fill the cooked shells with pumpkin mixture. It'll be messy, have fun with it. As you fill them, line them up in the baking dish to make them all fit as best you can. When you're done, cover the shells with the alfredo-walnut sauce. Sprinkle the rest of the chopped walnuts evenly across the top.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until a little bubbly. Sprinkle with a bit of parsley before serving. Serves 8. De-licious.

As a Halloween treat, I'm not going to tell you how many calories are in these. Just enjoy.

(Ok, if you need to know, about 315 cals, 11g fat, 4g fiber, 11g protein, 42g carbs)

I hate to call it a sacrifice, but..

When you suddenly switch to gluten-free (or as close as a food-lover without a life-threatening allergy can), life can be hard. You go to your favorite restaurant and suddenly you have a quarter as many options as you used to. If that. Bread basket? Negative. Appetizer? How many are breaded? (I like to tell myself that deep-frying kills the gluten, but my body disagrees a few days later.)

Sandwiches, pasta, croutons on salad...even soy sauce has more gluten than I should eat. So I do my best. The hardest part has been giving up beer...I'm a beer girl. I should only drink sorghum based brews like Redbridge, but...it's just not the same. Coors Light and Amstel Light supposedly have the lowest barley counts and no wheat, so if I'm gonna cheat, those are what I stick by...when I can. Beer is definitely where I cheat most often. Good beer makes me happy.

Anyway, it's hard. So I really am grateful that manufacturers have finally started realizing there are a lot of us out there and are offering more options.

This afternoon, for example, as I was stocking up on Newman's Own gluten-free Fig 'Newmans' (omg, amazing), I stumbled across ready-to-bake Rustic Crust Napoli Herb pizza crust. So I grabbed one...since two come per package, I figured with the hubby gone I could do a test run before I served any to him (he's truly a good sport, but there is a limit).

Yum. I'm hesitant to give the recipe since it was a bit of a pantry meal, but I'll say that Eggplant-mushroom marinara from Fresh and Easy, shredded mozzarella, fresh basil, red onion, Parmesan and crushed red pepper make quite a pizza.

Not necessarily what I'd recommend to you normal eaters, but for girls and guys like me...well worth it. Like I said...yum. I'd show you the aftermath...but I'd rather you not ask what happened to it. Let's just say it's...gone. And in a much better place.

Bierbitzch man, I'm awaiting your grilled pizza recipe. P.S...K and I still want shirts. But a six-pack will so suffice... :)

Damn you, Disney

Five days removed from the Happiest Place on Earth and I'm having some unexpected withdrawal side effects.

I woke up an hour before my alarm this morning with Ariel singing Part of Your World full blast in my head. And not just the words, (which I know every one of thanks to my sister, who will to this day, at 24, break into that song at inappropriate times-if we're lucky, there's also choreography), but the accompanying 'music video' as well. I had visions of Ursula taking her voice and giving her legs (I apparently was focusing on the second reprise?), and whoosits and whatsits galore.


And then, just as I jumped in the shower, my brain switched over to Mary Poppins. Just like that. I went from asking what a fire is and how it burns to chim-chiminy chim-chiminy chim-chim-cherie (Though, really, that's an excellent segue).

I'm blaming that part on the chimney sweep I spoke to on the phone yesterday. Gotta love local advertising.

But seriously, just try and get this out of your head. I dare you.

And the verdict is...

Delicious. Well, with a little salt (horseradish is good, too). Hubby recommends adding a pot roast spice packet. I think that means he thought it was a little bland...though he thinks everything needs as much spice/flavor as humanly possible. So do with that what you will.

Either way, having to sit and smell it for 3 hours while waiting for the hubby to get home was torturous. So I did yoga, drank wine, and watched girly tv to pass the time...rough night.

Yes, I made a salad, but all the actual work was done last night, and the most time consuming part was peeling the onions. Easiest way to do it, if the bag doesn't say, is to dump them in some boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain, then cut off each end, and either peel the skin off or squeeze the onion out of the skin. It's kind of a pain in the ass, but I love pearl onions and use them so rarely it makes it worth it. If you want to cut prep time down, just use a red onion instead.

Pot Roast
1 bag pearl onions, peeled, or 1 red onion, halved then quartered
4 or 5 medium red potatoes, halved and quartered
A dozen or so whole cloves garlic, peeled
A bag of baby carrots (or a couple cups of regular peeled carrots, cut into 2 inch sections)
Bay leaves
Beef Pot Roast
2 cups beef broth
About 2 tbsp tomato paste
Salt and Pepper

Heat a bit of olive oil in large pan. Season the meat with salt and pepper and then brown it a couple minutes per side on medium high heat.

In cooking-sprayed crock pot, throw in the potato, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, and onion. Place meat on top. Combine broth and paste in a bowl, and pour over everything. Sprinkle with a big pinch salt and pepper. Either cover tightly and refrigerate til morning, or move right along.

Set to cook on low heat for 8-10 hours. Go to work/life. Come home. Eat.
Per 3oz serving of meat (plus a big scoop of veggies), about 300 calories, 10g fat, 3g fiber, 24g carbs, 29g protein.

Pine Nut Gorgonzola Salad
1 to 2 romaine heads, chopped
A little less than 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (in a small pan over medium for about 3 minutes, shaking often)
1/4 cup gorgonzola

Fruity Vinaigrette (Sandra Lee style)
About 3 tbsp Blush Vinaigrette dressing (I use Brianna's)
1 big spoonful apricot preserves (or whatever jam you have)
Big pinch fresh pepper

If it gets too sweet, add more dressing, or if you run out, like I did, add some red wine vinegar and more pepper. Toss it with salad. Serve into bowls and top with nuts and cheese.
For 2 fat kid servings, about 290 cals, 18g fat, 3g fiber, 26g carbs, 8g protein
For 4 child servings, about 145 cals, 9g fat, 1.5g fiber, 13g carbs, 4g protein
I always eat the fat kid portion, if you don't know me well enough to know.

Soooo meaty.

I'm totally getting into this whole cold day, warm food thing. It's fabulous. And I'm trying to get my fill this week since the high for Sunday is projected at 81, which means I'll be back to trying my best to not overheat the kitchen this weekend. Where do I live??

But for now, it's in the mid 60s, which makes it a great time to break out the crock pot. It doesn't honestly get much use in my house...corned beef in March, chili a couple times a year, but other than that, its primary job is to take up a large amount of space in our bakeware cabinet.

Pot Roast, being a giant mass of beef, isn't usually something I go for, but once a year or so, especially when the weather's like this, it just sounds good. And what's easier than throwing one in a crock pot? The house smells awesome when you get home, and when you're ready to eat, you don't have to do much but cut it (pull it apart, actually, if it's done right). Make a salad, and you're done.

I like to make it all the night before, arrange it in the inner crock pot, cover it tightly with seran wrap, and stick it in the fridge. If you're more of a morning person than I am, you can do it all before work or whatever. I'm a fan of getting up 50 minutes before I have to be at my desk. Plugging the crock pot in is about all I can handle. Which explains why I can't even curl my hair most of the time.

I am so looking forward to tonight.

Fall food!

I don't know what it is about casseroles. I feel the same way about them as I feel about pizza and sandwiches...too many food groups going on all mixed together. It's weird. So I guess it comes as no surprise that I'm one of those that tends to eat one thing at a time...salad, then veggie, then main course. Even if they're all served at once-especially if all on one plate. I realize that's a bit OCD, but it'll all be mixed up soon enough, and I don't feel like I need to hurry that process any.

But. It finally feels like fall. The weather dropped 20 degrees between Monday and yesterday, so I decided to celebrate with warm, messy comfort food. My favorite of all comfort foods, to be exact, which just so happens to be one of the two casseroles in my repertoire.

Crunchy Chicken Casserole makes the casserole cut, frankly, cause it is full of awesomeness. I like things that crunch. As the creepy female judge on the original Japanese Iron Chef would say, I like the way it feels in my mouth. Water chestnuts, almonds, celery...awesome. I also never get to eat Pringles, and this is an excuse to eat them while I cook. Plus it reminds me of my mom, who made this when I was little, and whose version is likely a few more calories per serving than mine. Though I think mine tastes just as good.

Like my chicken enchilada casserole, this one is also generally a hit with the dudes. When I dropped a ready-to-bake crunchy casserole at a just-home-with-new-baby girlfriend's house, her husband called me less than an hour later to thank me and ask me to give his wife the recipe. (Here you go!) Not a text, not a facebook message...he called me. Sweet. I was beyond giddy about it.

At least, til my husband got home and gave me the guilt trip.

Husband: Oooooh, weren't you going to make the crunchy chicken thing?
Pammy: I did.
Husband: Where is it?
Pammy:...I told you I was making it for the new parents.
Husband:...but...I didn't think you were SERIOUS. (pout)

So, honey, I'm sorry to make you wait so long for a new just-for-us batch. And...sorry I scraped the casserole dish clean with my fork before you had to wash it. But it was gooood. I left you plenty of leftovers!


Crunchy Chicken Casserole
About 16oz chicken, cooked and cut into cubes
1/2 cup white rice, cooked (about 1.5c cooked)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (lower sodium works fine)
About 2/3 cups chicken broth
2-3 stalks celery, medium chop
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped (I get rid of two of the yolks before chopping)
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
squeeze of fresh lemon juice (about a tbsp)
Salt and pepper
1.5 serving low-fat plain pringles, crushed

Preheat over to 375.
Mix rice, chicken, soup and broth in large bowl. Add celery, eggs, onion, almonds, water chestnuts, lemon juice and salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp each or to taste)

Coat large baking dish with cooking spray, and spread mixture into dish. Sprinkle chips evenly across the top.

Cook at 375 for 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Makes 6 servings.
About 310 calories, 10g fat, 3g fiber, 25g carbs, 12g protein

...And soopa easy.

Well, it's only taken me a full day to recover from Disneyland, so I know I'm officially old. Though getting home at 3am and working 6 hours later definitely didn't help. But that's ok. It was totally as much fun as I expected it to be. The Russian (Russian is faster to type than Ukrainian, ok??) and the other half don't mess around...we were ride champs. Even though we didn't get to go on Peter Pan...we tried, three times...a forty minute wait really doesn't sit well for a Fantasy Land ride. Even though you do go all the way to London.

At least work was entertaining yesterday. I love that my job keeps me on my toes. Got in and discovered I had to do a last minute photo shoot in a field of grapestock. In the dirt. While wearing black pants(and flats, thankfully). Which were a delightful dusty brown by the end of the afternoon.

But I got some good shots, which was especially fun cause you know how much I enjoy taking pics of my food...they'll be grapes one day. And wine, after that, so that's even better. It counts.

My favorite part of the day, however, was when I got back and my boss called me the Annie Leibovitz of grape leaves. Hilariously fantastic. Thank you, sir. I'll take it.

So not surprisingly, I wasn't in much of a mood to cook after 5 hours of sleep (I need 9. Seriously) and an afternoon of trekking through dirt. Which led to Fresh and Easy assisted meal #2 this week. And it was fantastic.

I wanted fajitas, and while I'd normally get their pre-packaged fajita combo, I went the long route and got their chicken asada and a package of pre-sliced bell peppers and onions instead. Sauteed those up, spooned them over romaine (for me, flour tortillas for the husband), topped them with fresh salsa, a sprinkle of cheese and non fat greek yogurt, served them with refried black beans and homemade spanish rice, and we were in fat-kid-but-this-is-actually-really-healthy heaven. The rice was the most labor intensive part, and really, all I had to do was chop half an onion and measure some spices. Totally do-able, and totally better than what I'd get from a box.

Spanish Rice
1 cup long-grain white rice
olive oil
2 cups chicken broth (water'll work if you're out)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
pinch cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves, if you have them
pinch pepper
1/2 tsp salt
cilantro for garnish

Heat a splash of olive oil (1/2 tbsp or so) over medium heat. Saute onion a couple minutes, add garlic. After a minute or two, add rice, stir well. Saute about 2 more minutes, then mix in cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and cayenne. Add broth or water, bring to a boil. Add can of tomatoes and bay leaves, return to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, then cover and cook about 15 minutes.

Fluff cooked rice with a fork, and add salt to taste. (You may not need any more if you use broth, it tends to help.) Sprinkle with cilantro...if I'm having a full plate of mexican food, I put it on everything. Pretty. Serves 4-6.
If five servings, about 175 calories, 3g fat, 1g fiber, 35g carbs, 5g protein.

I get excited about more than just food.

I have reverted to childhood.

The husband, my gorgeous girlfriend (The Russian), her fabulous other half and I are going to Disneyland tomorrow and I am jump-up-and-down-squealing-little-kid-excited about it.

I grew up a little more than an hour away from the Happiest Place on Earth, and my parents took us quite a bit...I feel like we went nearly every year or two. My dad even won free entrance at the gate once for being the 100 millionth guest or something...I don't remember exactly, maybe it was their 45 year anniversary celebration, which would have been 1990...I was 9, who knows.

I know Disneyland isn't everyone's favorite, especially if you're over the age of 12 and/or childless. But OMG, it's mine. It's so nostalgic and warm and fuzzy...being in Peter Pan's boat flying over Neverland seriously brings me back to being an amazed little one. It's so clean, there's so much to see and remember, and nowadays, new things that they've incorporated to update the place a bit. Love. Seriously.

Anyway, after high school Grad Night in '99, I didn't go again until 2005, when the husband-then-boyfriend took me for my birthday. And we've(I've) been wanting an excuse to go back ever since. So when the Russian and I recently discovered our mutual fondness for Disneyland-after 9 years of friendship, how we didn't know this is beyond me-the wheels started turning and we're finally making it happen. And seriously, the Russian and the other half are always so entertaining no matter what we're doing..I can't wait.

I'm seriously not going to be able to sleep tonight.

Soopa Fresh.

I'm a big fan of Fresh and Easy. I know they're just a quasi-local thing (CA, AZ and NV, I think), so you may have no idea what I'm talking about, but Fresh and Easy is awesome. It's this chain of small corner-store-esque markets that seem to have popped up everywhere lately. And I do mean everywhere: This past year we've had three open within 10 miles of our house. (And another three are built but not opened yet. Overkill, much?)

They carry all the normal grocery store stuff, and a couple of awesome gluten-free options I can't find anywhere else, like the Glutino pretzels and Betty Crocker gluten-free brownie mix(both of which are so good I can't have them in the house). But for the majority of items, they offer only a handful of brands to choose from, which keeps the stores small and relatively inexpensive, especially since everything is also self-checkout. (I heart self checkout.) The downfall to less options, though, is that it's less ideal for full on grocery shopping if you're a brand-whore (waving hand) or want a lot of produce, since everything is pre-packaged.

It is great, however, for quick dinner options. They have a full fresh-cooked, re-heat and serve section (pastas, soups, etc.), a full raw meat section (beef, lamb, pork, chicken) and a prepped-but-you-cook-it section, from hamburger patties(which are amazing) to meat/veggie fajita combos, to stuffed chicken or fish patties. (This is the cream-cheese and mushroom stuffed chicken...yes, I bought something stuffed. Weird, I know.)

In other words, it's magical on days I'm not really in the mood to cook anything elaborate. Like last night. Thursday is a football night, so the husband doesn't get home til 8ish. So I'm a big fan of hitting up Fresh and Easy and grabbing something I can grill or just pop in the oven when he's on the way home.

This is totally self-serving, multi-faceted logic here...If I don't have to cook, I can A, be fantastically lazy while immersing myself in girly-tv (Tivo is so full right now it's erasing over itself), or B, happy-hour it with K for an hour or three. All while still ending the evening with a full-on, fresh cooked meal. Genius.

Last night my drinking buddy and I happy-houred. And since hubby wanted to go out with the boys after the game, I invited her over afterward and 'cooked' for her instead.


I'm not going to pretend like it was the best meal ever or anything, but I have to show some love to a home-cooked meal when all I have to do is boil water for the rice, preheat an oven, and microwave some pre-washed and trimmed veggies.

XO, Fresh and Easy. XO.

A little Asian persuasian.

I really should write recipes down. I'm terrible about it. Having this to write has honestly been the only time I've regularly recorded what I make. I really like trying new recipes...I try one or two new things a week, I'd say...but the way I like to cook my old standbys is a handful of this and a cup or so of that...a splash of this, a 1-2-3 count of that. And not surprisingly, you can tell, cause it's never the same twice.

Maybe that makes me an irresponsible cook. I'd like to think it makes me an exciting cook. You never quite know what you're gonna get (evil eyebrow lift).

I think the prime example of this is my Pad Thai. But since my Pad Thai made the list in the husband's-favorite-things-I-make bridal shower game, he doesn't seem to mind too much. (Although, I do think I know the version that's his favorite. It includes pre-made sauce that's hard to find. But I try my hardest to fake it.)

I'd say a large percentage of our meals have an Asian flair of some sort, from Thailand to India to the middle east. I think it's probably the spice factor. We love eating it out, and we love making it at home.

I love Thai food because it's spicy, flavorful, not meat heavy, and normally full of rice noodles, which I can eat. And it looks so colorful and yummy in my wok. So I keep searching for a great Pad Thai recipe, but I've discovered that while everyone has their idea of how it's best, the main ingredients tend to be roughly the same, so I stick with those.

If I could buy it at a street cart on the streets of Bangkok, I would. In a second. But until then, I have to make my version of it with a bit more Americanized ingredients. But keep in mind that fish sauce is a necessity. Don't think about what it is (fish soaked in brine, then pressed. Don't think about that.), think about the deliciousness it adds to pretty much any Thai dish. The ground shrimp is optional, but if you decide to use it, you can usually find it in the Hispanic spices section.

The ratios take some trial and error, you may like it a bit sweeter (more sugar), spicier (more sriracha), or a bit more sour (serve with lime slices, that tends to help), so play with the sauce til it's where you like it.

Eat it with chopsticks. It helps the experience, I promise. If you don't know how...learn. It's worth it.


Pad Thai
2 servings rice noodles
1 tbsp peanut, sunflower, or canola oil(small but healthy pour)
3 cloves garlic, minced
8oz chicken, cut in bite sized slices or pieces
(Or substitute/add raw peeled shrimp or sliced tofu)
1 egg
big handful sliced carrot (about a cup)
3 large handfuls bean sprouts
2 stalks green onion
2 tbsp or so chopped peanut
handful of cilantro
Sauce:
About 3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
a big squirt of ketchup, maybe 1/4 cup or so
Sriracha, about a tablespoon (more or less depending on how spicy you want it)
juice of half a lime, more to taste
Big pinch ground shrimp (teaspoon or so)

Cook the rice noodles by putting them in a bowl and covering them with boiling water. Let them soak until soft, about 25 minutes. Prep everything else in the meantime, because once you start stir-frying, it all comes together really quickly.

Heat peanut oil in wok or large saute pan. stir fry chicken pieces about 5 minutes or until cooked. Add garlic, stir-fry another minute. Push everything to the side and crack egg into wok. Scramble it by cutting it in pieces and pushing it around, about 2 minutes or until cooked. Add carrot, stir-fry all another few minutes. Add 2 handfuls bean sprouts and drained cooked noodles, mix, then add sauce, and mix well. Remove from heat, and top with remaining sprouts, peanuts, cilantro and green onion. Serve with lime slices.

Serves four. (Or two big portions. But you have to do the math there.) About 340 calories, 13g fat, 44g carbs, 2g fiber, 19g protein