Seagull Living: Week 3

Despite my best efforts to scrimp and save this month, the family food budget is already skidding beyond where it should be and we haven't even done all the Thanksgiving shopping yet. Nevertheless, I did find some killer freebies this week, including several of the pumpkin variety!

Nov. 15: Passed a new restaurant on the way to band practice with a sign out front advertising their grand opening that said "Free Coffee. Don't be shy." Don't mind if I do.

Nov. 16: Scored two deals in quick succession today. On my way to Tebaya to use a $5 for $10 Google deal for a Japanese chicken sandwich lunch (plus jasmine tea), I passed the Treats Truck. As I am friendly with the owner, I was gifted a mini pumpkin pie. So cute (and delicious)!

Nov. 17: Keeping the pumpkin theme going, today my friend Ezra tipped me off to a ScoutMob deal at Billy's Bakery for 100% free pumpkin whoopie pies. We met up for a dessert break and then topped it off with two-for-one holiday Starbucks drinks, which was today's special from 2-5pm. Score!

Nov. 18: I earned my free food today. Mr Homewrecker and I served from our mobile food biz in the fancy cafeteria "Cafe 57" at the Hearst building. As a thank you, we got free lunch from the cafe, which was really delicious. I even took a brownie for the road. Passed Nina Garcia from Project Runway on the way out. Then this evening I went to hear my friend Toby read at Book Thug Nation where I gladly accepted a free can of beer.

Nov. 19: With so many good deals the past few days, I was content today to just not leave the house much and graze on leftovers. I also ate the last few bites of my friend Dan's doughnut from Pies n Thighs. Seagull swoopin in.

Nov. 20: A few weeks ago my purse got stolen, which was a drag to say the least. Good news is a woman found it discarded in a nearby park, contacted me, and I got it back, though short about $40, a Metrocard, my iPod and all my credit cards. Another funny upside? All the fraudulent spending the thief conducted on my Banana Republic card before I had a chance to cancel it added up to enough bonus points with BR to score me a $10 gift certificate which arrived in the mail this week. I stopped in an Old Navy this afternoon and discovered there was a 75% off sweater sale happening for TWENTY MORE MINUTES. $10 would easily buy me a sweater at those deep price cuts. I started to panic with the prospect of a free sweater looming over me, but ultimately decided to hell with it when I took a deep breath and remembered that I don't actually want to wear any Old Navy sweaters.

Nov. 21: Last Christmas we took Amtrak to Chicago to visit my parents, and on the way back we got held up by Snowpocalypse. While we were still better off than those who were stranded without flights, I was disappointed with Amtrak's handling of the situation. (We got unceremoniously dumped in Albany and crammed onto charter buses.) My complaint resulted in two $75 vouchers, and today I finally found occasion to cash them in. I had to purchase the tickets in person, which meant making a special trip to Penn Station and dealing with a woman who seems to hate her job and hate helping people like me with coupons and questions about timetables which she did not care to answer. Now I have two round-trip tickets to Boston for Christmas, which at $75 off are still much more expensive than taking the bus, so I'm not sure who wins here. At least we'll have more legroom?

One more week of Seagull Living ahead of me. Get ready for several days of Thanksgiving leftovers. Turkey pie, turkey sandwich, turkey soup...

Sweet & Spicy Halloween

Tried something sweet & spicy for this year's pumpkin seeds.

Caramelized Spicy Pumpkin Seeds from AllRecipes.com

I'm not sure I actually caramelized anything, but they are sweet and they are spicy and they are delicious!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

In my last post I was prepping for Thanksgiving, hosting for the first time! Everything went great, the parents were pleased and delighted to meet one another, though we barely made it through cheesecake and boardgames before passing out from exhaustion.

I can't take too much credit though. While my main man did most of the cooking, I merely handled the clementine cranberry sauce and the pumpkin cheesecake. Thank you to my friend Nancy who suggested an alternate recipe from Smitten Kitchen which I actually ended up making for the big feast. I tried Martha's the weekend before as practice, but it never quite solidified in the middle. It did however make a delicious dip for ginger cookies!

That said, next time I think I will combine both recipes and make Martha Stewart's cake (baked somewhat longer) with the pecan crust from Smitten Kitchen and the sour cream frosting. It will be the ultimate pumpkin cheesecake!!!



So I know Thanksgiving was about a month ago, but do you think it's ok for me to eat the last 3 slices of cheesecake still hanging out in the fridge?

Thanksgiving Dress Rehearsal

With two sets of parents coming to our tiny Brooklyn apartment for Thanksgiving, we set up the table tonight to make sure we could wedge it between the coffee table and the entertainment center. We're also stock piling the traditional provisions, as you can see above.

I'm going to try my hand at my first ever cheesecake with this Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe from Martha. Got the springform pan and everything. Wish me luck! If it fails I'm gonna feel like our rotting Halloween pumpkin here.

Pumpkin Quinoa Muffins

It's fall, and that means it's time for my favorite seasonal treats -- pumpkin treats! To kick off the baking season, I reasoned that muffins would be a healthy treat if I stuffed them full of protein-rich quinoa. Try this recipe for a healthy-ish, pumpkin-y breakfast. I found it on The Daily Green. I also made my own pumpkin pie spice and substituted vinegar+milk for buttermilk:

PUMPKIN QUINOA MUFFINS

SERVINGS
Makes 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups quinoa, cooked and drained
2 eggs
3/4 cup unsweetened canned pumpkin
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds or pepitas

PREPARATION
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Oil or butter a 12-cup muffin tin or line with muffin tin liners.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, pie 3. spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the quinoa, separating the grains with a fork to distribute evenly.

3. In another bowl, beat the eggs, then add the pumpkin, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Gradually stir into the dry ingredients until just incorporated.

4. Spoon the batter into muffin tins and sprinkle sunflower seeds on top of each muffin. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the muffins are browned around edges and a tester comes out clean. Let the muffins rest for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool.

Rock and Roll Recipe Radio - Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

A brisk, fall day called for warm, seasonal baked goods and a little music. If that loaf of Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread looks a little overgrown to you, listen to find out why. You can make your own pumpkin bread by (carefully) following this recipe:

• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 2 c. sugar
• 2 c cooked or canned pumpkin
• 1-1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 1-1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 min. or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 min. before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves.

Rock and Roll Recipe Radio - Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

The playlist:
AA Bondy - World Without End
Chad VanGaalen - Willow Tree
The Pretenders - Brass in Pocket
The M's - Pigs Fly
Smashing Pumpkins - Obscured
The Muslims - On My Time

Pining for Pumpkins

Just minutes into the first day of October and I'm already pining for pumpkins. When it comes to food, I think fall is truly the most romantic time of year. Sure summer has ripe veggies and berries, grilled things and cool drinks. But it's too damn hot to cook. Autumn invites butternut squash soups, a cup of hot apple cider in your mitts, baked apple crisps, and all the bounty of the harvest.

I hope to get out to a U-Pick farm this fall, because there's something satisfying about "harvesting" your own food, but at the very least I will waltz down to the local green market for some pumpkins and cider over the coming weeks. And when I do, I am armed with four delicious pumpkin recipes from Readymade.



Of course I can probably find versions of these pumpkin-y consumables ready-made for me at the market, leaving me more time for sipping cider and catching up on another fine thing that's returned for the fall season -- Gossip Girl.