Nancy on the Home Front

Coconut-Curry Butternut Squash Soup

I’m not sure where this recipe came from, however the minute I saw it I knew I had to try it. I love butternut squash and butternut squash soup and am always trying new recipes. This coconut curry butternut squash soup is a keeper! I love recipes where you just combine everything in one pot.

If you want to make this recipe vegan just use vegetable broth instead of the chicken broth. Omit the sugar and make it even healthier!

Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2 Butternut Squash
2 ½ cups of homemade broth, I used chicken although you could use vegetable
1 cup of coconut milk
¼ cup sweet chili sauce
2 tsp – 1 Tbsp curry powder (or more according to your preference)
1 tsp grated ginger
Juice from 1 lime
¼ cup brown sugar (I liked the soup without the added sugar)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the butternut squash in half and remove the seeds. Place the squash on a baking sheet and roast for 30-45 minutes, or until very soft. Scoop the squash pulp into a soup pot with the remaining ingredients.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to your liking. If you don’t have an immersion blender you can use a regular blender.

Serve hot. If the soup is too thick for your liking add a little milk to thin to the consistency you like. This soup also freezes well.

Next time you’re wanting to make a butternut squash soup recipe you haven’t tried before make this delicious butternut squash soup. If would be make a perfect lunch for a cold winter day or add a salad and a loaf of bread and enjoy a simple supper.

What Bargains Can You Find in November?

I’m always looking for a bargain no matter what time of year it is. As we head towards Christmas I’m always on the lookout for ideas for inexpensive gifts. I love homemade gifts but it’s not always an option to make everyone a gift!

gift giving, prudent living — A perfect gift!

There are so many good sales going on right now everything from electronics to apparel to appliances and furniture! Are you looking for a deal on a new television? This is the best month to find a deal.

Halloween is over and the retailers want to clear off their shelves. You can find next year’s Halloween costume and find great deals on candy – perfect for stocking stuffers!

Did you know that November is a good time to find deals on tool kits? Perhaps you have children who are just starting off on their own. This might be the perfect gift for them! Everyone can always use a basic tool kit.

Cookware is also on sale this time of year. Keep your eyes open for cookware you need for your own kitchen or for someone on your gift list. Other small appliances and vacuum cleaners are also on sale this time of year.

The biggest clothing deals are usually found in January but hats, gloves and sleepwear are often discounted and make perfect gifts!

Toys will be better to buy the closer we get to Christmas but DVDs and Blu-ray movies make good stocking stuffers and can often be found for under $5.00.

November is a big month for food. There is an abundance of seasonal food available right now. Stock up and fill your pantry or freezer. You can find apples, pears, cranberries, plums, clementines and pumpkins. Make some applesauce to enjoy later this winter or to give as gifts at Christmastime.

canning, prudent pantry — Homemade Applesauce

In season vegetables you should buy this month include leeks, cabbage, squash, parsnips, celery, potatoes, turnips and yams. You’ll also find many great deals on turkey. Buy one to enjoy for Thanksgiving and another for your freezer.

What’s the best deal you’ve found during the month of November? Remember no deal is a deal if you can’t afford it! Only spend what you have!

bargains, frugal tips, prudent living — Shop wisely and keep your money in your wallet!

Linked To: PennyPinchingParty

Update On Our Water Test Results

Several weeks ago I told you about having our water tested. In Vermont they suggest testing your well water every 1-5 years. We’ve lived in our home for 17 years and the water hasn’t been tested since the well was drilled 18 years ago! We figured it was about time. My husband is a home brewer and he also wanted to have the specifics on our water.

The samples were taken and my husband drove to Burlington to drop the water samples off in person. In just a few weeks all the results came in.

Now we love our water and we are always telling folks how good it is. We were expecting to have good results and we weren’t disappointed. All the water tests came in exactly where they should be.

We do have hard water; the harness measure at 82. 76mg/L to 150mg/L equals moderately hard water. Hard water causes no known health risks and can provide calcium and magnesium. If your water is very hard it can cause reduced lathering of soap and buildup of scale in plumbing components.

They tested for bacteria and there was no evidence of either total coliform or E.Coli. Therefore it is bacteriologically suitable for drinking! The health department actually recommends this test every year. Coliform bacteria are a large group of soil and intestinal bacteria that can indicate contamination and may cause health problems.

They also ran an Inorganic Chemical test. This screen is recommended every five year. They test for arsenic, chloride, copper, fluoride, hardness, iron, lead, manganese, nitrate, sodium and uranium. As mentioned above we do have hard water which is not a concern. The results for all the other chemicals were within the acceptable limits and the pH of our water is 6.5.

A screen for alpha radiation is recommended every five years. This is a screening test for natuarally occurring mineral radioactivity in water such as uranium and radium. This radioactivity is measured and reported in picocuries per liter (pCi/l). The gross alpha test will help determine if additional specific testing is needed. If the results are elevated then the state recommends further testing. If the measured gross alpha result in less than 5 picoCuries per liter no further action is necessary. Our test result came in at 1.96 so no further testing is required.

I am glad we finally got around to having our water tested. It’s nice to know that our water is a s god as we thought it was. No worries about arsenic or bacteria or any other harmful chemicals are found in our water. We can continue to enjoy it and plan to have it tested on a regular basis. If you have a dug well have you ever had your water tested?

Linked To: HomesteadBarnHop, TuesdaysWithATwist, TheBackyardFarmingConnection, HomesteadBlogHop, SimpleLivesThursday

Mango Glazed Pork Tenderloin

I love autumn especially when the days are still nice enough to grill outside! This Mango Glazed Pork Tenderloin is an easy dinner that comes together quickly but the taste is amazing. A touch of cinnamon and allspice is perfect for a autumn dinner.

Mango Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

¼ cup mango chutney
1 Tbsp rum
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
¾ tsp salt
1 (1 pound) pork tenderloin

Directions:

Spray your grill rack with nonstick spray. Then preheat your grill to medium high. To make your glaze combine the mango chutney and the rum in a small bowl.

To make your rub, combine the cinnamon, allspice and salt in another small bowl. Spread the rub all over the pork and then spray lightly with nonstick spray.

Place the tenderloin on the grill rack and grill, turning for ten minutes. Continue to grill the pork, turning and brushing with the glaze until the center of the pork registers 160 degrees for medium, about another ten minutes.

Transfer to a cutting board, let rest for a few minutes and then slice into 12 slices.

Delicious!

West Coast Beauty – Seattle, Washington

Seattle, Washington is one of our most favorite cities to visit. Not only do I enjoy spending time with our children who have all relocated to the west coast, but the scenery in so beautiful, no matter where you are! Exploring Seattle and the surrounding areas is always fun!

There wasn’t time to explore many parks or gardens but we did spend a beautiful day at Mount Rainer National Forest. I had to laugh as both my daughter and son-in-law told me it was pretty much a flat hike and no need for hiking boots! Perhaps it was a flat hike by west coast standards but I would not have classified it as a flat hike. Regardless the sights were amazing. Everywhere you looked you were surrounded by beauty. The day was gorgeous and we could even get glimpses of Mt. Rainier peeking behind the clouds. I constantly felt like I was in the middle of a Sierra Club photo!

I love exploring the sights around Seattle. Gig Harbor is one of my favorite spots. It is fun to see the creative ways folks move water!

There is always time to explore Pike’s Market Place. Who can resist the bouquets of flowers for only $5.00?! We also enjoyed walking through the Sculpture Garden. Hard to believe you are right in the city!

Counting the days till our next trip to the Pacific North West!Linked To: WeeklyTopShot, CleverChicksBlogHop, WordlessWednesday, OutdoorWednesday

What’s in your trash if you’re being frugal?

A few weeks ago I wrote a post on strange ways to save money. I mentioned that one of the most frequent pieces of advice given to those wanting to save money is to write down all of your spending. While this is good advice another way to save money is to examine your trash! Read the post HERE to read what I was talking about.

Now if you’ve examined your trash and have taken the steps to save money what will you now find in your garbage? What do you want to see in your trash? Very little, actually. If you want to reduce your spending and stop wasting money, your goal should be to generate very little trash. When you replace expensive disposable items with reusable products, you not only will save money, but you will generate very little trash! When you stop eating processed food, you stop filling up the garbage with boxes and you start saving money. Chances are you’ll discover a direct correlation between the amount of garbage you generate and the amount of money you spend or save. This is what you might find in your garbage.

What's in your trash? — What’s in your trash?

Peels, stems, seeds and other remainders from natural food.

Add peels to your compost not your trash!

Natural food is often cheaper than boxed, canned or bagged. Of course if you also take up composting these items can go directly into your compost pile.

Things that are so broken or beyond repair that they are truly trash. The only things that should go in your trash are the things that no longer have any other life in them. Anything else should be sold, recycled or traded for money.

Larger Containers. It’s better for your wallet if you purchase a large box of crackers rather than a lot of small boxes. You can take the large box and break it down into individual servings. Another way to save money and the boxes can actually be recycled so they don’t have to take up room in your trash.

Buy food such as rice in larger containers and store it in smaller containers.

Reusable items that have been used to death. When the rags you used for cleaning or your cloth napkins are so frayed you can’t use them anymore, that’s when they go in the trash. Only toss items when they break or are so used up that they leak or are starting to break down.

Most of us will never get rid of all of our disposable items, fast food wrappers, convenience foods or cleaning products. The goal isn’t to eliminate all of the ease from your life but to become aware of what you are buying and wasting. If you can cut down on the amount of trash you generate even a little, you’ll see a corresponding jump in your net worth.

Linked To: PennyPinchingParty , WakeUpWednesday, ThinkTankThursday, FromTheFarmHop, LHITS DIY, FlashbackFriday, MotivationMonday, MerryMonday

Very Helpful Advice

Years ago a friend of mine sent me this information. A lot of this information I found to be very helpful and have followed through on.

The next time you order checks have only your initials and last name put on them. If someone takes your checkbook, they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your fist name, but your bank will know how you sign your checks.

When writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, do not put the complete account number on the “for” line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won’t have access to it.

Never have your social security number printed on your checks.

Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel should you lose your wallet. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. If you have a secure site where you keep your passwords (1Password for example) you could also store this information there. If your wallet is stolen you will have the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call.

File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards etc were stolen.

Call the three national credit-reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.

credit, debit, prudent living — Credit Cards

It is important to be diligent and protect yourself! For more information on the credit reporting bureaus read more HERE.

Pumpkin, Prosciutto and Parmesan Lasagna

I’ve enjoyed pumpkin filled ravioli before but I’ve never tried it in lasagna. Toasted walnuts and fresh sage leaves are a wonderful addition and the resulting Pumpkin, Prosciutto and Parmesan Lasagna is just perfect for a dinner party on that first frosty night in October. Don’t let the numerous steps throw you off, it’s really quite easy and once you have the filling and the béchamel sauce made the whole thing assembles quickly.

Before you read any further remember to click HERE to enter the Fermentools Starter Kit giveaway!.

Pumpkin, Prosciutto and Parmesan Lasagna

Ingredients for Pumpkin Filling:

½ Cup butter
6 leeks, trimmed, rinsed and sliced
4 cups pumpkin puree, fresh or canned
½ cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for Béchamel:

½ cup butter
6 Tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
2 cups light cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Ingredients for Assembly:

1 ¼ pounds lasagna noodles, cooked al dente and drained
8 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
¼ cup fresh sage leaves, torn into pieces
1 ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups walnut pieces, lightly toasted

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 15×10 inch baking dish or use two 9×12 pans. I made one to enjoy now and one to put in the freezer.

Prepare the pumpkin filling: Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the leeks. Sauté the leeks until very tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and wine and cook for 2 minutes. Removed from heat, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Prepare the béchamel: Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook, stirring for one minute and then gradually add the chicken broth, then the light cream. Cook, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened. Stir in the Parmesan and season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir ½ cup of the hot sauce into the beaten eggs in a small bowl and then stir the egg mixture into the remaining sauce. Cook a few more minutes and then remove from the heat.

To assemble: Make a layer of lasagna noodles in the prepared baking dish. Top with ½ of the sliced prosciutto and 1/3 of the béchamel. Scatter half of the sage leaves. Cover with another layer of noodles, all the pumpkin filling, 1 cup of the Parmesan and 1 cup of the walnuts. Make another layer of the noodles and top with the rest of the prosciutto, another 1/3 of the béchamel and the remaining sage. Make a final layer of noodles and top with the remaining béchamel, walnuts and Parmesan.

Bake the lasagna for 50-60 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbling. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Serves 12

West Coast Gardens – Portland, OR

November in Vermont is a gray, wet month. The fall foliage has come and gone and we’ve entered into what my husband calls “stick season”! I thought you might like to see some of the beautiful gardens we enjoyed on our recent trip to the west coast!

Our first week was spent in Portland, Oregon. I hadn’t really thought about the fact that it is really a much gentler climate than we have in Vermont! The leaves were still on the trees; some of them were just beginning to change color.

I loved all the walking trails behind my daughter’s neighborhood.

I noticed that many of the houses had small gardens tucked behind them.

We also explored both the Japanese Gardens and the Chinese Gardens. Both were amazing. I loved the simplicity of the Japanese Garden, everywhere you looked there was beauty. The highlight of the Japanese Garden was definitely the koi!Across the road from the Japanese Gardens were the Portland Rose Gardens, I was surprised to see the roses still in full bloom! Even nicer was the fact that there were honey bees everywhere!

Even some of the trees at the Rose Gardens were covered in flowers! The Portland Chinese Gardens take up a whole city block and are right in the midst of tall buildings. However once you enter into the gardens you would never know you were in the middle of the city. It was so quiet and peaceful.

All too soon it was time to head to Seattle. I really enjoyed our time in Portland and can’t wait to go back!Linked To: Tuesday GardenParty, OutdoorWednesday, WordlessWednesdayHop

Recipe Box: Lemon Blueberry Bread

Our oldest son loves lemon bread and often requested it when he was still living at home. He is now living in Seattle and as I was making this bread I was thinking of him and wishing I could send him a loaf! I love plain lemon bread but I have to say the blueberries are a delicious addition!

Lemon Blueberry Bread

1 ½ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup Greek Yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
Zest of two lemons
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup coconut oil
1 ½ cups blueberries tossed with 1 Tbsps. flour.

Preheat your oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan and set it aside.

Combine the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and coconut oil. In a smaller bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the sugar and yogurt mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix well.

Toss the blueberries with a Tbsp of flour. Then fold them in the batter. Pour the batter into your loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes of until done. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then place on a a wire rack to cool.

Perfect with an afternoon cup of tea!