Good morning, Lloyd.  Thanks for the quote.

Mary Ann--Good morning.  You did better than I could do.  I flunked pie-making 101.

Good morning everyone..

Jeanee Lee, prayers going your way for your family ..

Jane, one time my friend phoned to see if I wanted some pumpkins to make pies so I said ok.......well she said we have 3 could you use them? Thinking 3 PIE pumpkins I said ok. When they drove in I could see pumpkin over the truck box, there were 3 humongous pumpkins!!!  The meat at the neck of them was 6 inches thick!! Well, I did down what I could and sent everyone and anyone off a piece of pumpkin to use. I boiled them down with the skin on, then used the blender to puree it. We ate a lot of pumpkin that year.... and always have a good laugh over it when we meet.

Joan, thank you for breakfast.

Enjoy your day everyone.

Good morning, Amy.  That sure was a lot of pumpkln you were given.  I'd have to pass it all on, because pumpkin is not one of my favorite things.  It was kind of you to share.

Jeanne Lee--Rest assured that I will be praying for Billy's wife, Irene.

Good morning Everyfriend!  We slept in a bit this morning.  I think I finally figured out why I haven't been sleepin well.  I was chilly!  I put an extra blanket on night before last and I've slept through the night both nights.  I do believe it is winter weather in central PA!

Amy, that a LOT of pumpkin!  And you mentioned necks.  It sounds like they are the kind of pumpkins we use for pies.  My dad, who grew up on a farm, said you never use anything but crook neck pumpkins for pie.  I even have to send one to Texas for my daughter because she can't find them down there.  And now I'm sending one to Tulsa to my married granddaughter because she was only 14 when she said, "Grammy, before you die, I want your pumpkin pie recipe!'  She has the recipe but I'm sending her a pumpkin this year.

Today, I've decided that I'm going to cook the beets.  I'll have some to eat just so and some to make pickled eggs.  I'll keep the acorn squash until Thursday and make a stuffed squash with some of the homemade sausage my neighbor gave me.  He and his brother made it and it's like I remember from the farm when I was little.

Time for seconds on the coffee.  I'll see you all on the PWP in the blink of an eye.  Enjoy your day!

Good morning, Janie.  Glad you found out why you weren't sleeping well.  I imagine it's costly to mail those pumpkins, and I am sure the recipients appreciate your generosity.  I love acorn squash stuffed with sausage, but am not fortunate enough to have homemade sausage to use.  I'll join you on the PWP with my coffee.

Good Morning Everyone!
Jeanne Lee you have my prayers.  It seems the big "C" touches everyones life at one time or the other.  Such a terrible, insidious disease. But science is making strides.

It is a coolish morning here. Overcast and dark out.  Everyone is sleeping in here this morning, including the pups.  My middle daughter came up yesterday with her Husky.  Her Apple laptop is not working and she has an appointment with them later today to look at it.  She has to have it for her work.

Her dog and my boxer are like sisters.  They are really attached to each other and love the visit as much as us humans do, I swear.  I can tell my Boxer that Lexie is coming and she gets as excited as can be.

Janie, mailed pumpkins......how do you package them?  In a big box?
Like someone said it must have cost a bundle to mail.  Hope they don't get mushy.

I order from Schwan yesterday and they are delivering today.  Pretty fast service.  I got a coupon, via email, for 30 percent off, so we ordered several items.

See you all on the patio.  Coffee ready, can I bring anyone a cup or should I just grab to pot?

Hi everyone on this sunny Monday Halloween morning.  We expect to get to 83 degrees this afternoon.  Today will involve going to my noon meeting and getting Pat to her 4 pm Chiropractic appointment.  I will just take care of several other errands around the house today including preparing some roast beef for our dinner tonight and taking care of some washing.

Hal, I agree with you how expensive eating out is becoming.  I am noticing that now it is taking $30 or more if we have a good meal at a reasonably nice place.  Even fast food places are not cheap anymore. 

Gloria, yesterday outside our church the Boy Scout's, which have their building on our church grounds, were selling popcorn for their fund raiser as they apparently do each year.  All I'll say is that I had a very expensive bag of pre-popped corn last evening but didn't mind as it was a donation to a good cause.  It was suppose to be cheddar popcorn but couldn't taste any cheddar flavor.  Unfortunately they had sold out of caramel corn before I got to the table.  I did get plenty of salt for yesterday with the corn. 

Joan, I see they are already moving somethings into the house from the back of their van.  I won't be surprised to see the moving van arrive sometime today. 

Don, remember that when one door closes another one usually opens up.  I am sure the kids will miss you. 

JaneS, yesterday was also our pledge Sunday at church.  They took a very low-key approach this year and I appreciated it. 

Jenny, no I haven't met the new neighbor's yet only seeing them come and go a couple of times as the house was being built and then this weekend. I only saw the man and probably his son helping there this last weekend but this morning the lady of the house is over there. 

June, it sounds like the new meds may be getting to you.  Hope today finds you feeling less tired. 

Lloyd, Abraham Lincoln was very insightful. 

Amy, I don't remember my wife ever trying to cook down pumpkin to make the filling for a pie.  She had made a lot of pumpkin pies over the years but has used the canned mixes and then added her own spices.   

Joan, the most memorable pie I ever made was a cherry pie.  I like things tart, so I used a can of tart cherries, then did not add any sugar.  There were a few puckered lips around the table that day.  I solved the problem by lifting the top crust and sprinkling sugar over the cherries.

JaneS, your mention of acorn squash reminds me that I should add one to the grocery list.  Tom does all of the grocery shopping but I make up the list.  If I don't see the squash, I forget about it and I like acorn squash.  I also have found that a blanket over my sheet makes sleeping better.  I do find it necessary most of the time to get up in the middle of the night, but I go right back to sleep under my warm bedding.

With all the talk about Schwan's, I am considering ordering from them.  It sounds more practical for us than getting three meals a week from Blue Apron or one of the others, good as they may be.  Tom does much of the cooking now, but he is often gone and I see what is in the refrigerator, or eat a frozen dinner.  So many of the frozen dinners have the same taste, probably from preservatives.  I do like Mrs Callendar's pot pies, but how often so I want to eat a pot pie!?

My pumpkin pies these days, when I bake a pumpkin pie, are from the recipe on the Libby pumpkin can. 

Mary Ann

halkel, Good morning.  It seems talking about Schwan here in the SS generated quite a bit of business for them.  Coffee--just grab the pot.

Good morning, Larry.  It seems all items sold by youth as fund raisers are very high priced.  You'll probably meet your new neighbors before week's end.

Mary Ann--Good morning.  It makes my mouth pucker just reading about your tart cherry pie.  I get pies from a bakery called "Joan's Pies" when I really need a pie for a special occasion.  Her pies are costly, but large and delicious.

Good morning everyone, a bright sunny Halloween here but cold.

JOAN  I am just praying this new doctor can help me with this back. Would love to be able to move around at a more normal way.

DON  Those families with children will miss you at that mall. Big disappointment to you, too, because you enjoy that job.

JENNY  seems like I worry about every little thing these days. Clocks got back next week end.

JEANNE LEE  will be praying for Irene and Billy.

JOAN  I must be odd but I do not like the taste of pumpkin so will pass on breakfast this morning. Like the Halloween chuckles. Copied Food For Thought, another good one. Thank you for all today's goodies.

LLOYD  like the quote you posted by Abraham Lincoln.

JANE  I enjoyed the acorn squash I cooked last week.

HAL  I had one of the chicken pot pies yesterday. For me it was too salty so I did not enjoy it. I got that 30% off for a first order, too.

LARRY   sorry you missed the caramel popcorn.

MARY ANN  my pie making days are over. If I cannot make my own crust I will not eat the bought kind, no taste to them.

JOAN  glad I mentioned Schwans in here.

http://www.jacquielawson.com/ecard/pickup?code=6333217734939&source=jl999

Good morning Joan, and all the other friends.

Gloria, I am really sorry that you didn't enjoy the chicken pot pie.  I don't find them too salty. I have only had the chicken, so don't know how the others are.

Don, I am sorry to hear that you have lost your "Santa" job.  How sad !!  I think they should have consulted you first and let you make the decision as to whether you feel well enough to continue the job.   Like someone else mentioned:   Their loss !!   I know you did enjoy it and you made a perfect "Santa".

All the talk about pumpkin pie is making me hungry for one.  But, I will take the easy way out..... either buy one or make my own from canned pumpkin.  I remember one of my aunts was a wonderful cook and baker.  And, she made good pumpkin pies.  My mother was just an average cook, and she was so surprised when my aunt told her that she only used canned pumpkin.  Here my mother could picture her cutting up the pumpkin and making the filling from scratch.  I know there is a different between the canned pumpkin..... some is a pumpkin pie filling and the other is just the pure pumpkin. I would use the pure pumpkin and add my own extra seasonings.  My mother would always add a little bit of "spirits" to the filling.   I would find it way to hard to cut up the fresh pumpkin. 

It is a pretty sunny day, but will not get to  the 80 + degree temperature we had yesterday. 

Hope everyone will have a wonderful Monday.

Joy

I'm not a good pie crust maker and I'm not a good cherry pie maker.  Most of my cherry pie comes from a place called "Margie's fine baked goods'.  That would be my sister.  She seems to have inherited my grandfather's baking talent.  He owned a bakery when he met my grandmother.  When we were growing up we had the best of anything baked and that was saying a lot in the day of a very erratic gas oven and the war years with almost no sugar or butter.

I forgot who commented on the cost of sending pumpkins to Texas.  No it's not cheap but the reward is very special.  They report on the arrival, the cooking, the baking and the sharing. 

JeanneLee, I think I forgot to say how sorry I am to hear about your DIL.  I didn't forget to add her and her family and you to my prayers.  God worked a miracle once.  He can do it again. 

While I was writing this, I had a phone call from my daughter in Maryland.  He almost 97 year old Father-in-Law passed away yesterday.  They were expecting it and he knew it was coming and he was ready.  They had obtained Hospice Care for him for the past week.  However, it's not every easy to lose someone you love no matter how prepared you are.  Please say a prayer for Lew that he is in a happier place. 

I hope all's well in your world!

Joan, my favorite way to make a cherry pie is to use the Pillsbury crust (sorry, Gloria) and a can of cherry pie filling (not tart).  Easy as “pie”.  For apple pie, I do slice apples and add sugar, cinnamon and butter.  One of my favorite desserts is to make a biscuit dough (from Jiffy), pat it out thin, then chop up apples and nuts, put them on the dough and roll the dough, then cut it in one-inch pieces.  Make a simple syrup and pour over it and bake.  I once entered that for a cookbook at work and it was put in with breads - because of the word "roll". 

That's a neat Halloween card, Gloria.  I received one this morning from a friend and it seemed too quiet; I'll have to go back to view it.  It was early this morning and maybe I wasn't awake yet.

Joy, I've been known to add rum flavoring to my pumpkin pies, but I haven't in many years.

I send prayers for all of those in need. 

Mary Ann

Gloria--I pray the new doctor can help your back, too.  I am a salt lover, so am sure the Schwan items would taste good to me.  You certainly generated business for them.  Thanks for the link to the JL card--very nice.

Phyllis--Thank you.

Joy--My mother couldn't make a good pie, so I guess I take after her.  I don't care for pumpkin pie, but I like pumpkin bread and muffins.  My favorite pie is blueberry.

Janie--Lucky you to have had a father and now a sister who were such good bakers.  I most certainly will say extra prayers for Lew and that family--that he is in a happier place.

Mary Ann--Sure sounds like you are a much better pie maker than I am.

Joan, if you like pumpkin bread and muffins,  have you tried the Pumpkin Roll ?   It is like a jelly-roll.  The filling is a cream cheese filling.  They are really good. 

I do like Pumpkin pie, but do not care for the pumpkin flavored coffee or the pumpkin bread or muffins.  And, the pumpkin pie HAS to have whipped cream on the top.  LOL 

Like you always say.........whatever floats your boat.  Sure would be a dull world if everybody liked all the same things. That is what makes life interesting.

Joy

Good Afternoon Everyone..   
I am sitting here on this cool but
sunny, Halloween,  here on  rocky
coast of Maine, with my windows
open listening to a sidewalk musician
playing his saxophone across the
street from me.   

It is really very pleasant...

I hope that everyone has a very
happy Halloween!

Sandy



Yummy,   I would love some
Pie!

Joy--I couldn't have the pumpkin roll because I am lactose intolerant.

Sandy--I envy you being able to listen to the saxophonist.  My dad played the alto sax and could really make that thing sing.

Joanie, it wasn't my father who was the baker.  It was my grandfather on my mother's side.  However, my father was a farm boy and one of 7 boys.  Since my grandmother didn't have daughters, she grabbed the nearest son when she needed help.  My father, being one of the younger ones was more often than not, the one grabbed.  So he learned to cook and bake at an early age.  He's the originator of the vegetable soup.

I have the beets cooked and eggs cooked to make pickled eggs but I need to get some cider vinegar for the pickling.  So I'll go a bit early for TLH and pick that up and mail my pumpkins to TX on the way.  By the way, beets are good for Cholesterol, heart and eyesight....and probably some things I've forgotten. 

I think I better be gettin myself ready to roll.  Enjoy the rest of your day, Everyfriend!

Janie--Sorry I got confused and mixed up your relatives.  I've heard beets are good for us, too, but what does one do when they don't like beets?  Just never could get them past my nose.

I made pumpkin cookies with caramel frosting for my Bridge Club last week.  I put 4 cookies in a sandwich baggie as a Treat for each player.  I only saw one lady taking her baggie home;  the rest had eaten all of their cookies!

The motor in my vacuum cleaner burned out and housecleaners are due tomorrow.   I had done some on-line research and pretty well knew what I wanted was available at Wal-Mart.  So, this morning, Son and I went shopping and then stopped by KFC to bring lunch back to my house.

After that, he cut pieces of chicken wire to fit in my five pot/planters.  I want to plant bulbs there and have heard that burying chicken wire over the bulbs will keep squirrels, etc. from digging them up. The plants are supposed to grown through the chicken wire.
We shall see.

No Trick or Treaters in this gated complex since one neighbor's grandchildren grew up and she stopped bringing them over.
Looks as if the rest of my day will be "leisurely".   

Wishing Everyfriend Everywhere a lovely day.

Janie, my brother in law, some years back, went to the bathroom and his urine was a strange color.  He rushed to the emergency room and they took a sample and run all kinds of test and couldn't find the reason.  And, long story short, at supper that night he had had a over abundance of beets, hence the strange color.  And much to the relief of him and the doctors.  They all had a good laugh.

Joan, it's easy to make a good pie when all of the ingredients come out of cans.

My washer quit spinning the other day so Tom and I went shopping today.  I am the proud owner of a new laundry pair which will be delivered next week.  Funny, but when I was in the department selling appliances, it was no trouble to have appliances delivered in two days, not a week.  Oh well, we had a nice salesman.  I've mentioned that my present pair are 35 years old.  I know the new ones won't last that long - and neither will I!

Mary Ann

Callie--Your cookies must have hit the spot with the bridge group if all except one person polished off their bag before they left.  Good luck with your planting seeds.  Bummer you had to buy a new cleaner. My housekeepers bring three cleaners with them.

Halkel--those beets caused a costly trip to the ER.

Mary Ann--I guess I just gave up trying.  Oh no--this must be appliance buying week for you and Callie.

No June today.  Hope she is.OK.

Lloyd, thank you much for Lincoln's  quote. It is more apt today than it was in his era.

I just popped in and read all the messages Bis. I'm still not feeling tip-top. It may be an adjustment to the new meeds, but I need to rest, which I am great at doing, as long as I have a good book.

Love you all. June

June--Glad to see your post.  II hope you adjust to the new meds soon.

Joan,  I guess the cream cheese is a no-no if  you are lactose intolerant.   I know you have mentioned before about that problem and I didn't give that a thought, knowing that the filling was cream cheese based.

I like pickled beets and Harvard beets, but don't care for just cooked beets.  Don't know why??  For a while now,  I have seen beet salad on several menus from different restaurants that I go to.  That doesn't appeal to me, either.

June, do hope you will start feeling better.

Joy

JOY, my beets are pickled.  That's the way I like them best, too.

My daughter ordered that beet salad at a restaurant once when I was with her.  It didn't appeal to me on the menu and I really didn't like the look of it but she said it was good.  I asked her, "good enough to order again?" and she said "yes".  We'll see!

Since I can't eat tomatoes,  I use cold canned beets as a substitute.  Good with Poppyseed Dressing - and probably with any creamy dressing.