Day of The Dead Feasting

October 30-November 3rd 2023

We live in the Irvington neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. This is the neighborhood that has been on the news in the past on Halloween eve for its elaborate decorations and all-out celebration during the best holiday of the year-well according to me anyway:) Linnea will have their friends over for their last halloween hoorah as next year they will be a high school graduate. Rowan will also have his friends over for some tricks or treats in our neck of the woods. Its tough having Halloween on a weekday but I am inviting parents to stay for some nibbles of squash soup, deviled egg dip, kholrabi slaw, pumpkin bread and mulled apple cider. Kholrabi is one of my new favorite veges. I was afraid to try it-not sure what the heck it was but it turns out to be a sweet apply, jicama, potato, celery like thing that is an excellent vegetable to put in soups as well as to use as a salad ingredient and as a cut vegetable for using to dip into a yummy bowl of babaganouch, hummus or another favorite dip. All of our local farmers here cannot be wrong-it is something easily found on the farmers market tables in between the turnips and the beets, calling to you to try. Rowan had a great time at the store this weekend picking up a selection of meats and cheeses to create a cheeseboard for the festivities as well as the obligatory flavored soda waters and chips which according to Andrew, is one of the four food groups-crunchy, slurpy, smooshy and sweet. Rowan even made an elaborate plan for what the smorgasbord table will look like. I love that the Martha Stewart genes seem to run through my kid’s blood as well mine. This is part of the reason why I wanted to create this blog. It is a collection of our life as creative beings.

The Table Plan

by Rowan Paul

The Materials List

by Rowan Paul

 
 

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread


AUTHOR: Danielle Walker - AgainstAllGrain.com

INGREDIENTS:

note: if almond butter is used, decrease baking powder to 1.5 teaspoons and add ½ teaspoon baking soda

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  2. Lightly grease an 8.5×4.5 loaf pan then place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan.

  3. In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine the eggs, sunbutter, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, palm shortening, lemon juice, and vanilla. Puree for 30 seconds until smooth and creamy.

  4. Add the arrowroot, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, lemon zest, ginger, and sea salt. Blend again for 30 seconds until well combined.

  5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

  6. Remove the loaf from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely before eating, about 2 hours. Store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.

Easy Mulled Apple Cider

AUTHOR: Ree Drummond - The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

  • 4 whole cinnamon sticks

  • 1/8 tsp. ground cloves

  • 8 whole allspice berries

  • orange peel from 1 orange

  • lemon peel from 1 lemon

  • 1/2 c.maple syrup (if desired)

  • 6 c. unfiltered (fresh squeezed is great) apple juice

  • apple slices and orange twists, to serve

  • 1/2 c. dark rum, optional

  • Directions

    • In a medium saucepan, place the cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, allspice berries, orange peel, and lemon peel. Pour in the maple syrup and apple juice, then bring to almost a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve in mugs with apple slices and orange twists. Add a splash of rum for an adults-only version! Yum, yum, yum.

Kholrabi/Apple Slaw from love and lemons

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or hazelnut oil

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons honey

  • 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 1 large apple, cored and cut into matchsticks

  • 1 medium kohlrabi, peeled and cut into matchsticks

  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

  • 1/4 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, more for garnish

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • Instructions

    • In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, and salt.

    • Add the apple, kohlrabi, onion, hazelnuts, and parsley, and toss to coat.

    • Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with additional parsley, and serve.

Thai Yellow Curry With Grass Fed Beef Brisket

AUTHOR: Michelle Tam. Nom Nom Paleo

INGREDIENTS 

  • 3.5 pounds grass fed beef brisket cut in 1.5 inch cubes (or chuck roast)

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut in large cubes

  • 2 small onions coarsely chopped

  • 1/2 pound baby carrots

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil

  • 2 tablespoons yellow curry paste

  • 1.5 cups coconut milk

  • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos

  • 1 tablespoon Red Boat fish sauce

  • 2 tablespoons apple juice

  • 16 ounces bag of mixed frozen vegetables

  • Handful of chopped mixed herbs like cilantro, basil, and mint

  • salt 

  • Freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Toss the onions, carrots, and sweet potato into the slow cooker and toss the veggies with some salt and pepper

  • Chop the brisket into 1.5 inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Season the brisket cubes with salt and pepper.

  • Place the meat on top of the veggies in the slow cooker.

  • In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat and stir in the curry paste. Once the spices are fragrant, pour in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.

  • Add the coconut aminos, fish sauce, and apple juice in the saucepan and stir well to combine.

  • Once everything in the saucepan is incorporated well, pour the sauce evenly over the meat in the slow cooker.

  • Cover the slow cooker with the lid and set to cook on low for 9-11 hours.

  • Taste and adjust for seasoning. If you are adding frozen vegetables, do so about 30 minutes before the end of the stewing time. Sprinkle on the herbs right before serving.

Sheet Pan Chicken and Brussels Sprouts

AUTHOR: Michelle Tam-Nom Nom Paleo

INGREDIENTS  

  • 1¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts cut in half or quarters

  • 3 bacon slices cut into ¼-inch pieces

  • 1 large shallot cut into ¼-inch slices

  • 2 teaspoons Magic Mushroom Powder or your favorite Nom Nom Paleo spice blend or Diamond Crystal kosher salt

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Heat oven to 400°F convection roast or 425°F conventional, with the rack in the middle.

  • Toss the chicken, brussels sprouts, bacon, and shallot slices on a rimmed baking sheet.

  • Sprinkle your favorite Nom Nom Paleo spice blend (I like Magic Mushroom Powder or Nomtastic Grilling Powder the best) or Diamond Crystal kosher salt on top.

  • Drizzle on the extra virgin olive oil and toss well to distribute the seasoning and fat. Arrange the ingredients in a single layer on the pan.

  • Pop the sheet pan into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Then, toss everything well and rotate the sheet pan 180°. Continue baking for another 5 to 10 minutes or until everything is fully cooked and browned in parts.

  • Remove the tray from the oven and drizzle on the aged balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!

Squash Butternut soup with bacon and apples

from Michele Rosen at paleorunningmomma

Ingredients for the soup:

for garnish:

Instructions

  1. Turn Instant pot to “sauté” and wait until it reads “hot”. Cook bacon until crisp, stirring, remove to a plate and drain all but 1 tbsp fat. You will return bacon to pot when it’s time to blend.

  2. Add onions to pot and saute 45 seconds, then add garlic and stir, cook until soft, then press “cancel”

  3. Add the squash, apples, herbs and spices, salt, pepper and broth. Cover pot and cook on high pressure 5 mins. Once cook time is up, quick release the pressure.

  4. Turn off the pot and add the bacon back in, then add nutritional yeast, if using. Place your Immersion blender in the instant pot to puree until very smooth. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer everything to a regular blender to purée.)

  5. Once soup is nice and smooth, you can taste and add any salt or seasonings to suit your taste.

  6. Serve hot garnished with a crumbled bacon and scallions.

  7. Swirl in a tbsp or two of coconut milk if desired. Enjoy!

Amy Thielen’s Deviled Egg Dip

8 large eggs
1 teaspoon white vinegar (rice, wine, or distilled)
5 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon capers
Aleppo pepper or paprika for garnish
Extra-virgin olive oil for garnish

Directions:

Partly fill a deep wide-bottomed saucepan with cold water and bring to a boil. Add the vinegar and a pinch of salt and, one by one, crack the eggs into the simmering water. Gently troll the bottom of the pan with a spoon to make sure the eggs don’t stick, and cook just until the yolks feel hard to the touch, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and drain them on a paper towel-lined plate. 

Drop 2 whole poached eggs into the bowl of a food processor. Pop out the rest of the yolks and add them to the processor as well. Finely chop 2 of the egg whites for garnish; reserve the rest for another use. (I’m sorry I couldn’t incorporate the extra whites into the recipe; I hope you’ll find a use for them.)

Process the whole eggs and yolks to a fine fluff. Add the mayonnaise and process again until smooth, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper and pulse to combine. Don’t overman, or the mixture will become tough—you want it to be soft and luscious. 

Spoon the deviled egg dip onto a platter. Chop the capers, and sprinkle across the top. Scatter the reserved chopped egg whites over the dip and garnish with a few strong shakes of Aleppo pepper or paprika and a thin swirl of extra-virgin olive oil.

Serve with crackers or thinly sliced radishes, carrots, and kohlrabi.