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Pumpkin Walnut Biscotti

Saturday was a fun last day home…relaxing with the family and playing with this girl

We’ve been having trouble getting Rosie to eat her food on her own, so we either throw it to her piece by piece, or use this ball that she knocks around to get the food out. It seems that eating needs to be a game for her lately.

(Channeling her inner puppy).

Rosie gets more funny with age. And very skilled at manipulation. If she doesn’t get what she wants, she will pout.

And pout some more.

Later on yesterday, we went to pick out our Christmas tree (while me, the brother and sister were all home)!

A serious activity for us – can’t be too skinny, because we have tons of ornaments!

We found just the right one.

It was cold, but the place had a fire going to keep us warm

Before the tree-decorating commenced (to be another post – I took too many pictures with my new camera!), I was in a baking mood. In anticipation of my arrival, my mom bought me a few cans of pumpkin (because she’s great like that) and I put one of them to good use yesterday!

Made using this recipe with minor substitutions.

Ingredients

• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. nutmeg
• shake of ginger
• pinch salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. pure pumpkin
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Directions

Mix the dry together (except walnuts) in a large bowl.

Mix the wet in a smaller bowl.

Combine the bowls and knead with floured hands.

Fold in walnuts.

Spread the dough into about a 1/2 inch thick mound, on a greased baking stone/sheet.

Bake at 350 for 22-30 minutes, until the center is firm to the touch.

Allow to cool (for 15 minutes) before cutting into 1 inch thick pieces.

I also cute mine in half length wise for smaller pieces.

Lower the oven temperature to 300. Turn the pieces on their sides and bake at 300 for an additional 15-20 minutes, to let them crisp up. Cool completely and allow to dry overnight if still a little moist.

I’ve been meaning to make biscotti for a while now, and this was a great basic recipe that made for tasty, crunchy, perfect-with-coffee-kind-of-sweet cookies.

The pumpkin is subtle and definitely does not dominate. The original recipe called for all regular flour – I found the 1.5 cup white and 1 cup whole wheat worked great. The biscotti didn’t fall apart at all and had no “gritty” taste.

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Day 28 – The November Gratitude Project

Today I’m grateful for the pictures I’m able to take with my new camera – it’s so much fun!

What are you thankful for? Tell me for a chance to win a Runners Cookie baked good!

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Being home to spend time with the family was wonderful as always – celebrating my birthday, running a Turkey Trot, doing the Black Friday thing, eating SO much good food, picking out our Christmas tree, and just relaxing.

Back in Boston and back to work tomorrow. Hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend as well!

Thanksgiving/Black Friday Festivities

On Thanksgiving I had lots to be thankful for.

Mainly my family (note that I am still at the kids table at 23 ).

We had lots of traditional Thanksgiving food.

And dessert.

(Creative dessert award: apple slices covered in caramel and topped with: nestle crunch bar, peppermint and chocolate, peanut butter and chocolate, and chocolate with sprinkles. SO good! I had at least 3).

My favorite pie of the night was lemon meringue.

Afterward we all felt like this.

After birthday cake, Thanksgiving, and a post-birthday dinner at an Italian restaurant last night (with SO much pasta), my stomach is very happy!

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Because no Thanksgiving weekend would be the same without it, yesterday my sister, my mom and I did the Black Friday thing — we go nearly every year and go EARLY. This year we got to the mall at 5:30 and were home by 8 am! Waking up at 4:45 isn’t the worst thing in the world – nothing a little coffee and napping can’t fix.

Our Black Friday experiences are NOTHING like this…

(source)

Or this.

(source)

Black Friday shoppers are often thought of as crazy (and I admit, my mom, sister and I are at least a little crazy for going), but I think the really crazy people are the ones who go in the afternoon/evening (when the malls are PACKED), and of course the one’s who wait outside all night and do this kind of stampede thing…

(source)

When we go (at 5 am), it is not crowded at all, and totally stress-free. We go for clothes, shoes, and maybe a couple of other things. Almost never electronics (I think that’s where it gets really insane).

Black Friday is when my sister and I pick out a lot of our Christmas presents from our parents and our grandma — she likes us to really love the stuff we open on Christmas morning, and this way we know everything will fit

We did well at Macy’s and Gap (which was 50% off the entire store until 10 am yesterday).

Did you partake in Black Friday? What did you get?

To continue the holiday spirit, we are getting our Christmas tree today!! I’m excited – I love the decorating process!

Day 26 & 27 – The November Gratitude Project

Yesterday: I am thankful for the fun and delicious dinner with family + Ben! It’s my favorite way to celebrate my birthday.

Today: I am grateful for having my dog Rosie greet me in the morning…and for all the leftovers in our fridge

Tell me what you were most thankful for this Thanksgiving.