Haluski with Smoked Pork or Veggie Sausage

Haluski - or haluska if you prefer - made the rounds a couple months ago on the vegan blogs.  At the time I was too sick to care much about food.  The weather was also still routinely giving us those Florida summer days (98F with 97% humidity at seven p.m.) which didn't exactly make you yearn for a big, steaming bowl of noodles and cabbage.  Still, I thought it looked pretty good, even in my steamed and nauseated state.  So I tried my hand at my own version about a week ago, after my morning sickness and the temperatures had both subsided a bit.

Diabetic Pumpkin Muffins: Slightly Sweet

In in the U.S. we have a great seasonal tradition.  It kicks into gear around mid-September and lasts until sometime in late November.  You know it's coming, even though those parameters are vague.  And when it finally arrives, you spend fistfuls of five dollar bills so that you can revel in six weeks of creamy, sweet, spicy joy.

I speak of pumpkin spice latte season at Starbucks, of course.

With the fall drink treats Starbucks usually launches pumpkin muffins or slices of pumpkin cake, and it was those muffins that got me hooked on sweet winter squash baking.  Those puppies are the regular American coffee shop delight: Gargantuan, fluffy, full of sugar, and coated in icing.  They're cupcakes masquerading as breakfast, and despite the subterfuge I still remain devoted.

So devoted that I decided to try my hand at a home version last year.  It took a little while, but I found a recipe that I adored.  If you want to try it, head on over to Muffin Top.  I'm pretty sure you'll be as pleased with those sweet, fluffy gems as I was.

I say was, because I can't have any this year.

Diabetic Pumpkin Mufffins: Savory

I mentioned a few days ago that I had a Hubbard squash squatting in my house:

Okay, that's not my Hubbard squash.  I smashed mine before I remembered to take a picture, so I stole this gorgeous photo from the sadly now-defunct blog Blue Poppy (if you click here it will take you to her Hubbard squash post).  Go visit it one day if you have a moment to spare - it's just lovely.

Back to the squash, though - you read that third sentence correctly.  I smashed that bad boy.  I'd never bought a Hubbard before, so I had to go online for help dealing with such a thing.  Turns out they have a very hard rind.  It practically repels knife blades, it seems.  One site recommended wrapping the whole kit and kaboodle in a plastic bag and smashing it on the floor.

So I did that.  In the front driveway.  On a Sunday afternoon while the neighbors were washing their car.

The last five months, condensed

Since writing everything that's happened since late May would be annoying to you and exhausting for me, I'm reverting back to my old seventh grade training and writing an outline of my activities.  If I could just find a way work the scientific method and SQ3R (R.I.P., Mrs. Tyler, you delightfully crazy lady, you) into this blog, truly would my education finally be put to good use.  

I.  In May, I mentioned that I was going to change the focus of my blog.  And indeed, I am changing it.

II.  However, I was also burned out and chock full of sloth at the time, so I decided to give myself permission to wait until June to launch the new and improved Housewife.

III.  The first week of June turned into the second week of June.  The second week segued into the third.  Oops.

IV.  Hmmm.... Red took me out to eat Italian sometime around the end of the month.  My eggplant parmesan made me burp for four hours.  Ditto the luscious vanilla latte I had a couple of days later.  The only other time dairy products did this to me was when there was a Bean on the way...

V.  Yuppers, it became official the first week of July.  Pregnant again (planned, but still a surprise since it happened awfully fast).
     A.  There are some pregnant women who can climb mountains, run triathlons, and make it an entire day without puking.
     B. I am not one of those women.

VI.  I spent July, August, and September throwing up. Constantly.  At one point I pulled an abdominal muscle.  I lost twelve pounds during this time.
     A.  Many people will try to convince you that the second pregnancy is a breeze compared to the first.
     B.  Those people are either wrong, or I am a freak.

VII.  I was also diagnosed with another round of gestational diabetes!  So on top of temporary lactose intolerance, I also have to limit my starch and eliminate my refined sugar intake!  For the next six months!  Or longer if it turns out I'm a full-on diabetic already!  JOY!!!!
    A. Sarcasm.
    B.  Answer to VI.B. - definitely freak.

VIII.  In light of my dietary restrictions, I decided to go back to eating meat.  I need protein, and there's so little I'm allowed to have right now.
    A.  Bad idea - meat makes me feel almost as bad as dairy.
    B.  I won't lie, though - it was nice to have a gyros again.

IX.  This brings me right back to where I began, except with a bun in the oven and a need to restrict my apple consumption to four ounces per serving (easier said than done when Honeycrisps are beginning to hit the markets).

CONCLUSION:  Back in May, I realized that I really have no moral qualms with eating meat.  It's the factory farming process that I hate.  Bean likes chicken and fish, and Red is an omni through and through.  If I can find a way to source humanely raised and slaughtered animal protein for them, I see no reason to not cook them the foods they like (especially since Red is the breadwinner in the family right now; I know that's terribly June Cleaver, but I'll have you know I wear combat boots with my apron and pearls).  I will on occasion eat fish myself, but other than that I'm sticking to a regular ovo-lacto vegetarian diet.  One day I still cherish dreams of weaning myself of the cheese for good, but for right now I'm doing what I can. 
      So from here on out, the Housewife will mainly focus on the meals I'm fixing for our family: a combination of a veggie entree for me and a complementary meat or poultry item for the rest of the crew.  I know I'm going to lose some folks the first time they see a picture of a pork chop, and I respect anyone who stands by their principles.  Just like I'm standing by mine.  And don't worry, I still force plenty of tofu and portabello mushrooms on the omni gang.  There should be something for everyone.
    And that's all the news that's fit to print, y'all.  I'll be talking to you again soon.  Hopefully with some yummy ideas about how to use lots of Hubbard squash (winter squash, you are always my downfall!).

Holy cow! I'm writing again!

Hey, gang!  I'm back after what turned out to be an unusually long hiatus.  I'll save the explanations for later, but I just wanted to say that I'm changing the URL on the ol' bloggy right after I post this.  I think your feeds should keep carrying it, but just in case: you can follow my new adventures at http://www.thereclusivehousewife.blogspot.com

I'm doing Vegan MoFo this year to get back into the swing of things, so if you don't hear from me again by the first week of November, check the new address.

Later!

Kate