I just renewed Quinntillion for another year. Woohoo!!!

It’s not happening. Blogging that is. I just don’t have the attention span to do it. Until the next entry.

I have started blogging again. It must have to do with this anticipation of Spring, although we still have another 6 weeks of Winter. I will also be blogging some private stuff, but if you want to gain access to them, you will have to be a registered user. If you have ever registered on this blog, you got a free pass in.

I’ve been thinking about life changes lately, more then I really want to. Some good and some bad. I recently discovered this blog rawpomona.

This blog chronicles my journey as I transition my diet toward more unprocessed, raw, organic, vegan foods in an effort to transform my health. Pomona is the Roman goddess of fruits and orchards; it’s also my home, so it’s only appropriate I should name this blog in honor of her.

This is perhaps the life change that I need to take. I have gained more weight than is healthy in the last couple years, and also I do have a propensity in developing diabetes. My mom is pre-diabetic, and her mom was diabetic, although she developed it in her 90’s. Simply put, I haven’t been taking care of myself physically or mentally, so there is some changes that I need to take. I do want to watch this documentary “Raw for 30 days“, Morgan Spurlock – creator of “Supersize Me” before I start anything though.

I have been in denial for way too long and I need to start thinking about focusing on me and making myself happy.

WP 2.6 is weird, so if you are seeing multiple entries please forgive me. I will be installing WP 2.7 sometime this week. I just want to get back into blogging as soon as possible.

I need to return this recipe book today (I wrote this blog entry earlier in the week and I still haven’t returned it) , titled, “The Family Kitchen” by Debra Ponzek, since I have already renewed it like three times, but I wanted to remember a couple of recipes from it. I do have a recipe notebook that I normally record favorite recipes in, but I figure I might as well post it on my blog, seeing how I haven’t wrote much here. I would like to make the onion rings as a side dish for dinner sometime this week, when i make chicken.

Also I am starting to get into the holiday, which never happens with me until at least a week before Christmas. Also, I will be making Thanksgiving dinner for the very first time in my natural life, and will be serving about 19 people so I am starting to think about the menu.

So anyways, here are two recipes for today.

Buttermilk onion rings

3 cups buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dredging
1 large white onion
4 cups of vegetable oil. for frying
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium shallow bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and flour. Slice the onion crosswise into substantial sliaces about 1/2 inch thick. Carefully separate the slices into rings.

Put the onion rings in the bowl and turn to coat evenly with the buttermilk mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.

Pour the oil into a heavy, deep pot and heat over medium-high heat until it registers 350degrees F.

Spread some flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Lift the onion rings from the buttermilk mixture and let any excess drain back into the bowl. Dip the onion rings one at a time in the flour and turn to coat evenly. Fry the onion rings one at a time in the flour and turn to coat evenly. Fry the onion rings 2 or 3 at a time, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Life from the oil with tongs and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and serve immediately.

Serves 4; Makes 12 to 14 onion rings.

This one is seriously one yummmy gnocchi recipe. I made it one time, although no one else but me ate it. Hehe, more for me.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Gnocchi

1 medium butternut squash, about 2 pounds
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1 1/3 to 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

Sauce
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 small bunch sage, leaves picked and chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

Slice the ends off the butternut squash and cut in half crosswise where the bulb starts. Peel using a vegetable peeler. Cut the bulb-shaped end in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon; discard.
Cut the squash into 1-inch pieces.

Transfer the squash to baking pan, drizzle with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered, for 45 to 55 minutes, or until softened.

Mash the roasted squash with a fork or potato masher or process it until smooth in a food processor fitted with the metal blade.

Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir the ricotta, Parmesan, and egg into the squash. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 1/3 cups of the flour. Stir well with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a soft dough, adding more flour if needed.

Transfer the squash dough to a lightly floured work surface and work the dough lightly to form into a ball. If is sticky, add a little more flour. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a clean dish towel, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Divide the dough into 4 balls. Using your palms, roll each ball on a flat surface dusted with flour into a long rope about 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut these into 1/2- to 3/4-inch-long pieces, or gnocchi.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water. Let the water return to the boil and when the gnocchi bob to the surface, cook for about 2 minutes. to check for doneness, remove one and cut it in half to see if it’s cooked through.

Brennan just asked me if the Election is tomorrow, and when if the new president will start working when he turns 6.

The end. Thanks to all who have read this blog and kept up with the goings on with our life. I have enjoyed writing and sharing little titbits these past few years, but it’s time that I ended this.
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The month of September is flying by.

*Elden had his b-day party (although his birthday was in July) this past Saturday. It was pretty crazy having 15+ kids in the pool splashing around, but it was great seeing all our old friends.

*Elden started his second week of preschool. The first week was a bit of adjustments, but today he did much better. His teacher tells me that he seems nervous and rather sit on the sideline and watch the action. But at least he didn’t cry. He did tell me that he sang the “Good Morning Song” and that the teacher has a dog.

*Brennan started his first week of homework and is quite motivated about it. Yesterday he did three pages and today he told me that he wants to go to to the library today and do more of it. So we will be heading off there in a bit, after they finish watching Blues Clues. His teacher told me that is a very good kid. I am looking forward to the first parent / teacher conference.

*Brennan really enjoys drawing pictures and then narrating stories for them. Also, he loves dinosaurs and reading Magic School Bus books. I hope the actually starts reading on his own soon, although he can read short words.

*Brennan’s has a loose tooth. He is so thrilled about and every five seconds keeps asking me when will it fall out.

*We didn’t enroll Brennan in any sports for the season. I would like to sign him up for Karate or some other sport soon. He needs to stay physically active, once the weather starts cooling down.

*I finally finished building my SFG and planted carrots, beets, romaine lettuce, and iceberg lettuce. I have some more seeds that I want to plant this week. I also hit the jackpot on where to buy seeds. Kmart has a pretty good garden section and had tons of seeds. I will probably wait though until spring to build a flower bed SFG. I do need to make another layer of the compost, which is btw doing well. But it is starting to pile up.

*I have some new fall ideas for polymer clay stuff. I do have to make some time soon to make at least one thing. I wanted to make stuff to sell, but I just don’t have the time or skill level to do it. So oh well. I guess if I can just make one thing, I will be happy. Heck,

*My classes are kicking my ass, and I can barely keep up with two classes, but I am making major efforts. My GIS professor left for two weeks to Thailand to a gems and gemological conference. How lucky is she? I couldn’t convince her to hide me in her suitcase, but she volunteered me to set up SL session for the rest of my classmates in the class, so I posted to BB to see if anyone would be interested in having a basic SL tutorial and to take a field trip to a GIS SL location. Actually I have to work on another project as well in SL creating a Machimina of the classroom experience. Also, the new president of SJSU will be making a visit in SL, so I have to plan a quick event this Friday for a cool avatar contest for his upcoming visit.

*I can’t believe that less then two months until elections and that Halloween is next month.

*Oh, I don’t know why when I hit publish, it posts two of the same posts and then if I try to delete one, both of them disappears? Oh well for now!