Sugar High

A journey through pictures on the hard drive has left me with an idea of sorts- a picture post of sweet treats. Since Halloween is over for yet another year, and we're left with a ton of not so good for you temptations it may give you some ideas about what to do with your leftovers!  If nothing else, the pictures may make you drool!

Without further delay-

Candy Mountain

Affectionately called Candy Mountain, this is a top view of Ice Cream Sandwich Cake- ice cream sandwiches layered with whipped topping, chocolate syrup and your favourite candy bars.  Big hit at the family picnic- and a little bit goes a LONG way!

Candy Mountain Mud Slide! 

Oh, it was worth it!

Monster Cookie Dough Dip

Oh, no- you DIDN'T!  Um, yeah, I did.  And I liked it!  Cream cheese, sugar, peanut butter (or soy nut butter) oatmeal and chocolate.  Dip graham crackers, (or to pretend you're being healthy) go for apples.  Tart green ones are the best!

I liked it!

Nobody has to know just how man calories are in there.  It's a treat.  Again, totally worth it!

Did someone say s'mores?

Oh, you like s'mores?  Me too.  An  addiction that will likely end with an early grave for me.

Traditional

Nothing but graham crackers, marshmallow and two squares of chocolate.  The kids don't like them- they say they are too sweet.  Puhshaw.

S'more chocolate chip cookies

My favourite chocolate chip cookie
recipe altered with a touch of pure graham flour, milk chocolate chips and rolled around a marshmallow.  For when you're in a pinch....

Fireless S'mores

Since we were under a fire ban for a good portion of the summer, the family picnic had an altered version of s'mores- marshmallows dipped in chocolate and coated with crushed graham crackers.

Smartie Pants Marshmallows

While we're on the subject of marshmallows, these were yummy too- dipped in chocolate and rolled in chopped smarties.

Yummy Mummy

That brings me back to ice cream- two gourmet chocolate chunk cookies make the perfect vessel for homemade vanilla ice cream.  It doesn't get much better than this....

Chocolate Chunk with Toasted Cashews

I find myself back at cookies.  Need I say more?

Oatmeal Coconut Sandwich Cookies

There is not often a shortage of cookies in this house.  The ones on the left are oatmeal coconut filled with high calorie high protein sunflower butter frosting, the right are filled with fresh raspberry jam.

Fudge Topped Oatmeal Cookies

Then we have Fudge Topped Oatmeal Cookies.  They kind of made my teeth hurt, but I would totally do it again!















Oh my!  I'm not even 6 months back in pictures and I still have so many you haven't seen!  What are your favourite Sugar High Treats?  I'm going to keep searching and see what else I find, but in the mean time- if you dropped by for a quick peek don't forget to say hi!

xxoo

Autumn Blessings

Roasted Squash Soup with White Wine

• 1 average sized winter squash, sliced into chunks(I used 1/2 butternut and 1/2 buttercup)
• 1-2 large carrot
• 2 apples, cored and quartered (I leave the skin on)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic (no need to remove the papery skin)
• 1/2 onion
• Drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of salt and pepper
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1/2 cup sweet white wine (*optional- if omitting, use a full cup of juice)
• 1/2 cup apple juice or cider
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar (if NOT using wine)
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.

Line a jelly roll pan (or cake pan) with 2 layers of tin foil.Wash squash, cut and remove seeds.  Slice into manageable chunks, keeping size somewhat uniform.  Scrub carrots and slice into chunks.  Remove skin from onion and slice.  Place squash, carrot, apple, garlic and onion on prepared pan.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper- turn to coat- and then turn squash so that all of the skin is facing up.  Hide thyme under an apple quarter.

Ready for the oven

Bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  I like to keep the temperature a little lower, and roast them longer just to make sure that they caramelize- and not burn!  There is no real need to turn them while they cook, but sometimes I like to fiddle.  Makes me feel useful.  This is what they look like when they are ready:

Nicely roasted, super yummy!

Remove squash and carrot from pan, set aside to cool.  This leaves the onion, garlic, apple and thyme on the baking pan.  Turn oven up to 400 degrees.  Pour white wine and apple juice (or apple juice+ cider vinegar) onto pan- squish the garlic and apple with a wooden spoon- moving skins to the far side of the pan (no need for the skins in the soup). gently loosen any of the carmalized bits off of the bottom of the pan.  Place pan back in oven for a few minutes.

Deglazing the pan

 Meanwhile, heat chicken broth and remove skin from squash.  Slide squash and carrot into broth.  Remove pan from oven and pour the fragrant drippings into broth- careful to leave the garlic skins, apple skins and onion behind.  Simmer for a few minutes.  Remove from heat.  Puree until smooth.

Best kitchen appliance ever!

The secret to a really smooth squash soup- sieve!  I always do it twice, taking the time to gently push it through a fine mesh strainer, scraping off the bottom as often as possible.  It's like velvet!

 Serve warm or room temperature.  Add a pat of butter, or a dash of cream.  Pack some up for the freezer, or for a neighbour that is under the weather.  It won't last long!

With cream, and smoked ham, cheese and apple croissant...

With butter, apple slices and smoked cheddar scones....

Packaged to go to a neighbour...