Ellington

Salad, salad, and more salad. This is what my body has been craving the last couple of weeks. Who can be surprised after the funnel cake splurge at the state fair and the Halloween candy that tempted everyone recently?

My husband happily munches on salad along with me. He's even gotten into the habit of making grilled salad once or twice a week as of late. We've done lightly tossed steamed salads, cool and fresh green salads, and even pretty healthy home-made taco salads. It can be done if you start omitting fatty meats, sour cream, cheese, and other artery-clogging ingredients. Some cumin on lean beef or chicken with a little garlic and chili pepper quickly spices up the meat without weighing it down, and a ton of cilantro with the salad portion makes me a happy camper.

Another tasty veggie that's been in a lot of our meals lately is pumpkin. Mmm pumpkin. A lot of my friends have turned their nose up at pumpkin dishes, thinking only of overly seasoned and sweetened pumpkin pie. A beef and vegetable soup served in a baked pumpkin (you scrape the pumpkin's tender insides off with each serving) changed a few minds. Bright orange pieces cut into salad has been happening a time or two around the house. Pumpkin bread even happened, made partially with applesauce to cut down on the oil/sugar need and still promised to be a crowd pleaser. What to do with the pumpkin next? I think we'll mash the leftovers and curry those suckers.