[25] cook's paradise

I've kind of become a crazy cook/baker this weekend. It's a little out of hand.

It's the squashes and the sweet potatoes. I can't resist them. There they are, glowing with beautiful orange, and I just want to roast them and put them in things.

I had extra sweet potato after I made my Thanksgiving sweet potato biscuits, and so I whipped up some sweet potato oatmeal muffins, using my trusty old pumpkin oatmeal muffin recipe. I had more sweet potato than I usually have pumpkin, so I threw it all in and subtracted a little yogurt. 

Wow. Yum. People were impressed. I was impressed. Sweet potato, you are a delicious, delicious little beast.

My roommate is complaining that she could lose weight if only I would stop baking things.

Random side note: double the vanilla. And one can rarely go wrong adding substantial quantities of extra pumpkin pie spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.

Then today I tried my hand at this salad: Butternut Squash Salad with Farro and Pepitas. It can be made with pretty much any grain (I used barley), and trust me, you will not regret doubling the pickled red onions, no, not at all. (I think we will be making it at Christmas with quinoa, for the newly gluten-free amongst my family members.)

My house smells gorgeously of roasted squash.

The extra butternut squash may be going into to these muffins: Butternut Squash Muffins with Candied Ginger, or I may just make the same pumpkin muffin recipe and throw the candied ginger that I just happen to have in my cupboard in there.

Speaking of just happening to have candied ginger in my cupboard, I am starting to have a cook's cupboards. I mean, today I opened my cupboard and got out white wine vinegar and started pickling things. I have white wine vinegar in my cupboard! Routinely! 

Who is this person?

Also, I happen to have more than five little bottles of cookie sprinkles. And cookie cutters. And more than two casserole dishes. 

It's like I'm a grownup or something.