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Pumpkin Custard No. 1
Pumpkin Custard No. 1 (serves 6)
2 cups pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon melted butter
3 eggs, well beaten
1-1/2 cups light cream or whole milk
(NOTE: I use organic butter, eggs and milk, which are easily available in my supermarket.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix pumpkin, sugars and molasses. Add spices and salt, melted butter, beaten eggs and cream or milk. Mix well.
Butter a 2-quart casserole. Pour mixture into casserole, set the whole thing in a pan of warm water,* and place in preheated oven. Bake for 1-1/2 hours or until set (top will rise up and crack a bit). Allow to cool before serving; serve warm, room temperature or cold. Can be baked one day ahead and refrigerated.
*Says Betsy: "My 2-quart round casserole fit perfectly in an 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish. If you have to use a larger pan, consider putting the nested pans on the oven shelf first, and THEN filling the outside pan with water - saves that nightmarish wobbly carry across the floor."
If you still want actual pie, start with Betsy's terrific recipe for "Of Course You Can" pie crust.
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"Green" Booze
"Organic" vodka. "Green" gin. "Natural" beer. "Biodynamic" wine.
When it comes to alcohol, there's no shortage of eco-friendlier options. What should you look for, and why?
 Let's start with wine. Just because it's made from grapes doesn't mean it's organic. Look for the specifics:
"USDA-certified organic" means the wine was produced without herbicides and pesticides and with no added sulfites, preservatives that help wine maintain its color and taste but that can cause serious allergic reactions and headaches in susceptible people. (Sulfites occur naturally, so no wine is sulfite-free.)
"Made from organically grown grapes" means grapes were grown without pesticides or chemicals; some sulfites may have been added as a preservative. If you're allergic, read the label carefully.
"Sustainable" may indicate the vineyard practices pesticide-free viticulture, like using sheep to suppress weeds and owls to kill rodents. However, "sustainable" is not as meaningful as "organic" unless it is backed up by independent third-party certification.
"Biodynamic" practices use techniques that build healthy soil and manage the vineyard according to the cycles of the sun, moon, and planets. When certified by the Demeter Association, it's safe to assume the vineyard met their respected standards for biodynamic production.
Whether you're having a party or just want to enjoy wine with dinner, these organic brands are worth a taste: Parducci
If beer is more to your liking, you have some tasty eco micro-brews to choose from.
And if you plan on serving up mixed drinks, consider organic vodka, tequila, or gin. Everything in moderation, of course... |
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Make the Best of "Black" Friday
 "Black" Friday -- the biggest shopping day of the year -- is looming over the rest of the week like an evil Harry Potter-ish dementer, dark and menacing and waiting to pounce - or at least make you buy a lot of stuff you might not really need.
The pressure to purchase is just too much for me. That's why I use the day to clean out my closets. Seriously. I'm always amazed at what I find: Clothes I can resurrect for my own wardrobe or recycle for someone else's. Gifts I never used that would be perfect for a family member or friend. Plain old clutter that needs to get to Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or Freecycle.
Cleaning out closets? Works like a charm against those dementers...
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By the way, are you on Facebook, Linkedin, or Twitter? Let's connect! I twitter@ DianeMacEachern and @ biggreenpurse. You can find me here on Facebook, Linkedin, and YouTube, too. Where are you? And please: invite your friends and colleagues to take advantage of all we offer. It's easy to pass this newsletter along. Just click on the Forward button right below my signature.
Talk to you again soon,
Diane MacEachern
Big Green Purse
email: diane@biggreenpurse.com
web: http://www.biggreenpurse.com
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Make this delicious recipe, courtesy of 