Beet, Walnut, Goat Cheese, Arugula Salad

As a starter for our tortellini-stuffed squash, I made this other fall favorite: a roasted beet salad with toasted walnuts, crumbled goat cheese and arugula. Lots of different textures and complimentary flavors!

Served with a shallot/red wine vinegar dressing (to which I added a little bit of dijon mustard, to help keep it emulsified).

Roasted Delicata Squash Stuffed With Cheese Tortellini

I had some whole wheat cheese tortellini from Costco that needed to be used up, and a bunch of cute little delicata squash fresh from the CSA... Tyler Florence had this recipe for squash stuffed with tortellini in a creamy/Alfredo-esque sauce, so I gave it a try. This is a great fall vegetarian recipe- the creaminess of the Alfredo sauce goes really well with the earthy squash. The little squash bowls are pretty cool, too.

Pear-Caramel Ice Cream

I got a bunch of fresh pears from the CSA last week and was trying to think of a fun way to cook them. I had been complaining to Chuck and Tony earlier this week about the lack of ice cream in our freezer, so I took this opportunity to bust out this pear-caramel ice cream from the fabulous David Lebovitz's book, The Perfect Scoop.

I was nervous about the caramel part of it (I had visions of the caramelizing sugar escaping from the pan and burning/hardening all over the counter, my hands, everything), but it was very easy, as long as you keep your eyes on it.

This ice cream is really unique- it has the buttery sweetness of the caramel, but a fruity flowery flavor from the pears.

Necklace for Amy

This is a longer necklace I made for Amy's birthday last week... gold filigree beads, gold chain, and black stones. Pretty multi-purpose!

Mini Burgers!

For dinner tonight Tony made these kick-ass mini burgers, complete with special sauce.

Mmmm... the recipe is highly recommended, and Tony did a great job. He even artfully arranged them for their photo shoot.

We made the executive decision that mini burgers trump regular sized burgers. Easier to hold, easier to eat, cuter.

Ina's Cauliflower Gratin

Ina, Ina, Ina. Your name may rhyme with a certain body part that shall not be named on this blog, but it doesn't make your recipes any less tasty.

Your cauliflower gratin was a delicious treat. Creamy, cheesy, crispy on top.

Maybe next time I would reduce the amount of milk you recommend in the recipe, to limit the soupiness. Perhaps 1 1/2 cups rather than 2. Also, I used panko bread crumbs, not fresh ones. Because they're crunchy. Don't hate me, Ina.

Meatloaf, Beatloaf

Meatloaf, beatloaf... I like meatloaf. Except when it's slightly tooooooo moist. Yes, I said it. Moist.

This meatloaf had some shredded zucchini mixed in to give it moisture... but I think it may have gone overboard in the moisture department.

Served with sauteed collard greens and cauliflower gratin.