There is something about autumn leaves and crisp air that makes me want to curl up in front of a fire with savory foods and spend evenings with my family. But with all the fun activities that fall brings, who wants to be stuck in a kitchen for hours on end?  This is an easy one pot roast beef recipe that is full of color and incorporates seasonal root vegetables that I think is the perfect end to an active day.

We love how the saltiness of the bacon counterpoints the sweetness of the roasted beets.

Bacon Wrapped Roast Beef with Root Vegetables

Serves: 6

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

What You Need:

• 3 lbs roast beef (boneless)
• 6 strips low sodium bacon slices
• 4 medium red potatoes, chopped coarsely
• 4 medium red beets, peeled and chopped coarsely
• 3 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped coarsely
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped coarsely
• 4 cloves garlic, whole
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp rosemary
• 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1½ tbsp Italian seasoning blend
• 1 tsp salt

What You Need To Do:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Place roast in large roasting pan, sprinkle with rosemary and drape with bacon slices.
• Place bay leaves and garlic in the bottom of the pan and top with the potatoes, beets, parsnips and onion.
• Sprinkle pepper, Italian seasoning and salt throughout.
• Open can of chopped tomatoes over the vegetables only and distribute evenly.
• Bake covered for 30 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven and stir the vegetables to ensure that they remain moist.
• Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 150°F for medium rare or 160°F for medium.
• Remove roast from pan and let sit for 15 minutes to let juices redistribute.
• Remove bay leaves, stir vegetables again and cover until ready to serve.
• Slice roast finely and spoon the vegetables juices over the roast once plated.

Enjoy!

After you have made and enjoyed this delicious dish, let us know what you thought of it!

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That was my wolf baying at the moon sound.

Tonight, I opted for a different sort of recipe to enchant you! Although all the ingredients are edible, we will not be ingesting any of this “dish!”

The “recipe” comes to you from a fun little book I had lying around called “The Supermarket Sorceress” by Lexa Rosean that includes 75 simple, charms and spells that you can concoct with ingredients from the Supermarket.

I tried one tonight that made my house smell delicious! It is called:

“The Spell for Success”

What You Need

• Allspice
• Basil
• Bay leaves
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Nutmeg

Understanding the Components:

These herbs are are popular ingredients in incense formulas that are usually burned for success and money.
- Allspice is ruled by jupiter (the planet of luck and business expansions.)
- Bay leaves are said to attract money.
- Basil is most known for its use in love spells but for this purpose can tap into the drive and ambition attributes of Mars.
- Cinnamon is used modern day to love,healing, success and money spells. Its what you could call an “All purpose holy herb”
- Combining bay and cinnamon is said to attract fame.

What You Need To Do:
Fill a Pot with all these herbs, and then add Spring Water and simmer on the stove.
You have now incorporated all Four elements into your spell to manifest success on all four planes.
Fire-represents our desires and the actions that lead to our fulfillment
Water-symbolizes our emotional well being
Earth- stands for the physical maifestation of our desired end.
The herbs are the earth.
The stove the fire
The steam is the air
The spring water gives you the water element.
Let the wonderful aroma fill your home to attract positive successful vibrations! Not to mention a festive holiday feeling for when your trick or treaters or party guests arrive!

You can find a more in depth version of this spell along with 74 others in “The Supermarket Sorceress”

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!!

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Don’t you just LOVE pumpkins! Even saying the word “pumpkin” brings an immediate smile to my face. There are just so many things you can do with them from soups and breads to pies and puddings.

The coolest thing to make with your pumpkin has GOT to be the Jack O’Lantern!  Even though my carving skills leaves much to be desired I still get a big kick out doing it. I also enjoy taking to the streets to admire the nifty craftwork of my neighbors which range from your average scary face to some pretty detailed and elaborate scenes.  Fascinating!  But where did this Autumn ritual of gutting and carving out pumpkins come from?  Why the gruesome faces and the candle?

In my search I discovered several stories that varied, as stories do, in accordance to who was telling it. So I give to you MY version of the tale based on all I’ve read:

There once was a farmer named Jack. Though Jack was known to be a very clever man he was better known for being a stingy, lazy, mean-spirited drunkard. After a long night of drinking and after having been thrown out of the local pub for non payment, Jack headed towards his farm with the thoughts of how he’d “sell his soul” for enough money for another drink. As he stumbled along his way, Jack happened upon a shadowy figure. Recognizing immediately that he was in the presence of none other than The Devil himself, Jack was on alert.

The Devil tempted Jack by fulfilling that very wish… he transformed himself into the coins Jack needed for debt owed and an additional purchase which Jack quickly stuffed into his pocket. Deal accepted! But The Devil didn’t bank on just how clever Jack was because in Jack’s pocket he kept a cross. This cross stripped him of all his powers completely and The Devil was now trapped. Jack paid his debt and made his new purchases but was careful not to remove that last coin from his pocket.

Ultimately Jack made a bargain to release The Devil but only after making him promise to never claim his soul and allow him into Hell. The Devil agreed and Jack set him free. When Jack died he immediately went straight to Hell for having lead such an awful life while he was alive but was turned away as promised. Jack went to Heaven but was again refused. He had no where to go. No where was he welcomed. Forced to walk the earth seeking a place to finally rest he roams… with only a carved out gourd which houses a flickering ember inside to light his dreary way. To this day he still wanders… ever seeking a place to stay.

Today we Make Jack O’Lanterns to ward him away (as well as other bad spirits) to let them know, keep walking because you are not welcomed here!

So have fun creating! And after the carving is all done take the seeds and roast them for an awesome evening snack. They’re quick, easy and most important… delicious! I can never get enough.

photo “waste not want not” by ndrwfgg used under Creative Commons License

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS!

What You Need:

• pumpkin seeds
• olive oil
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• salt

What You Need To Do:

1. Thoroughly rinse the seeds making sure to remove all pulp. Spread out on a cookie sheet so that none are lying on top of each other and let dry overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
3. Toss pumpkin seeds in olive oil (you can substitute olive oil for any other oil you prefer, butter or cooking spray).
4. Sprinkle with salt, onion powder, garlic and garlic powder (feel free to get creative and add other spices such as cayenne!)
5. Bake seeds for about an hour.  Be sure to toss them around about every 15 minutes or so.

Enjoy!

I would love to hear some of your favorite pumpkin recipes!  Please post your idea as a comment.

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