Snowstorm Scrounging

Any sudden snowstorm can throw anybody for a loop/ There's the craziness of trying to get home on icy roads along with unexpectedly being snowed in. What happens when you can't go to the store? Scrounge. It's time to get creative in the kitchen.

Every home kitchen should have the basics - bread, milk, and eggs.Of course these three make up the backbone of any French toast recipe but they're multipurpose on their own. Bread can be used to make croutons for soup, along with the crumbs being used as thickener for soups, stews and even gravies. Toasted bread drizzled with oil and grated cheese makes for a tasty lunch or dinner. Keep in mind that any Italian or French bread is the perfect base for French bread pizza. If you don't have pizza sauce ,  drained stewed tomatoes can do the trick. Pita bread is another versatile bread that can have a variety of uses in a pinch. Yes you can stuff it with salad, veggies and meats for a quick, low calorie lunch or even dinner. It can also be turned into a grilled cheese pocket. Raid the fridge for any kind of cheese, from cheddar to mozzarella along with  ham or Taylor ham to stuff into the pitas. This is a great snack ,especially when you're stuck indoors, watching movies. Also they make great breakfast pockets too.Fill with eggs, ham or bacon.It's the perfect breakfast before tackling shoveling snow.

Milk is another multipurpose ingredient. Use it and whatever fruit you have around to make smoothies. Apples and pears, usually not associated with the drink, can be tossed in if you don't have the usual bananas or strawberries. If you have any leftover pumpkin puree from Thanksgiving, blend it into a pumpkin spice smoothie, a nice change up from the berry based ones. Yogurt is also versatile too. Add fruit bits or chocolate chips for a fun dip with any kind of shortbread or plain vanilla or chocolate snaps. If you do run out of milk during a sudden snow storm, then hit your freezer. Melted vanilla ice cream can be used if you need it for coffee or cereal, however be warned. The melted stuff can be a breeding ground for bacteria because the sugar in it feeds the microbes. Use it sparingly. Eggs can be your best source of protein if you have no meat in the house. A favorite is the Italian frittata. Use any leftover veggies to create a delicious breakfast , lunch or dinner. Also break into your spice rack for extra flavoring. A pinch of turmeric or garlic salt elevates any egg dish. You could also make scrambled eggs with the addition of tomatoes , peppers or onions too.

Sudden snowstorm happening? Don't panic. Scrounge around your kitchen. You'll be amazed at what you'll come up with - delicious dishes that will be family favorites and classics.

My Vegan Pumpkin Mousse

It may have been  Black Friday but for me it was still Thanksgiving weekend, a perfect time to make the much anticipated vegan pumpkin mousse. How would it turn out? Would it be as delicious as promised? Most of all would it hold its'  shape?

Again I got the recipe from the Feasting On Fruit blog. This is what I started with :

The recipe called for two cups of  Soy Delicious coconut milk, yogurt, however I doubted its' consistency so I made it semi-vegan with the addition of Siggis Icelandic yogurt which is more like a creme fraiche.

This is the pureed pumpkin I use . Everything was doubled because I wanted to make this for three to four people. I used one and a half  cans of the pumpkin puree.

It was mixed with the coconut yogurt first along with this.

Two tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice and 3/4 of a cup of maple syrup. There was also 3 teaspoons of vanilla added for flavor.

This is what it looked like combined.

It just looked too runny. Time for Siggis which also lightened the color as well as giving it some body.

 Siggis Icelandic yogurt is very much like creme fraiche , however it left the mousse with a decidedly tangy sourness. Time for more pumpkin spice and maple syrup. I added a dash more spice and a small glug of syrup.

This is the finished product. It looks more like a pumpkin pudding and with a few more drops of maple syrup and another sprinkle of pumpkin spice, it was tasty,

As for the extra pumpkin  above  i'm freezing it and i'll go into our family's Piedmontese pumpkin soup.

This is the final product.

It is delicious and a nice alternative to pumpkin pie. I just added a frill of whipped cream and a dusting of more pumpkin spice. 

This pudding like mousse would make an interesting dessert for the holidays or for any time of  the year. I may try it in tart shells for mini pumpkin pies. It's an easy make and a tasty one too.