Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup

Recipe i followed: http://www.allysonkramer.com/2011/10/sweet-potato-cauliflower-soup/

Now if you looked at the recipe link i provided, i'm sure the first thing you notice is that the color is different.
That is because i'm sure they used Yams that people tend to still call sweet potatoes. Yams are the orange ones, like the ones used during thanksgiving for candied yams. I did try looking up about sweet potatoes and yams, and just furthered confused myself as there's different types of sweet potatoes and wasn't finding exact what i was looking for.
Well I had wrote down sweet potatoes on the shopping list, so my mom got me real sweet potatoes instead of yams. I wasn't thinking about it when i wrote it down about the color difference. Will probably try again using yams since i'm pretty sure that's what they really used based on the coloring. My sweet potatoes were probably also smaller than i needed since i think yams are usually larger on average.

There's everything i used for this soup. The amount of water to use was already in the pot.

My roughly slapchopped onions in the water with the sweet potatoes i peeled and cut. This ends up getting blended up so i didn't really care how neat the cuts were.

After i cooked the cauliflower. my first time cooking it this way.

Everything all cooked and added in before blending. Now i didn't want to wait for the cooling and using the blender, i used an immersion blender instead. then i didn't have to do it in 2 parts or reheat it. It does make me wonder if it would of gotten a lot thinner in texture if doing the blender.

Well in the end, everything i did for this, it was decent. I think maybe from using actual sweet potatoes, and them being smaller(though using one extra to make up for the sizes), the taste was kinda bland. I don't know what the difference off hand would be between using the sweet potato and yams for the taste. I read in the comments that people really like this soup, so i will try it again while using yams.

This way wasn't horrible, but me and my mom agreed that it was missing something. Maybe if someone tries it this way with a sweet potato instead of yams could figure out what that little missing bit is and let me know?

Candy Cane Spoons

These were gotten at Michael's. They almost look fake when just looking at them lol.

So i'm a peppermint fan and my brother pointed these out since he noticed them while working. I've only tried one so far, my daughter has already ate 2 of them. I gave her the broken ones that accidentally got broken when my mom dropped the box.

I'm trying to save some of them for when i can melt some chocolate to dip them in, or i might just need to go buy more of these before they are gone.

My first one i tried, i did it in hot chocolate with peppermint whipped cream on top. The whipped cream made it hard to stir and my cup was a little too tall so i started to lose the spoon before i could really stir.

I did have to laugh when i was trying to stir and took the spoon out and it started to bend from being warmed up.

When i drink things like this or eat candy canes, i get reminded how much i need more peppermint in my life. Spearmint is good too. I think i should stock up on candy canes this year and actually remember to eat them lol.

Portobello "Philly Cheese Steak" Sandwich

I've been looking up different recipes to do. Finally trying to get myself to eat better and this was one of the recipes i found.
Recipe: http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-recipe/portobello-philly-cheese-steak-sandwich.aspx

As i started to prep my stuff to start cooking, i realized that the printed version didn't say how to cut the mushrooms or the peppers. The online version does, just not the printed. So if you end up printing it out to follow it, just make little notes if you need to.

I'll start off with my prepping.

I usually forget to take a picture of everything together before cooking, but here's everything i used. I didn't use any oregano though.

First thing i did was cleaned the mushrooms. In case anyone who reads this wasn't sure on cleaning portobello mushrooms, i took pictures of the steps. First step being just snap off the stem.

Next thing to do is use a spoon and scrape the gills off. I find the edges a little annoying to get completely clean, but just do the best you can.

Here's all 4 of mine cleaned up.

I'm not new to peppers as in eating, but usually my mom is the one who cuts and cleans the peppers. I think this was my first attempt at cutting peppers. 

Most in my family aren't that big on peppers so i tried to cut them a little smaller so then maybe they wouldn't be too dominate.

The mushrooms after i sliced them.

I love onions in foods, but i HATE cutting them. Usually the chewing gum while cutting them works, but oh it so didn't this time. I got the onion sliced (most of it, was missing the guard so i didn't want to get too close) and i was trying to cut the rings into small slices and my eyes started to water so badly. I actually had to stop, put the onion rings into the freezer and had to wait until my eyes stopped watering. I could barely open my eyes from how bad it was. The freezing helped but i think i used about half of the onion instead because i couldn't handle my eyes watering anymore.

After the prepping comes the cooking. Starting off with cooking the onions in some olive oil first until they get soft.

Once onions are soft, add the peppers and the mushrooms. I think my mushrooms were too big for my pan lol. After cooking them for a little bit, I went through and cut them in half to  make it easier to stir and cook.

Adding the flour before the broth and soy sauce

Here's it all done in the pan.

I had my sandwich with chips.

Now that the how to make it is aside, now for the taste.

I don't think i'll jump to make it again, but it was pretty good. Wasn't really like eating a philly, but it was good. I was a little worried that the onions or peppers would be over taking, but i felt that when eating it it was pretty well blended. Could taste pretty much everything but one didn't over power anything. Maybe if you put a little mayo on the bread that it might bring it alittle more to a philly taste.

For being meatless, i think it went fairly well with my family. My mom is pretty set in wanting a meat dish(protein), a veggie, and a carb/starch for dinner. She at least didn't sound like she missed any meat and seems like it was filling enough for her. For my brother, i thought he was going to not like it because he's always saying that healthy foods taste bad. It was agreed that it doesn't really taste like a philly, but it's good for what it was. My dad ate one too, but i didn't get a chance to ask him what he thought of it.

Halloween 2013

Was trying to figure out how i wanted to post these pictures and i just decided to group them all in one post.

Starting off that the first picture is the finished product of my mom's, mine and my daughter's pumpkins. So since that's the first picture, i'll start with the pumpkins.

My daughter poking holes in her pumpkin. That was mostly what she did to it, i did most of the work on it.

My mom had me place the sticker on her pumpkin. She wanted to try the design booklet that had sticks instead of needing to tape it on.

Was suppose to be a glow in the dark paint that you could just roll on. It must of been an old one that didn't sell last year or something.

My daughter wanted a star and since she poked holes all over it, i just made them bigger so that the light would go through.

The pumpkins on our porch.

One of my favorite things about pumpkins during halloween is the seeds. One year i decided that i wanted to save the seeds to roast them and since then, i feel in love with pumpkin seeds.

This batch was just butter and garlic salt.

Tried making a honey type pumpkin seeds but it basically just ended up making some sort of honey candy

the seeds trapped in the honey stuff lol.

I felt a little lame this year that i didn't get to check out all halloween stuff at different stores like i like to do. I did make it to Walgreens and Spirit, just a few things i got, spent more than i really should of because i really didn't need the stuff.

I was going to put this back but it lights up and my daughter wanted me to get it.

A glow in the dark rat. my daughter actually likes it and calls it a mouse.

Another thing my daughter likes.

i don't know if i bought it broke, got broke during bagging, or during walking home or once i got home, but there's little pieces missing :( It's still alright i guess, just a little annoying.

The rat glowing

Mask i got myself

Fun straw i got from Spirit

Got this fun skull cup from Spirit. 

I haven't been taking my daughter door to door for her trick or treating, just been going to ones in town that are the "safer trick or treating" type thing. The stuff gets pretty crowded but i don't know how many people in my neighborhood still gives out candy. My daughter is also still young, so just easier to go to where i know she'll get something. Anyways, here's her costume and trick or treating stuff.

She was a fairy this year.

Me and my daughter before we left

Was hard getting a picture while walking with her, this was the best i got. We had gone to the mall for the trick or treating.

There was a faceboard set up, so my daughter wanted to get her picture taken with them, she had fun, just doesn't look like it lol

Then came home and had pizza. As long as Papa Murphy's is making the jack o lantern pizzas, it will be my halloween dinner (same with v-day and their heart pizza)

Guess to just wrap up this post is to share some fun edits i did.