Pumpkins.... and Paris

This beautiful, colorful month of November is indeed filled with pumpkins. They decorate our doorsteps,  play the leading roll in our food, filling  our tummies in the form of puree' and in pie.  Served steamed or oven roasted

 and  few things  are as comforting as a bowl of hot pumpkin soup on a cold night!  Right?  Or perhaps a creamy, cheesy butternut squash lasagna?

Paris has been on our minds too.  It started with the December issue of Cooking Light featuring a recipe for French Onion Soup.  A MUST have, I decided!  I started cooking  and planning to serve it for lunch.  Ha.... it was such a labor intense job that it ended up ready to serve at dinner!  It was worth the wait!

Prompted by a  reader comment in David Lebovitz last blog  featuring "Cranberry Shrub" we , the photographer and I,  tuned in to the Paris chapter of the PBS TV series: "I'll Have What Phil Is Having" enjoying a great  hour of Parisian food in pictures and words.  Parts of it, the pastry portion presented by David Lebovitz,  who else? David  is one of my favorite food bloggers. Sheer pleasure!

Then came the Paris attack!  How have we come to this?

Even as the event is unfolding there are those hurling awful xenophobia.  Those who hatefully exploit a tragedy.  To what end?
"Nous sommes tous Parisiens" after all, are we not ALL in this together?  Why so much hate?  On this tiny little Mother Earth.  I can not wrap my head around it!
We mourn with those who lost family members.  We suffer with the homeless.  Those who live in constant fear.  Be it in Lebanon, Beirut  or in Syria or here in the United States for that matter.

We want Love to WIN!  Goodness to prevail!  Love to conquer ALL!  It MUST!  The opposite can't be tolerated.

As November slips by, we now focus on Thanksgiving!  There will be a BIG gathering at our house this year.  Food to cook, family members to embrace, beds to make and dogs to walk.  So on with the Pumpkin Pie, the Pumpkin Bread Pudding and the roasted sweet potatoes.

after all we have Pumpkins...

and then,  there is THIS PUMPKIN!

Oh yes, let's not forget the Cranberries!:-)