Sausage Rice Bake

1 lb sausage (not links)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (optional)
1-2 cups mushrooms, chopped (optional)
4 cups water (3 1/2 if you're using white rice)
2-3 bouillon cubes, any kind OR 1 envelope chicken noodle soup mix
2 cups brown (or white) rice
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp parsley
salt and pepper

Brown the sausage with the vegetables. Boil the water with the bouillon cubes. If you use the soup mix add it to the rice, not to the water. Put the rice in a 9x13 with the poultry seasoning, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the meat and broth, cover with foil and bake for about an hour at 450 F.  

Comfort food and easy peasy too. Brown rice makes it especially satisfying. I hear this is from the More With Less cookbook, but these are my adaptations. Eat it with green beans and some applesauce for the full Mennonite effect. :)

Pumpkin Spice Latte

2 cups milk
2 Tbsp canned pumpkin
1-2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup hot brewed coffee or 2-4 shots of espresso

In 2-quart saucepan, heat milk, pumpkin and sugar over medium heat until hot (do not boil). Remove from heat and stir in pumpkin pie spice and vanilla.  Froth it with your little Ikea frother-thing. :)  Divide coffee or espresso into 2 mugs and then divide milk mixture into the mugs. You can garnish it with whipped cream and more spice if you want, but it doesn't really need it.

This is originally from here. It's good...if you're a fan of the good ol' PSL! (And I kind of am.) AND...one serving of this is only 180-90 calories (with 2% milk) compared to 300 for a tall, which costs $3.75...think about it. Now go make it.

Butternut Squash Bisque

3-4 Tbsp butter
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrots, chopped
2 medium butternut squashes (about 8 cups)
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
dash of nutmeg
3/4 cup half and half

Bake the squash and removed the seeds, pulp, and skin. Saute onion in butter until soft. Add carrots, broth, squash, and seasonings. Simmer until the carrots are soft then blend smooth with an immersion blender (or in batches in a blender). Add half and half and serve.

Of course you can prepare the squash raw and cook until soft with the carrots, but that's way too much work for me. This is slightly adapted from an allrecipes.com recipe and makes a nice, big pot of soup. I would have to use the word "rich" to describe the taste...so good with some french bread! Serves 8.