In Which There Are Books and Iron Pots and Preserves (at least in theory)

So.
Tomorrow is my birthday but technically festivities started yesterday, when my mom came over with (a) cake, (b) ancestral jewellery, and (c) Part I of her present for me: A 7qt orange enamel cast iron casserole dish.

I'm stoked.

Hypothetically there's a book coming, and she's told me to pick out some new "house shoes" in X price-range so... I've done that, but am waiting until after tomorrow to click the check-out button.

Allegedly, my lovely wife has also found me a fancy cast iron pot - a few people just straight-up asked me for a wish-list, so I put one together, thence a few duplicates, but I'm not sad about it - so: I'm feeling kind of unstoppable on the cooking front.

I am 100% (FINALLY) going to buy myself a tiny stove-top waffle iron to add to my cast iron cookware collection and then, as the saying goes, It's Over For You Bitches.
And by "over" I mean: I'm going to start hosting tiny waffle breakfasts or something, probably using waffles that I cook in advance and then reheat in batches - bless the microwave.

In other news: I have finally finished cooking all the jack-o-lantern, and have put the resulting cooked, diced pumpkin through a food mill.
Now I just wait for it to slow-cook into Pumpkin Butter (I added 1/2 C cider vinegar, 3/4 C maple syrup, a pinch of salt, and a bunch of cinnamon and nutmeg).

FYI: 1 pint jar of pumpkin butter + 2 eggs + 1C yoghurt OR sour cream = very easy pumpkin pie filling.



Anyway. I need to throw on a warm layer or two and head to Shutterbug's place, where there will be birthday sushi dinner.