Spicy Pumpkin vs. Apple Streusel

It isn't for lack of inspiring tastes or enchanting smells that I have been away. This is a season of immeasurable food, cakes and pies, tender meats covered in herbs ( maybe not freshly picked but...) and hearty vegetables.
The farmers market is thinning out but we still have bitter greens, potatoes, apples, and winter squash as the winter staples. We have been taking advantage of these foods making butternut squash risottos, apple pies, milky hills of mashed potatoes to name a few. These taste as good as they sound and they weren't confined to one night of dinner either. We feasted, as hopefully you all did, on Thanksgiving indulging in a turkey so golden brown it looked like it had been cooked by the sun, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and all the other musts and wants. Mother has the astounding ability to cook a lavish meal for 7 without anyone ever knowing. She is a kitchen hero cooking with such ease and grace, like she is dancing a ballet or a waltz. You might compare my presence in the kitchen to krumping. With that in mind I was left with my one task, make the pumpkin pie. James and I turned this into a pie competition, my spicy pumpking pie vs. his streusel apple pie. Judging was based on how much pie was left at the end of the day ( tied) and how much was left at the end of the next day ( they were both finished, we tied). We are both winners. His pie was outstanding and I wish I could have had more then one slice. Maybe at Christmas?
So as we ease on into the winter I'll continue to visit the market and maybe we will discover some new and exciting fruits and vegetables. Like the avosquash, except it will be a buttertato or something.