1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
3 tablespoons ice water

1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup milk

1. Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
3. Sprinkle water evenly over surface one tablespoon at a time, stirring with a fork to blend.
4. Shape dough into a ball and chill in the fridge (at least half an hour) while preparing tart filling.
5. Mix sugars, spices and egg into the pumpkin puree.
6. Gradually add milk and cream until mixture is smooth and just pourable.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
8. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out to a bit less than 1/4" thickness.
9. Trace circles roughly 3 1/2" diameter (a soup bowl should do), re-rolling the dough as necessary.
10. Press circles into greased muffin tin and poke edges and bottom with fork.
11. Bake shells for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
12. Fill shells with pumpkin puree mix and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until tart shells brown.

Makes 6 tarts

48 ounces tomato juice
2 tablespoons flour
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil
salt and pepper

1. Put onion, celery and bay leaf in a soup pot over medium heat.
2. Add tomato juice and cook until celery starts to become translucent.
3. Puree mixture for a thicker soup or strain through sieve for a smoother soup.
4. Combine sugar, flour and butter in a bowl, adding hot tomato liquid until fully blended.
5. Add the bowl contents to the soup pot.
6. Bring soup to a bowl, stirring constantly then remove from heat.
7. Season with parsley, basil, salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 8 servings

4 pieces crusty bread, thickly sliced
3 ounces mozzarella, thickly sliced
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon aioli
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1. Heat skillet over medium heat.
2. Make sandwiches with bread, aioli and mozzarella.
3. Butter the top of the sandwich, season with oregano and put buttered side down in the hot pan.
4. While frying, press sandwich down with spatula to flatten, then butter the top of the sandwich and season with oregano.
5. Flip when the bottom is golden brown and continue to fry until that side is browned as well.
6. Remove from skillet and rub top of sandwich with cut clove of garlic.

Makes 2 sandwiches

One of the local supermarkets advertises "Bread hot at 5PM or it's free!" In my entire history of shopping there I've never felt a hot loaf of bread on their shelves. Surprisingly they have not relinquished this offer. I always feel like a bit of an ass shopping for a free loaf of bread, but hey; free bread.

One of the first things (perhaps the very first thing) I ever learned to make was Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. Since then, I've learned a few tricks to enhance the experience. The quality of cheese is important (processed slices have their place when you're a kid, but just don't cut it when you're an adult), the quality of the bread is important (preferably something combining a crisp crust with a soft center) but really, there's one thing that I think sets apart my grilled cheese sandwich from yours: oregano.

Without the oregano (and rub of garlic) this sandwich would just be some cheese and bread, but a little bit of this herb adds a whole new dimension. I've been told that I make the best grilled sandwich in the world (only by one person and many years ago, but it still counts!) so you may want to try this little alteration the next time you make a grilled cheese. A panini grill wouldn't hurt, either.

I can't imagine another soup paired with grilled cheese than Tomato Soup. I don't know if that's also conditioning from my youth, but it just works so well. Of all the soups I make, this one is the easiest. For the price of a can of tomato soup you can make enough to feed a large family. Not only is it inexpensive and more nutritious, but it also tastes better. A lot better. Sure, it takes a little bit longer to prepare, but that's a small sacrifice in my opinion.

For dessert I had some leftover pumpkin from the Circus Peanut Pumpkin recipe, so I made up a few Pumpkin Tarts. They taste so good with a little dollop of cream cheese at the bottom! I don't know anyone that doesn't like pumpkin pie and there's nothing better on a cold winter day than a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of tomato soup. I'm probably going to reconsider this down the road when the temperature drops substantially lower and I'm faced with a roast beef dinner, but I'm certainly satisfied with tonight's meal, no matter how simple it may be.