Saints Jesus and other sundry Tuesday issues.

I am so tired.

Literally, my contacts are all that are keeping my eyes open at this point.

I can't believe it's only 10:00 a.m.

I also can't believe I'm awake.

Yesterday afternoon my neighbor M. asked me if I wanted to go to the Saints-Packers game - his ticket block had a spare ticket available - and of COURSE I jumped on that offer.

So I spent my Monday Night Football as part of the experience, rather than merely observing it in high-definition from the relatively comfortable confines of our couch.

There were cheeseheads and Favre jerseys everywhere in sight, and a particularly heretical Saints fan showed up dressed as Jesus.

(Funnier still was the preppy dude dressed as Adrian McPherson, down to the gold tooth.)

All humorous costuming aside, the game was a blowout. And I was thrilled.

But then I had to go home and make dressing for my work potluck today. So at 1:00 this morning I was shredding a loaf of french bread into some sauteed veggies and toasted pecans.

Bleargh. Towards that end, since I am still evidently not all that coherent, here's my recipe for another great dinner for a chilly autumn evening.

Pumpkin Risotto

1 can pumpkin
Olive oil, for cooking and to drizzle
1-2 cups chicken stock (depending on the cooking time of the rice)
1 cup arborio rice
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon sage

Bring the stock to a simmer in a pan and keep it at a gentle simmer over a low heat. Heat a little olive oil in a larger saucepan and add the rice. Cook, stirring frequently, for a minute, then add a ladleful of hot stock and stir until it is almost all absorbed before adding another ladleful.

Repeat until you’ve reached your last few ladlefuls of stock. Taste the rice to see if it is al dente. If not, add more stock. Add the pumpkin, a little at a time, until you reach the desired taste and consistency. Add the sage, and then the grated parmesan. Keep warm.

Ladle the risotto on to warm plates and tap the bottom of each plate gently to spread it out. Drizzle with a little olive oil and scatter over the parmesan, then serve immediately.