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Chattanooga Chef and Blogger @TheFriendlyFeast contributed these recipes to our blog. They feature seasonal veggies that are filling and hearty to use all winter long.

Roasted Delicata Squash with Balsamic Glaze by Kate Veltkamp (@friendlyfeasting)

1 delicata squash, cut into rings with seeds removed using a spoon

2 T olive oil

1 ½ cups balsamic vinegar

½ cup brown sugar

1 T nondairy butter (I like Country Crock brand best)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach

¼ cup vegan feta cheese crumbles (I like Follow Your Heart brand best)

¼ cup pecans, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F while you prepare your ingredients.
Coat the delicata squash rings in olive oil using a pastry brush. Top with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Place the rings onto a cookie sheet and pop them into the oven for 18 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Both sides should be brown and the edges should be a little crisp.
While the squash is baking, begin your glaze by whisking the vinegar and sugar together in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring this to a boil and then reduce the heat, allowing it to simmer for the remainder of the time. (this step can be done ahead of time to achieve an even thicker glaze if it is cooled after cooking)
Melt butter in a medium-sized pan over medium-low heat and then add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, making sure it doesn’t brown. Toss spinach into the pan and allow it to wilt, stirring to ensure the garlic butter coats all of it. This process should only take a max of 3 minutes. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on the sauteed spinach and stir, then taste to see if more salt is needed.
Plate the dish by arranging the squash rings slightly on top of one another and then topping them with sauteed spinach, vegan feta, and chopped pecans. Finish by drizzling the balsamic glaze over the whole dish. I like to give it one more sprinkle of salt and pepper at the end. This recipe is easily doubled but you won’t need to double the glaze portion; it makes a lot!

Butternut Squash and Apple Bisque by Kate Veltkamp (@friendlyfeasting)
INGREDIENTS
3 cups butternut squash, cubed (alternatively, use 1 can of precooked squash)
3 T butter
1 large onion chopped
1/2 cup Honeycrisp or other sweet apple cubed
3 cloves garlic minced
1 T Bragg’s liquid aminos or Soy Sauce
3 cups vegetable stock/no-chicken broth
2 T nutritional yeast
1/2 cup cashew creme
1 T parsley chopped
ground nutmeg

Cook the butternut squash in a pressure cooker //or on a regular stove top. For a pressure cooker, add 1 cup of water and squash and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes, quick release the pressure valve. //For regular stovetop, add squash to large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Drain.

In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium heat and add onions and apple pieces. Cook until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and let cook 1 minute. Splash with the bragg’s aminos/soy sauce. Simmer 1 minute more, then add broth/stock and stir. Add in the pre-cooked butternut squash and nutritional yeast and cook 2 minutes on high heat.

Using an immersion blender, blend thoroughly until smooth or if you prefer the chunkiness of a bisque, pulse the blender a few times to combine. (Alternatively, blend in batches in a traditional blender) Add in the cashew creme, reserving a few spoonfuls for adding to the top of each bowl. Simmer 1 more minute in the pot and then divvy out the portions into soup bowls. Top with creme, parsley and a dash of nutmeg, if desired.

Happy Holidays!
Kate Velcamp
The Friendly Feast

Fall Treats!

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Swing by (Be) Caffeinated to sample their Fall-inspired menu.

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There’s a home plan for everyone!

At Pratt Home Builders, we take pride in offering a wide range of high-quality homes to suit any lifestyle. Whether you’re looking for a cozy starter home or a spacious floor plan, we have something to suit your needs. Additionally, our quick move-in homes are available in a variety of well-established communities, such as Engel Park, Greyhawk Trails, and Seven Lakes. Each community offers its own unique benefits, from scenic mountain views to convenient access to shopping and dining. Currently, several market homes are available for purchase. These include The Wellesley plan in Seven Lakes and the Peachtree plan in Greyhawk Trails. If you’re looking for something truly special, be sure to check out The Emory plan in Engel Park. This brand-new single-level home is the perfect place to make your next “home base.”

VIEW OUR QUICK MOVE-IN HOMES                    VIEW OUR BUILDABLE HOME PLANS

In this Pratt Home Builders Design Spotlight, we learn more about Rebecca Kiszkiel, the latest addition to our in-house interior design team. Originally from Upstate New York, she moved to Chattanooga twelve years ago, where several design jobs eventually led her to Pratt Home Builders. Transitioning from her previous position with Pratt as Closing Coordinator to Design Coordinator, Rebecca tells us about her excitement for this new chapter and provides us with some history of her love for design.

Rebecca’s passion for art and Interior Design goes beyond her time at Pratt but accelerated when she chose a major in college. She describes a pivotal conversation with her high school guidance counselor that helped narrow down the choice.

“My guidance counselor said to me, ‘I don’t want you to worry about what everyone else is doing. We’ve all been gifted with something, and you’ve got a natural interest and ability for something. What is it?'”

Knowing she was passionate about art, history, and animals, Rebecca deliberated her strengths and how they related to each passion. She narrowed the choice down to Interior Design, feeling confident in her ability to understand someone’s vision and turn it into something special. She attended RIT, Rochester Institute of Technology, in Rochester, New York, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine and Applied Arts and Interior Design.

Post-graduation, Rebecca had several jobs in the design world that soon led her to Chattanooga. In 2010, she moved down to Tennessee and began working for a small local builder, where she helped with the design selection process. Shortly after, she took a job with Yessick’s Design Center as a subcontracted Interior Designer. These positions complemented Rebecca’s understanding of design and her confidence in the field.

In March of 2019, Rebecca was hired as the Closing Coordinator for Pratt Home Builders. She stayed in that position until she was recently approached with the opportunity to be a part of the Pratt design team. Rebecca was excited to work alongside another division of Pratt and eager to engage with her passion full time. She has been working diligently to familiarize herself with the Pratt design process and describes the transition so far.

“Having prior experience with design, creating contract addendums, the software system used at Pratt, combined with my background, made for a relatively easy transition. It was just a matter of understanding more of the Pratt process, how they go about doing things, and what options are most appropriate for the customers’ needs,” states Rebecca.

She explains that as the Closing Coordinator, she still interacted daily with clients in the office, such as the title company, various lenders, and our sales/marketing team. This prepared her for the customer interactions she would soon have as a design coordinator. She expresses what has been the most rewarding part so far,

“Initially, when you meet with your customer, you find out what their needs are, and you can start helping them with their vision. The most rewarding part is seeing that vision come together in the end. What I envisioned with my customer is what’s there and that the customer loves it.”

Rebecca strives to “make a home a haven” for her clients and tends to pull lots of inspiration from nature. She seeks to bring those serene aspects of the outdoors inside a home, noting a certain peace that comes with it. She spends time outside hiking and camping, finding inspiration from her surrounding environment.

Rebecca enjoys various activities when it’s time to put work down for the day. From spending time with her 20-year-old son, Karson, cooking dinner with friends, reading, traveling, painting, game nights, or antiquing, Rebecca strives to live life to the fullest. She leaves us with a great reminder that when you recognize opportunities, most often, they can be rewarding and a blessing.

“Attitude is everything. You have to realize you can’t limit yourself. Always be open to learning something new every day, big or small. Just have fun. We only have one life here to live. So go live a little!”

If you are interested in purchasing a home that has been carefully curated by our in-house design team contact one of our New Home Consultants here for more information. Throughout this year, there will be several Quick Move-In homes that will be available for purchase. Our team of professional designers makes the process easy by preselecting all finishes and colors so customers can enjoy granite, hardwoods, and today’s most stylish color schemes.

Click here if you want to learn more about our design team and their process!