"The Boys of Summer Have Gone"

Congrats to the Houston Astros, a first time win for this franchise. The Dodgers also played well so the win could have gone to either team. Pro baseball is one long season - spring/summer/fall. Does this remind you of any other outdoor activity? Can you believe these thirty teams play 162-games every year? That's a lot of run-hit-score motion and reminds me of the grade school joke - "What has eighteen legs and catches flies?" "A baseball team!" GROAN! 

Mowing the leaves, will use to tuck in the beds

What's next? For the "Boys of Summer" it's a long vacation, they probably aren't handed a leaf rake as soon as they walk in the door. For gardeners, it's finishing up the landscape clean up and savoring any remaining summer tastes of the garden season. 

We had our three final ripe tomatoes on a salad a week ago. Winter squash dishes are on just about every restaurant menu and probably on your plate as well. One of our favorite fall recipes is squash soup from the 1996 December issue of Bon Appétit Magazine. Talk about deep, rich fall flavors, this is a go to must. Don't leave out the croutons - they make the soup. You probably have the fresh thyme and sage in your own garden that hasn't fully gone dormant. And one other tip - it's a pain to peel both the acorn and butternut squash, so precook them for easy peeling.  

11-11-2014 Polar Vortex

When the World Series finally ends it seems like we're so much closer to winter - which in Colorado can arrive in mere hours or a day. "I'm ready - the snow shovel is hanging right next to the rake."