Signs of Autumn Are in the Air

Monday, October 13, 2008

I'm quite ready for the autumnal season,
but the weather isn't prepared to cooperate just yet.

Morning temperatures have been in the mid 40s,
but it's 79 degrees right now.

A few leaves have turned because of the dry weather,
but there has been no visit from Jack Frost.

Indian corn has been sighted at the farmers' market
and a few ears followed me home.
I learned my lesson the hard way about decorating inside the house
with these sumptuously colored ears.
Mice come scampering from the fields as the hay is cut
and corn encourages them to linger in the house.
So all corn will stay outside this year.

We plan to go pumpkining this weekend!

Fall Recipe from Susan Branch

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

I thought maybe you would like the recipe for this, so here goes:  

While sweet potatoes are cooking, cut off the tops of the pumpkins, hollow out cleanly and smear insides with a little softened butter. Put them on a cookie sheet. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. With an electric mixer (not a food processor) you whip together 4 c. cooked (boil them) and mashed sweet potatoes, 8 oz softened cream cheese, 1/2 c. softened butter, 2 beaten eggs, 1/4 c. packed brown sugar, 2 1/2 Tbsp. dry sherry, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Whip until light. Stir in 3/4 c. chopped walnuts. Fill the pumpkins, sprinkle each with nutmeg, put on the tops, and bake 40 min. until pumpkins feel tender when lightly squeezed.