Bob's Corn Maze and Country Market

We took a country ride this afternoon, arriving in Duvall to walk along the Snoqualmie Trail.  Polly the Dog got a real workout, and met two other dogs on the way.  Then we stopped at Sky Valley Nursery between Duvall and Monroe, and I stopped in to look through the gift shop.  They had a wonderful pumpkin made of twigs and filled with fairy lights--I got it, and it looks festive in the living room.

Our last stop was Bob's Corn and Country Market.  It was rather quiet there today, as the weekends this time of year are crowded due to the corn maze and all of the activities for children.  I got some Pumpkin Spice Waffle Syrup, and took the pictures below of all of the pumpkins.  What a great day to be out and about!

 

 

 

Spider Web

This was the first thing I saw this morning when I went outside to walk the dog.

Early Morning Light

The day dawned clear and crisp this morning, so I went out and captured the yard in this new season.

 

 

Chutney and Cardamom Tea

Last night at Shamiana (our favorite Indian restaurant), the Chutney Sampler consisted of the following chutneys (it changes each week):

Tamarind Mint Chutney
Coriander Chutney
Mango Chutney

We had this with garlic naan, and a pot of Cardamom Tea. Don't you love the camel teapot?

 

 

Vintage Aprons

I have a lovely collection of vintage aprons, collected over the years from my friends, family and various antique stores.  While shopping at Country Village in Bothell earlier in the week, I came across this lovely hand-sewn apron with canning jars on it.  I thought it would be a perfect kitchen apron for me as I preserve all of my fruits and vegetables from the summer.

Trip to Silverdale

I went to Silverdale to visit my uncle Rex yesterday, taking the Kingston ferry from Edmonds.  The weather was perfect for the 75-mile round-trip, and I enjoyed being out and having a mini-day trip on my own.  It was fun riding the ferry again after about a year or so.  Traffic was very light, and it was great driving most of the day and NOT having to commute to work!

Here are some pictures of Kingston and one shot from the ferry as we were heading home.

 

 

Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato Squash

Yesterday I received a Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato Squash in my organic vegetable box from a Snohomish farm just a few miles away.  It's a wonderful cream-colored acorn squash with a sweet chestnut favor.

This squash is a family heirloom squash, and it came to us from Thelma Sanders in Adair County, Missouri.  The seed was passed to Everett Pettit and Tom Knoche, Ohio squash collectors and two of SSE's (Seed Savers Exchange) earliest members. Thelma passed it on to Mother Nature's Organics farm here in Snohomish, and I can't wait to try it.

The easiest way to cook it is to cook it in an oven like a baked potato (pierce it several times, put it in a shallow pan with water, and bake at 375 degrees until it is soft). Butter and season it, and you have an incredible vegetable for your meal that contains special polysaccharides, pectins, which have strong anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic insulin-regulating properties.