October is a really beautiful month around here: some trees are changing and some are not, so there is everything from green to red to look at, fresh fruit and vegetables abound, and harvest is over in the vineyard, leaving golden vines in its wake. It reminds me of the line in A Year in Provence, where Massot, the cranky neighbour, unexpectedly and poetically says that nature is wearing her prettiest clothes before spitting on the ground.
Nature IS wearing her prettiest clothes, the sunrise is perfectly timed for the beginning of our morning walks, and we have had some pleasantly rainy days which makes me feel much less apocalyptic, given the fire season we just had.
Something that did make me feel less than glowing happened on Monday, when I was serenely and happily cleaning up the garden beds. I was pulling out the nasturtiums which, if you don’t know, are flowers that give a thick and luscious vine-like groundcover along with their cheerful yellow and orange blooms. Those vines can crawl up a fence or, as I had planted them, cascade thickly and beautifully down a garden box. Those beautiful and thick vines were clearly valued by others in this natural world; as I reached in to pull out the roots, a mouse ran over my thankfully gloved hand. My soul briefly left my body. I screamed and dropped the flowers, at which point two more mice appeared from a hole in the soil, beneath the nasturtiums, and scampered away. Who knows how many more there were, because I ran, screaming, into the house. At that point, my husband gently suggested that I stay there while he finished the cleanup.
My watch informed me that I “seem to be experiencing higher than usual levels of stress” and that perhaps I should try a breathing exercise? I did that, repeating the mice are children of the universe, just like me over and over. I reminded myself that the mice had made a little nest for themselves, outside, which is just as nature intended. They’re just living their lives, and I had made a home for them by planting nasturtiums. I was briefly calmed by this feeling of good karma, and then I would think MY HAND, it ran over my HAND.
What I am saying is the true star of this month’s Favourite Things is the pair of thick, sturdy, pink-and-white gardening gloves which have protected my hands from thistles, brambles, thorns, and, now, the Hanta virus. Gloves, I love you. Without you, the skin on my right hand would be Lady Macbeth-ed right off.
Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Gourgeous Gourds Edition
It’s Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers
If ever an autumn passes us by and I DON’T reference Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers, please check on me, because I will not be okay. Perhaps a rodent will have ran over my gloveless hands and I will disintegrate just like the Nazis looking at the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones.
Check out my shellacked decorative gourds, assholes!
It’s fall, fuckfaces. You’re either ready to reap this freaky-assed harvest or you’re not.
And, of course, it’s Canada, so we celebrate Decorative Gord Season as well.
It’s Also Non-Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers
We had a few rainy days in a row over the past month, and so by the time I made it to the garden, I had some not-small zucchinis waiting for me.
I also had an enormous haul of butternut squash, and here’s the thing: I love roasted butternut squash, but I dread roasting it, because it is such a bitch to peel. Or I should say that I used to dread it, because I have discovered A Hack: cut off the ends, poke it all over with a fork, and then microwave it for 1-3 minutes, depending on the size. Miraculously, the peel slides off easily with a vegetable peeler! No more breaking peelers or your spirit by trying to just make a festive fall meal. It’s all butternut squash, all the time around here now. If we are living in the Age of Information, I am going to use it to my advantage when it comes to vegetable preparation.
A friend of my husband’s gave me a few of these pattypan squashes, and I honestly had no idea what to do with them. Again, we are in the Age of Information! There is nothing you can’t learn from the internet! I cut it into chunks and roasted it with beets, to be served with a balsamic drizzle for Thanksgiving dinner.
Suzanne’s Favourite Fall Salad
We have Big Fun Salad for dinner once a week at least, and recently I have veered towards my friend Suzanne’s Favourite Fall Salad. Of course, because I’m me, I change up the inputs, but the warm fuzzy fall feeling is still there. One day I used the last of the kale from my fall planting, my butternut squash, as well as an apple that had been picked from our neighbour’s tree that very morning. How fun and local! I like to add roasted lentils, goat cheese, and some spicy candied pecans, with a dressing of 4-2-1 olive oil, red wine vinegar, and maple syrup, plus garlic and Dijon. It is a delight of a salad, very filling, and it makes me feel very Fall Forward.
Hide and Seek With My Gnomies
Speaking, again, of the garden, it is finally time to bring the gnomes in for the season. This year I decided to place my gnomes strategically so that the garden foliage would hide them. I would have been absolutely delighted, as a child, at the idea of hidden gnomes. Who am I kidding, this delights me as someone who is 51 years old. The raspberries immediately swallowed up the gnomes in the veggie garden, but it took a while for the foliage to overtake Giovanni and Salvadore.
What is life without whimsy? It occurs to me that maybe the mice were just trying to emulate the gnomes? Maybe they were wishing they too had little hats?
Ooooh Linda, Put The Coffee On
My friend Sarah (HI SARAH) sent me this postcard with the note Is this a picture of you before you drink your two gallons of coffee in the morning? It’s like Sarah is in my house. That is EXACTLY what I am like, emotionally, at least.
I am a Quantity Over Quality person when it comes to coffee: I make a pot, and then I drink it black, almost completely before 5:30 am. The exception to my black coffee is on the weekend, where I like the occasional Treat-Treat, as I say to Rex.
I can’t remember the last time I was actually in a Starbucks, but I do like a glug of one of these non-dairy creamers once or twice a week. My favourite, weirdly, for a person who doesn’t generally care for caramel much, is the caramel macchiato, but all three add a little weekend yumminess to my beloved cup.
Outfit of the Month
The weather feels delightfully fall-ish, which is to say that the mornings are cool and crisp and give way to sunny, warm-adjacent afternoons. And one fun development of this era of my life is that I am no longer freezing all the time, so I can brazenly walk around in a light, mesh-style top from Lululemon and be the perfect temperature.
It’s difficult to tell from the photo how mesh-y and see-through this top is, you will just have to believe me. I wear a shelf-bra tank top underneath, because it is so see-through. I’m pairing this with The World’s Most Comfortable Jeans, i.e., Silver brand Beau cut, which purport to “eliminate muffin top.” I mean, they kind of do? I cannot get over the comfort level, to be honest, and because, clearly, I am a woman of a certain age – overly hot, wearing no-muffin-top-jeans – I wear my Skechers sandals around the house. They are very unattractive but I haven’t had problems with plantar fasciitis for months.
This is a little early for my monthly Favourite Things, but there is a good reason for that: I am taking a blog break! Take care of yourselves, friends, and I will see you in November. xo
I honestly can’t walk past a gourd now without saying in my mind, ‘it’s decorative gourd season Motherfuckers’. I love all the things in this post, especially the sound of those ‘hide the muffintop’ jeans! Silvers are the best!
They are the best! And we can buy them from Mark’s!
I see those pattypan squashes at the farmers’ market and I have never tried one. I may try the peeling tip, as I have never enjoyed trying to peel butternut squash. I can only eat squash in small quantities anyway because it’s high in carbs, but I do like it. And I often get a decorative gourd or two for my desk when we get our pumpkins.
I am at my mother-in-law’s house and the fall gnomes are out. I will try to remember to send you some pix.
If travel is the reason for the break, bon voyage!
Steph, if you do want a squash give it a try – it made it so easy! I’d love to see your fall gnome photos!
I grow patty pan squash and love it. I make a Patty Pan & Jalapeno quick bread with it on repeat when it comes in. It’s a favorite around here.
Oooh I should try that, I have so many jalapenos too!
Nicole, this post gave me such a good laugh! Thank you for that! I guess if you must take a blogging break, at least you left me with this post to re-read whenever I need cheering up. I’m happy you had your gloves on to protect you from the mouse! Eeeek! Bonus point to your husband for finishing the task. The gathering of the gnomes sounds magical, and I can tell you that I’d be just as delighted finding them in various places in your garden. I hope you have a nice blogging break!
Michelle, I wish you could come and visit me. The fun we would have! We could go on a gnome hunt. I brought in some of the smaller ones that were in the flower containers, and I actually couldn’t find one! It took a while for me to dig through the foliage!
I hope you are going on a fun trip! I’ve never tried those pattypan squashes because they seem incredibly difficult to cut due to the shape. My favorite are the Delicato. Roasted squash on salads is totally underrated!
I would have freaked out about the mice running over your hand. I once had a huge centipede run over my (socked) foot in our bathroom and I about died.
Ahhhhh!!!
Delicato is great too – I love squash on salad! Beets too can be nice when roasted. I never remember to do that, though!
Thank you for confirming that I was right imagining you pre-coffee! Since you’re taking a break that probably means you’re going somewhere, can’t wait to see where!
I sent you a letter telling you all about it, hopefully you get it before I get home! Thanks again for the card, it made me feel so seen!!
I would have lost my mind if a mouse ran across my hand! I love that you tried to find your peaceful, compassionate side afterward, though.
I’ve been taking a break from blog writing, but not necessarily blog reading. Maybe I’m doing it wrong. 😂
Enjoy your break, Nicole! 💜
I mean, I kind of did lose my mind. It was a very not-fun surprise! But I would feel very, very differently if they were in my house! At least they were outside AS THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE!
YESSSSSSS to gourd season! NOOOOOOOOOO to mice! Nicole. I am so glad you survived the Mouse Incident, and I am very glad your gloves provided such a clear barrier between you and rodent feet *shudder*. And Rob shines as Husband of the Fall for taking care of the remaining nasturtiums. Perhaps he will deal with nasturtiums forevermore.
Your zucchini are so magnificent, Nicole. I have one final zucchini on the stalk (I think I got four total this summer? maybe five?) and it is nowhere near the size of yours.
Your version of the fall salad looks so scrumptious, and I love that so many ingredients came from your garden (or a neighbor’s tree). Homegrown goodness!
Have a wonderful blog break my friend!!
I thought of you and your own moustastrophes, and I felt a deep connection.
We are using up the last of the zucchinis tonight AND I baked zucchini bread today in a burst of frantic pre-trip energy!
Motherfucker reporting for duty! Fall just wasn’t the same before blogging. Jenny made me appreciate the fall colors, and you made me chuckle every time that I see a gourd.
Your gardening gloves are my favorite thing because EEEEEEEEEEEK!!!
Sigh, we will miss you on your blogging break but that will make us look all the more forward to your return.
MOTHERFUCKER! Is what I should have screamed at the mouse that ran over my hand, but I didn’t. Instead, it was like a hysterical high-pitched scream like I was being murdered.
Oh God, I am horrified on your behalf regarding the mice! RUNNING OVER YOUR HAND! I may not sleep tonight.
I completely forgot about the “decorative gourd season Motherfuckers.” But, I did immediately jump to “it’s almost tiny, secret Christmas” (I know I butchered this somehow) season for Nicole as soon as the calendar turned to October.
Awww Gigi I am SO happy you thought of me! Tiny Secret Festive Season is right around the corner!!!
Once again you made me laugh so hard when I was reading about the mice. Three! I certainly would have jumped and perhaps run away but overall mice don’t freak me out. My previous older house always had mice and our cottage is a cozy refuge in the winter. I loved all of your favourite things, especially the hiding gnomes. And I tried you tip for peeling a butternut squash. I even forgot to cut the ends off and pierce with a fork. Just washed in then 1 min in the microwave and it peeled so easily! Have a great trip wherever it may be.
It’s a magical trick and wow, I wish I had known this like twenty years ago. Thanks Pat!
I passed a whole carton FILLED with gourds in Vermont yesterday, and I was going to take a picture and send it to you because whenever I see gourds, I think Nicole. That’s your legacy!
You’re taking a blog break just as I’m coming back from one? Shaking my fist at the universe!
THIS IS MY GIFT TO THE WORLD. Gourds! Lol! That and shopping carts!
We need to time our breaks better!
The patty pan squash is adorable. I feel like an incredibly fun children’s book could be created out of an anthropomorphized pattypan.
A MOUSE RAN OVER YOUR HAND??? How perfectly dreadful and traumatizing and, also, how wonderful for copy for the blog. This story is told hilariously and I am so glad you survived the tell the tale.
The final night we were in Wales my daughter and I went to a pub with Rachel and a mouse RAN OVER HER SANDALLED FOOT. We made a very hasty retreat inside at that point.
Have a wonderful time away from blog-land <3
I just made a very strange involuntary sound. Her sandalled foot. I think something inside me just shrivelled up and died in empathy.
Haha, thanks for including that link to the MF-article, it’s absolutely HILARIOUS! And your post was the perfect match, Nicole. Thanks for that!
Enjoy a wonderful blog break, can’t wait to hear all about it!
It makes me laugh every time, and I never get tired of it! The giant gourd necklace. The freaky-assed harvest. IT’S GOLD! Gold like the leaves that we strew all haphazard like around the house.
Love your colorful zucchini outfit and hope your blog break is full of fabulous travel adventures.
Sarah! You are the only person who noticed the colourful outfit!!! I so rarely wear anything non-black, I feel like a peacock!
what a great tip to peel off butternut squash. I almost always cook the pumpkin with the skin because i’m so lazy to peel it off.
what are your favorite ways to eat zucchin and squash? you have soooo many now.
For both of them I like cutting them into chunks and roasting them! Also I love to make zucchini bread!
If a mouse ran over my hand, gloved or not, I would have contemplated moving..lol. Double yuck. I love the idea of a big salad for dinner once a week. I may be borrowing that idea! And your salad looks amazing! Happy fall, mother-f’er!
Hahaha thanks Judy! I won’t lie, I did feel a bit faint!
Reading your blog post today was my treat after doing my final prep for my big client meeting today in Kentucky. And boy did it make me smile! Except for the mice. THE MICE. I know they are living their best mice lives but I don’t ever want to see one again, not even outdoors (certainly not indoors).
I, too, love butternut squash so I need to try that trick but I find even CUTTING the dang things to be really hard. I have lost a lot of hand dexterity because of the surgery on my hand. I could ask Phil to cut the ends off but I hate asking for help. But this hand dexterity issue has forced me to ask for help. Like unscrewing the top off a water bottle? I often cannot do it which is embarrassing but oh well. I have learned that people like being asked to help. So I have now talked myself into tell Phil I need him to slice the ends off a butternut squash for me.
I need to check out those Silver jeans. I have a Madewell pair that I like but I feel like I’m constantly pulling them up at my waist. It’s so hard to find jeans that don’t give you a muffin top but also don’t slouch down. Sigh.
Lastly, I did not check the weather for this trip to Kentucky – I thought we were all solidly in the season of fall. So I boarded my flight wearing a black dress with black tights. Imagine my dismay when I landed in Nashville and it was 92 freaking degrees! WTF. I should know better and always check the weather. Luckily it cooled off overnight because guess what I’m wearing today – another black dress and black tights.
Lisa, do consider the Silvers – I know exactly what you mean but these don’t have that issue! I have tried so many brands and styles and these are the best.
People do love to be asked for help and I’m sure Phil doesn’t mind. It probably would take him 30 seconds! My MIL pays my sons when they do things for her, and they protest about it. She says “It might be easy for you but it’s impossible for me, so it’s worth me paying you.” I think about that often, how some things are just so simple we don’t think about them, but for others they are a barrier.
Love the decorative gourds and had no idea one could shellac them. Not that I’m going to do that, but I’ll appreciate those who do. I’ve also never seen a patty-pan squash! And thanks for introducing me to those silver jeans!
Pearl, I live but to serve and talk about jeans that are comfortable!
If you didn’t post about Gourd Season, Motherfuckers, I’d be checking in on you! Finally, I say to myself: It’s time to enjoy the fall! Thanks, Nicole!
Also, your Gords make me laugh so much.
I love your Big Ass Salad, as well as Suzanne’s. Both are perfect.
Um, am I doing something wrong? I don’t peel my butternut squash. I slice it in half, pull out the seeds, cover the inside with olive oil, s & p, then roast it facing down. When it’s finished, we basically scoop out the insides, as the skin just falls off. I don’t know that I’ve ever thought about peeling it first.
Ok, the little mice. Did you once think they were in their basement apartment, making a dress for some sweet girl named Cinderella, and that you disturbed the entire process? 🤣
Ok, it would be a shock, but you’ve overcome more in your life, I just know it.
Suz, you are doing nothing wrong, I also do squash like that when I’m making a soup and it’s delicious. But I like the roasted squash to be in little chunks and kind of crunchy, so I have to peel it. It’s just a different way to enjoy it!
I know, I did try to anthropomorphize the mice, and it helped a bit. I thought of them like little gnomes, or – this just occurred to me now – in gnome hats they WOULD look exactly like in Cinderella! You’re one step ahead of me!
Do you ever get a chance to buy/grow delicata squash. You can just EAT THE SKIN and it’s delicious. I enjoy things that I don’t have to peel. I don’t peel pattypan, either. Slice it in half, throw some olive oil and salt and pepper on it, roast it, and then just scoop it out. Life’s too short for me to peel things.
Have a great trip! I can’t wait to hear all about it!
Delicata is on my list of things to grow next year for sure. I didn’t peel the pattypan either, just cut it up and roasted it – it was good, but a bit bland. I think I’ll enjoy growing delicata as well as butternut!
A few months ago, a mouse surprised Tara in a similar fashion, and she let out a high-pitched shriek. This had me in fits of laughter, because it was such a damn cliche, and she isn’t usually bothered by such things. I’m still laughing just thinking about it!
I definitely AM bothered by such things, but as it wasn’t in my house I was much less bothered than times when they have been!
I love butternut squash and found the same trick years ago about the peel…it makes it so much easier! My brother also cooks his artichokes in the microwave and instead of taking an hour, they take mere minutes! I am with you on the coffee, quantity over quality, and also feel that way about the kitchen; if I can Instantpot, Air Fry or Microwave it, let it be so! I have no ties to the “old fashioned way” if there are shortcuts to be had! Have fun on your trip!
Thank you! The air fryer is a technological wonder!
This post is one of my favorite things! First and foremost, thank you for the butternut squash hack. Having once almost cut part of my hand off trying to cut it to scoop, I a) never thought of using a peeler and b) never would have imagined what a microwave could do. I had been holding off on making my favorite soup because of fear of self-mutilation so thank you! (I expect that even if I was cutting it, like cutting the top off of an acorn squash to stuff, that tip would make it easier too. I love blogs. The salad and dressing sound perfect too. Methinks you had a magnificent Thanksgiving feast!
And I would have been in the scream zone with you. I’m not really afraid of mice so much as terribly startled. At least they have the grace to nest outside instead of in your chimney or basement or elsewhere in the house. Now, if a rodent popped out, I would have just died then and there.
Finally, you are a gourd woman of my own heart. Yes, I have a penchant for interesting gourds, tiny pumpkins (and big ones, too.) They all look terrific!
oh, I was wondering why I never got to see the photo of the pumpkin patch- it’s because I missed this post! Well, i’m very grateful that you left us with so much fall goodness before taking your break.
GREAT hack for the butternut squash! Yes, they are otherwise almost impossible to peel, and I also love roasted squash. I WILL TRY THIS!
The mice won’t hurt you! They’re cute! Mice don’t bother me, but if a tarantula ran over my hand and people tried to convince me it was harmless, I guess I would still be freaked out and horrified… so we all have our things.
I look forward to fall every year precisely because of fresh, farmstand squash. And butternut is my alltime fave. I just made a pasta last night with sausage, onions, parm, and butternut squash. Rick has to butcher the squash for me, so I’ll pass on that awesome tip.
Mice creep me out, but I always feel bad when they end up in traps. They ARE cute, but I don’t want them in my house and garage. The family in your nasturtiums would make a cute children’s book, but without the screaming part. 🙂
My parents were all about motherfucking gourds. They placed them in little baskets all over the place for fall decor. I do not do that, but I appreciate them nonetheless.
I saw gorgeous gourds when I was out yesterday, but I do not have any gracing my own place. I enjoy them vicariously, and yours most of all.
(I do have my teeny weeny gnome on top of the always-slow clock on my desk, which makes me unreasonably happy, so there’s that…)