Dashing Through The Snow...Or Not

It's been snowing for two days here - light, ethereal little flakes.  Until today.  A quick, icy blizzard and now the roads are frozen with pretty, white ice.  Beautiful - but dangerous.

Ever the optimist (and procrastinator) - I decided to stay home from the office and piles of work that need attending to and snuggle in with a book and a cup of coffee and Bailey's Irish Cream.  The work will still be there tomorrow...

I'm also sorting out my Winter "Plans for Excellent Fun" - which is usually a large list that doesn't often get too many things checked off it.  Included are: sledding, ice skating, hot dogs & marshmallows over a campfire, snowshoeing and much more.

Also included is the sleigh ride I meant to take last year.

This clever little site (posted last year too) has listings of tree farms, Winter fun and sleigh rides in many States and Provinces.  Check out your area, and see if there's something for your Winter-fun list!  Or, you could just stay home with a good book and some coffee and Bailey's.  I won't judge.

I Spy With My Little Mastercard - Witchy Scents!

http://www.bayouwitchincense.com/

I know I should be Yule shopping for other people....but I've been drooling over Celeste's website for a while now.  If you don't know what I mean - head over to Bayou Witch Incense and you will be drooling too!  So guess who's got some incense, candles and oil coming her way?  Thank you Mastercard!  (Okay - I used Visa this time.  But the catchphrase can't be changed now!)

I picked up a candle from Dorothy Morrison's Wicked Witch Mojo collection:

And also some 7 Sisters powdered incense, which I've never tried before.  And so many more goodies!  Celeste is a dear and has a wonderful business here!  Do check her out for your witchy needs and you can also find her on Facebook.

I also received this wonderful package in the mail from The Traveler at Lost in Astral Space!  There are so many wonderful gifts!  She made the lovely (green-sparkly) BOS and the prayer beads hanging on the edge of it.  She also painted the decals on the jar and made me this cute little cornhusk broom.  Thank you so much Monica!

Have you started your Yule/Xmas shopping yet?  Or are you like me:  10 gifts for me...and one for someone else!

Happy shopping!

October Leaves, Squash Returns

October always flies by too fast.  This is something I believe and have heard from numerous people this week.  Usually accompanied by a sigh.  I'm not sure if it's because it's my favourite time of year, or because the month seems to perch so precariously between deep Autumn and early Winter, that it seems so delicate and temporary.  We appear to get just the most brief space of October, and then it's gone and the cold, biting winds and forecasted snow of November rolls in.

To distract myself from watching the Weather Channel for any local snow news, I'm looking over my haul of squash from the farm stands last week.  To think - I used to hate these wonderful veggies (or fruits - whatever you prefer!)  Now I cannot make it through a Winter without a good stock of squash.

A few hints for great Winter meals involving squash:

~ Pick squash that is unblemished and hard.  Don't bring any home that feel soft at all, or are bumped or nicked.  They won't last.

~ Keep your squash in a cool, dry place.  A basement or out of the way cupboard is perfect.

~ Unless you want to add extra sugar, try to find the sweeter varieties like Acorn, Dumpling, Celebration and other small squash.  You can roast these with a simple pinch of salt and pepper and a dab of butter - yum!  Okay - full disclosure: sometimes I do toss a teaspoon of brown sugar in there too!

~ Pick one or two easy recipies.  You are more likely to use up your pile of squash if it doesn't take two hours to prepare your dish.  I've had a butternut squash for a year - telling myself that I'm going to make Butternut Ravioli and it never happens.  It is possible that it is now solid rock inside - and will very likely find a new home in my compost in the Spring.  Instead I make a nice roast squash, or an easy squash soup. 

~  As the squash sit, their colours will fade.  As long as the skin is unpunctured, and the squash is firm, they will still be good to eat.

Enjoy this last bounty of Autumn - and stock up!