With Autumn comes the unfortunate end to the Omaha Farmer's Market. Don't ask me to explain it, but I have yet to find a suitable place to get produce year round, and I live in, what I would assume is, very productive farmland.
Recently I made this recipe. While it has always been an absolute favorite of mine, it is unbelievable when two requirements are met. 1) get all your produce from a farmers market. I can't even begin to describe to you the fabulous aroma that will percolate through your house as farm-fresh bacon and green onions are simmering. 2) Do yourself a favor and invest in a cast iron skillet. While I've cooked this recipe in normal teflon skillets, it doesn't turn out nearly as nice as it does with cast iron. If you are lucky, the cashier at you local store, as mine did, will ignore your suggestion for a $15 price tag when she fails to find the actual bar code, and will be too lazy to call someone and ask them, and will subsequently settle on giving it to you for $10 (Happy Birthday To Me!).
Autumn brings a whole slew of memories. Every year Madre Evans dusts off the giant stock pot and cans. This is, by far, my favorite memory. She cans three things: strawberry jam (It probably should be pronounced straw-bree, like our classy british friends do), Salsa, and Chili Sauce (For those of you who don't know, Chili sauce is a sweeter kind of salsa, that is really good on roast beef). With the help of WebMD, I was recently self diagnosed as a salsa addict. Don't worry. I'm getting it under control. Madre's year long supply would never last very long because I can polish off salsa faster than a depressed chick and a quart of mint chocolate ice cream.
Several years ago madre went to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latte-day Saints. At first this wasn't so bad, but our family was left to fend for ourselves, and eat store bought jam. It was a rough winter (It truly was a winter of discontent). I am super bummed that I can't be at home this year when canning happens. I would give it a go here in Omaha, but there are several issues. 1) Where am I going to store a years worth of salsa and jam? Under my bed, is the only possible answer, and that would just encourage, what I like to call, sleep eating. I'm totally awake, but it is less embarrassing if I claim I eat while asleep. Problem 2) I would need to buy all new canning stuff. Blue had limited storage capacity, so driving out here required only taking the bare essentials...and I mean bare, like underwear and socks bare. The luxury of bringing multiple pairs of jeans was out of the question. Problem 3) is less of a problem and more of a logistical quandary. I have no idea where I'm going to be living in 7 months. I don't want to have salsa stockpiled as if I'm awaiting Armageddon and then have to move it all, or
Alas, no freezer jam or salsa for me this year.
The other great thing about Autumn is new releases. TV is back, Music is new, Movies are improving after their late summer letdown.
This leads me to my list of favorite things for September.
Mumford and Sons (They have always been on the list, but their new album just came out this week....AWWWWWWEESOOOOOOME). I might have died a little bit on the inside when I heard they were in town but tickets had sold faster than....I don't know, but something awesome.
Happy Endings (Jane Kerkovich-Williams is probably my favorite character on television. she is just hilarious. nuf said).
jogging (After, what feels like eternity, I am jogging again. Painful, yes. Will I stop? No. is it gorgeous outside? Yes. How long can I keep writing as if it is a MasterCard commercial? priceless...I mean forever.
Well I've procrastinated enough. I need to start reading Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. If anyone knows of a good video adaptation of this book I'd appreciate it. I am in need of some more free time.
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