I really don't like squash and other random thoughts....
Some random thoughts for today:
1. I've come to a sad realization: I really don't like squash. I know. The scandal.
Every fall I try to convince myself that I do actually like squash. It's supposed to excellent for you nutrient-wise and they are certainly attractive with their bursts of fall colors and interesting shapes. So each autumn I buy squash as they become available. I have tried the mainstream ones like acorn and butternut and the more exotic like crooked neck, delicata, carnival and buttercup. I've tried slow roasting and rapid microwaving. But it always comes down to the fact that if I actually want to eat the pile of steaming orange mush piled on my plate, I have to cover it in butter and brown sugar to get it down. I think it's a texture thing: How can something be mushy and weirdly stringy at the same time? It's just not natural. So I really have to face the fact that as a family of vegetables, I just can't take squash. (Now there are always exceptions. I like spaghetti squash, mostly due to its texture I think. It is has a nice mild flavor and crisp. Spaghetti squash doesn't have that odd mushy/fibery dynamic thing going on. The other exception is for any kind of squash pureed in to soup, or better yet, baked into a pastry (pie or the like) is welcome on my table any time.)
Warning: Educational squash content follows.
2. First day of school went off without a hitch at the beginning of September. * DD#1, DD#2 and DearSon are all growing up beautifully.
* Well,l it went off with a hitch for all the kids. For me, it was a sad, sad day seeing everyone off to school after a wonderful summer. Luckily I was surrounded by lots of loving family -- Thank you DH, DDS, DearMom and DearDad! The day would have been far darker without all of you!)
3. The annual Fingerlakes Fiber Festival, an event I look forward to with an almost ridiculous amount of excitement, was September 11-12 this year. What fun!
Saturday was a glorious fall day:
(Very nice picture taking skills, DD#2!)
The kids always look forward to the wee pen of wee shetland sheep.
I took a picture of this little guy because he just had the greatest set of horns I saw at the festival. (I think he/she may have actually been a goat rather than a sheep.)
DD#1 and I watched some of the sheep dog trials on Sunday. Amazingly well trained dogs.
DD#1 and I going for a ride on the draft horse drawn wagon. Note awesome sheep bag. (Thank you DDS!) More people than I can count admired it and, since we were at a fiber festival, examined its construction. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few of these next year. I'm such a fashion trend setter.
I'll entertain you all in a later post with the items that were purchased from the vendors.
4. Some knitting
Pattern: Rivendell Socks by Janel Laidman from her book The Eclectic Sole: Socks for Adventurous Knitters.
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in the lunar zazzle. (That is a truly poetic yarn name.)
Mods: None -- I knit the pattern as written. Yes, a rarity.
Close-up of the elfin motif:
5. Some dyeing:
I played with some of my yarn dyes with an eye toward Christmas presents. (Shhhhhhhhhhh.)
Yarn: Knitpicks Bare sport weight dyed with Jaquard acid dyes. I see socks is someone's future.
(It's so much fun to play mad color scientist!)
6. And in the tradition of my mother and my grandmother....I give you the Great Debate.
Is it soup? Is it stew? You be the judge.
1. I've come to a sad realization: I really don't like squash. I know. The scandal.
Every fall I try to convince myself that I do actually like squash. It's supposed to excellent for you nutrient-wise and they are certainly attractive with their bursts of fall colors and interesting shapes. So each autumn I buy squash as they become available. I have tried the mainstream ones like acorn and butternut and the more exotic like crooked neck, delicata, carnival and buttercup. I've tried slow roasting and rapid microwaving. But it always comes down to the fact that if I actually want to eat the pile of steaming orange mush piled on my plate, I have to cover it in butter and brown sugar to get it down. I think it's a texture thing: How can something be mushy and weirdly stringy at the same time? It's just not natural. So I really have to face the fact that as a family of vegetables, I just can't take squash. (Now there are always exceptions. I like spaghetti squash, mostly due to its texture I think. It is has a nice mild flavor and crisp. Spaghetti squash doesn't have that odd mushy/fibery dynamic thing going on. The other exception is for any kind of squash pureed in to soup, or better yet, baked into a pastry (pie or the like) is welcome on my table any time.)
Warning: Educational squash content follows.
2. First day of school went off without a hitch at the beginning of September. * DD#1, DD#2 and DearSon are all growing up beautifully.
* Well,l it went off with a hitch for all the kids. For me, it was a sad, sad day seeing everyone off to school after a wonderful summer. Luckily I was surrounded by lots of loving family -- Thank you DH, DDS, DearMom and DearDad! The day would have been far darker without all of you!)
3. The annual Fingerlakes Fiber Festival, an event I look forward to with an almost ridiculous amount of excitement, was September 11-12 this year. What fun!
Saturday was a glorious fall day:
(Very nice picture taking skills, DD#2!)
The kids always look forward to the wee pen of wee shetland sheep.
I took a picture of this little guy because he just had the greatest set of horns I saw at the festival. (I think he/she may have actually been a goat rather than a sheep.)
DD#1 and I watched some of the sheep dog trials on Sunday. Amazingly well trained dogs.
DD#1 and I going for a ride on the draft horse drawn wagon. Note awesome sheep bag. (Thank you DDS!) More people than I can count admired it and, since we were at a fiber festival, examined its construction. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few of these next year. I'm such a fashion trend setter.
I'll entertain you all in a later post with the items that were purchased from the vendors.
4. Some knitting
Pattern: Rivendell Socks by Janel Laidman from her book The Eclectic Sole: Socks for Adventurous Knitters.
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in the lunar zazzle. (That is a truly poetic yarn name.)
Mods: None -- I knit the pattern as written. Yes, a rarity.
Close-up of the elfin motif:
5. Some dyeing:
I played with some of my yarn dyes with an eye toward Christmas presents. (Shhhhhhhhhhh.)
Yarn: Knitpicks Bare sport weight dyed with Jaquard acid dyes. I see socks is someone's future.
(It's so much fun to play mad color scientist!)
6. And in the tradition of my mother and my grandmother....I give you the Great Debate.
Is it soup? Is it stew? You be the judge.
#6: If I recall correctly, it's a tomato-flavored elixir comprising one part Ex-Lax and two parts Ipecac. But the buttery rolls mom served with it were pretty good.
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Don't know about the soup/stew debate but that's definitely a goat with the horns up there.
What, no word on all the ribbons & awards you Ross women won at FLFF????
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I thought that might be a goat.
And there are definitely more pictures coming from the Fingerlakes Fiber Fest.
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Knitty, I TOTALLY agree with you about the squash. We grow them organically here in Indiana and we have to convince people how to eat them so that they enjoy them. Tough task! Nice pics too.
Teena, IN
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