Fruits of Fall

Fall is officially here (according to the calendar, but thankfully, not the thermometer) and that means we are saying good-bye to fresh veggies delivered (practically) to our doorstep.

We received our last delivery from the fine folks at Treasured Haven Farm, ending our first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) season. I would really recommend this to anyone who wants to eat more locally grown produce, more naturally grown produce or just more produce in general! We did end up tossing stuff out almost every week, but we still ate more vegetables than we normally would, spent less money and got to try new things. Try it!

Let's take a look at what we get to enjoy this week. We got a few pie pumpkins, a couple of small golden spaghetti squash, a big striped spaghetti squash, a small acorn squash, a butternut squash, some unidentified squash (the white and green one on the right), red onions, spinach, potatoes, carrots and Brussels sprouts!

All these yummy autumn foods make me eager to make up a batch of apple cider and pop in "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." I think I'll go do that.

New Things

Hello, there! Boy, I have just been having the greatest time the last few weeks and today is my birthday, so that makes me extra happy.

A few weeks ago, I went to Bye Bye Liver, the "Twin Cities Drinking Play," with a few friends. It was a lot of fun, a lot of laughs and just an all around good time. The play is still in town and the run got extended, so I would definitely check it out if I were you.

Then, a few days later, I attended my first comedy club with Tricia. We went for her mom's birthday and of course got seated front and center, which was very nerve-wracking as I was afraid I was going to be made fun of by all the comedians. Lucky me, I wasn't! They all avoided me and picked on the people all around me, including Tricia. It was all in good fun, though and I had a really good time.

This weekend, I went to The Soap Factory's Haunted Basement to kick off my birthday celebration. This was my second year going, I was scared for days afterward last year. This year was just as much fun and just as scary! I think the best part was hearing my family's reactions after.

When I was done being scared silly, friends and family headed over to my house for a get together and we played a few rousing rounds of Hammerschlagen. I first came across this game at Zorbaz in Brainerd. It is a fun game that takes a surprising amount of skill, strength and luck. I think it was a big hit (hardy har har.)

Last night, to top it all off, I went out to dinner at The Oceanaire Seafood Room. Several times a year, Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine hosts Restaurant Week at local restaurants. They usually have a special menu for either $15 or $30 and it's a great chance to try out some places that might usually be out of your price range. Restaurant Week is happening through October 8, so get out there and make your reservations!