Monday, October 18, 2010

More Battening

Our preparations for winter continue. After already making the garage mostly ready to receive the car two weekends ago, last week we had the furnace inspected to make sure it was also ready for the the abuse that it's about to receive.

We've already had one light frost, and since there's another in the forecast for tomorrow night, it was also time to put the garden to bed on the weekend. We cut down the remains of many plants and emptied the hanging baskets. A few plants remain in flower — some mums and some geraniums — so we've let them be for now at least.

The grass has been cut and edged for the final time. If it needs to be done again, it will have to wait until spring because the lawnmower has been put out of the way on a high shelf. Otherwise, we could barely get around the the car when we need to park it in the garage. Amazingly, my back survived the lifting.

In other news, I was inspired to cook a new dish yesterday — a zucchini toss with penne, red peppers and asiago cheese. I shouldn't have. Really, I shouldn't have. It tasted awful and the semi melted cheese, which was required to be mixed with the rest of the ingredients, was a horror to clean up. The recipe should have come with a warning: "Tastes awful and makes a mess." How such a recipe could have escaped the kitchens of Canadian Living to be published in one of their cookbooks is beyond me.

I guess we're ready for Old Man Winter and Jack Frost to come a'callin, but we await with empty stomachs thanks to that horrid dish.

9 comments:

MARY G said...

Canadian Living is usually reliable for desserts - not so much for main dishes.
And I am still not cleaned up so you don't need to sound so smug. I am off to tackle the iris bed this morning - as soon as the sun hits it.
However, I did get all my winter sweaters, etc, washed and dried outside yesterday so score one.

Anvilcloud said...

Ha ha, Mary. In the battle of oneupmanship, I have also purchased new gloves. So whaddya think of that? Eh? :)

Donna said...

Glad your back made the lift, intact!
The dish Sounded good but the cheese...not so much..Hahaa
hughugs

Mara said...

Cheese should be eaten on its own or on toast/a sandwich. It should never ever be put into food. Especially as it sounds like a weird cheese to begin with. Hope you found something else to fill your stomachs with.

Anvilcloud said...

I'm pretty sure it was the cheese. Asiago must be a acquired taste. Acquired by whom I cannot fathom.

Tonya said...

I will be avoiding that dish in the future then :) Glad you survived the lifting of the lawn mower... it is starting to get quite cold here as well and we also had a frost on the weekend!! Yikes.. too quick.

Diana said...

We still haven't winterized yet but will soon. I wish I could send you some of this gorgeous weather we are having AC! My husband is just praying that he doesn't have to mow again. We'll see! Love Di ♥

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Hey AC, reading your post reminded me of the work we will be doing once we return from our Maine road trip. Thankfully, we won't see any frost or really cold weather on the VA eastern shore for many months, so working outdoors will not be too bad. Even though we cut the lawn, we had to call someone to cut it aqgain as it's been warm and rainy while we are on the road.

Too bad about the veggie-pasta-cheese fiasco. Asiago can be a bit strong, but then you already found that out :-(

Bernie said...

OMG I am still laughing over your cooking.....I have never tasted such a dish, not sure I want to now.....so funny.
I did my small yard and deck a couple of weeks ago. We have had a beautiful Fall but in Alberta one never knows when the snow will hit. We have had a few frosty mornings but beautiful afternoons.
.....:-) Hugs