When Sweet Potatoes Rule the World!

Well, it is official. We are in the fall season. If I couldn't tell it by the falling leaves, roadside pumpkins, and country fairs, I could tell it this morning when I walked outside. The air was actually chilly! It felt like real sweatshirt season! In fact, Lisa suggested that we make a big ol' pot of homemade chili. We are doing that right now as I type this and are having Mom and Dad around for dinner. There is nothing like a pot of chili with cheddar cheese and crackers on a chilly fall day.

Everyone is starting to get the last of their garden stuff in right about now. Mom and Dad dug their sweet potatoes this week. They knew that their sweet potatoes had grown well, but they were shocked when they started digging them. These are some of the biggest ones that I have ever seen in my life! They had me bring my scale around so that we could weigh them. Some of them weighed over 7 pounds each!

Dad said that these are the biggest sweet potatoes that he has ever grown. I could tell that they were proud of them. They should be! They always can a lot of their sweet potatoes to eat on during the winter months. They should get a lot of cannings out of this crop. Mom said that she would probably can about 63 cans of sweet potatoes. Now....just bring on the butter and brown sugar! LOL!

Speaking of food, Lisa and I just got home from a birthday party weekend with our friends Rod and Corrinna Middleton. The Middletons live in Morehead. They were throwing a birthday bash for their daughter Hailey and her cousin Hunter. Hailey turned 6 and Hunter was 7. There was tons of food at the party....hotdogs, deviled eggs, pizza, baked beans, chips, fruit, homemade fruit dip, and (of course) cake and ice cream. There were 4 different types of birthday cake including white, chocolate, red velvet and funfetti! I had to try all 4 types....LOL!

To help work off some of the calories, the families had rented out the swimming complex at Morehead State University. It was nice having the big, Olympic-sized pool all to ourselves. Several of the partiers enjoyed the diving pool as well. We all had a great time.

The party was a great way to end a great week. Earlier in the week I had been interviewed for the television program, From These Hills, which airs on WYMT out of Hazard. This entertaining news program highlights the people and places of Eastern Kentucky. I was honored to be on the show for my work as a Kentucky author. I was showcasing my newest book, Dark and Bloody. If you haven't been able to get a copy, check out my website at www.alonzofugate.com. It is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I am also starting to take orders here at home. Just check out my website for details.

Well, the chili is just about done. It has filled the home with the scents of the season. There is nothing like the smell of home cooking to make you feel at ease. Maybe you should put the paper down and go make something homemade? Just a thought!

Until next time....class dismissed!

The Coming of Fall

You can feel it in the air at night. That brisk kiss of frost that whispers in our ears that autumn has arrived. The air doesn’t have that sensuous feel of summer anymore, and we know that the days will continue to grow shorter and shorter as we progress even further into the dark side of the year. Like everything else, the year is growing old.

Earlier this evening, I sat on my front porch and marveled at the sights and sounds of nature all around me. The sun was slanting through the trees like a stream of liquid gold. As it brushed against the leaves, it painted them with its brilliance and reminded me that soon the leaves will have a brilliant color all their own. This is when Mother Nature puts on some of her finery for a fashion show that has the rest of the world in awe. Everyone else tries to mimic it, but you can’t beat the original.

I also noticed that the world has taken on the slow gentle pulse of a watch that is winding down. Everything seems to be going at a much slower pace. By now, most of the crops have been gathered. The last remaining bounty of fields could possibly be the bright orange pumpkins and other fall squash that are appearing in the stores and at roadside stands.

This winding down is one thing that I love about autumn. Nature is a smart woman. She is telling each of us…in her own subtle way...to slow down and take a look at the world around us. In this age of everything on demand, people are often impatient and want everything yesterday. We have fast food, fast cars, and even drive-in churches (I saw one at Daytona Beach!). Why not slow down for a while and actually live your life instead of letting your life get out of control? The world isn’t going to end if you stop for just a second to breath in some of that crisp autumn air and enjoy a cup of warm cocoa or apple cider.

The Earth knows that now is the time to stop and rest. Through this rest, there is renewal. We as human beings can’t just stop living. However, we can slow down and reflect on our lives and the direction that we are taking. Perhaps we have strayed from the path upon which we intended. Maybe this is a good thing…maybe not. At least we need to consider our life choices and the consequences that we are facing. If we don’t like them, we can change them. However, if we don’t reflect…we can’t change.

Take some time to enjoy the season. Heat some cider. Bake some cookies. Pick a pumpkin. Plant some mums. Whatever you do…enjoy life. It is the only one you have.

Here is a recipe for Autumn Cider. I love it and have enjoyed it for years. This is an old family recipe that I now pass on to you! Enjoy it with my blessings!

Spiced Autumn Cider

Ingredients

· one gallon apple cider

· one cup orange juice

· one lemon, thinly sliced

· 4 cinnamon sticks

· 2 whole cloves

· 1 teaspoon allspice

1. Place all of the ingredients in a sauce pan. Cover pan and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes.

2. Strain into a large bowl and enjoy! You can also strain this and then put it in a crock pot to keep it warm throughout the day.

3. Sit outside in the cool, crisp air. Inhale deeply over your cup of hot cider. Drink!