Fall is lurking beyond the next corner. Signs of the impending change are everywhere. Yellowed leaves caught up in the afternoon breeze can be seen spiraling to the ground and shadows stretch longer and arrive earlier in the day. Nobody loves this time of year with the associated leaves more than I do. Lovely to hear the crunch beneath your feet during a brisk morning walk, and the natural cloth of color they throw across the table outside your window. As a kid in Nova Scotia, running and hurling yourself into the middle of a huge pile of newly raked leaves was an autumn right of passage. Like snow, however, leaves are pretty to look at and a pain in the rear to clean up after. Putting aside the negative aesthetics of having a yard full of leaves, fire season is fully upon us here in painfully dry California, and keeping your immediate surroundings free of ready fuel can come down to a matter of survival.
In our last house we had the same gardeners for eleven years. It was a minimum upkeep yard with a pool in the back, built on the slope of a hill. Every four weeks the family who tended it arrived in a truck, grandma, mom and dad, and teenage son. They never missed, never raised their rates, and never did anything but a stellar job. I miss them. When we first moved in here we had them come once to do a general cleanup including their gas in the cost. By the time we were done we could have purchased the adjacent lot. So, I got a leaf blower. Shall I say we got a leaf blower. I say I got a leaf blower because I have learned over the years when Rick says “we”, it is in the hospital sense of the word. Like, “Have we taken our pills today?”. He says it is an early Christmas gift, no need to thank him.
Now, I see you shaking your heads. I’m not a big proponent of the noisy buggers either, but in our area you either blow or rake and our yard is huge and on a decided slope. Not the gazelle of my youth and looking terrible in traction, blow it shall be. I pulled the parts out of the box and assembled them. Reading the limited instructions enclosed, it says the machine is guaranteed to produce gale force winds with the flick of a switch. Assuming this to be a noisy process and being a polite human, I waited for the virgin run until later morning. I’ve never operated a leaf blower up until now. Not because I’m a princess I missed that line when signing up for this world, but because the occasion never presented itself I would suppose.
In the store, the salesman said it was easy peasy. Plug it it, turn on the switch, light as a feather. I found there are two speeds, 1 – Sub-Tropical Storm, 2 – Atlantic Hurricane. Being intrinsically blonde I didn’t wear my glasses. The first of many mistakes. I began with speed 2 rather than 1, the second. First, let me explain it is definitely not “light as a feather”. For a full hour after I turned it off and returned it to the garage the muscles in my lower arms continued to involuntarily twitch. For you fisherman, picture a freshly caught wide-mouth bass flopping around on the bottom of the boat. Apparently I do not have the hang of it yet as when pointing the beast in one direction leaves, dust and debris blew everywhere. There was, I must admit, a clean hole where I’d pointed, and the urgent need for an opthamologist. The hole remained until I went over to the other side and began to work there. Then, there was a clean hole in the new area and everything blew back to its original spot taking the new leaves with it. Sigh. After an hour it looked pretty good except for the fact that we’d only purchased a 50′ foot extension cord and needed a 100′, my bad . There was a clearly visible line where the yard clean-up began and where the cord reached the end. Ah well, I tried. Remind me to appropriately thank Santa for such a thoughtful gift by leaving him a liverwurst sandwich and a big glass of prune juice on Christmas Eve.
Speaking of Christmas, if we must before fall has even jump started, according to the news Kmart has already launched an advertising campaign to encourage shopping early. Do you think we could at least purchase a pumpkin or change the flowers in our vases from summer to fall before they start with Santa themed ads? I’m not ready. That’s all there is to it. My barbecue isn’t even cold yet and I’m still working on summer birthdays. Ach.
We had company over the weekend and while out to dinner the conversation fell to the holidays. Presents, in particular. With extended families on both sides the cost of purchasing gifts for the adults and children in each family can get out of hand. Rick said he read somewhere some families finish paying off Christmas from the previous year shortly before they start buying for the one coming up. We’re not in that category, but it does get expensive. As the little ones get older, or even once they can walk and talk, gifts on their lists to Santa get pricier. What ever happened to Barbie or Lincoln Logs? Gone are the days of a kid asking for a baseball bat, and even if they do, bats aren’t cheap these days, running upwards of a $100.00. Games used to be a go-to gift like Candy Land or Clue, but games for children these days are played on devices or Wii’s which can suck your supply of ready money quicker than Dracula at a Red Cross Blood Drive.
One year I watched in horror as a group of my offspring’s offspring tore into the gifts under the tree like army ants on a trek. Such shredding and tearing has not been seen since the Watergate papers. Clothes were thrown over shoulders and toys dumped in a pile. My mouth dropped and my blood pressure rose. This has never happened since, as new rules went into effect once the dust had settled. Each child is handed a present and waits their turn to open it. Thank you’s are in order whether it’s a crocheted soccer ball from Aunt Fran or an iPad from grandpa.
For me, I’d be happy to have a twinkling tree, the smell of stuffed bird emanating from the oven, Christmas carols playing in the background, and my family around me. A great deal of the joy of Christmas is wrapped in the anticipation. If every day was decorated so, it would make it less special. My humble opinion, again.
I wanted to share this tomato jam with you. A new friend brought me a jar she’d put up and her source and I found both the jam and the source outstanding. I served it on a baguette slice with a slab of cream cheese and it was amazing. A great way to use up the end of the season tomatoes. Visit Jennie’s blog at use real butter for the recipe and directions. You won’t be sorry.
These potatoes are Rick’s No. 1. The bit of onion adds just the right touch. It is difficult to put exacts on the ingredients, as I’ve made them so often I fly by the seat of my pants so taste and add as you go, but this is very close.
Light as Air Oniony Mashed Potatoes
6 russet potatoes, peeled and cut in eighths
6-8 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. sour cream
1 cup whole milk
2 Tbsp. grated onion
Salt and pepper
Paprika
Cover potatoes with water in large saucepan. Bring to boil over med-high heat. Reduce heat and continue cooking at a low boil until fork tender and well cooked but not mushy. Drain well.
Heat milk in small saucepan over med. heat. Do not boil. Set aside.
Place in large bowl. Mash well with fork, reducing to small pellets. Add 2 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. sour cream and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Beat on high speed for 1 min. Add 2 Tbsp. butter and remaining sour cream. Beat on high speed for 1 min. Slowly add hot milk and beat until mixture is smooth and fluffy, 3-4 mins., stopping to add salt and pepper and to taste.
Add grated onion and additional butter, if desired, and whip again on high. Adjust seasoning. Spoon into serving dish and top with pat of butter and dusting of paprika. Serves 6.
Note: I like mashed potatoes light and fluffy, no lumps. Cooking them correctly is key and also whipping the heck out of the works for me every time.
I feel sort of famous….. Like I have been published or discovered. ;-). Glad you like the jam. We love it too!
Bernie, well there you are – in print up close and personal 🙂 It was delish.
And using the blowers takes huge upper body strength. I can’t do it either and I don’t want to. I just use the rake. When it gets beyond the rake, it is Ray’s turn. You are spot on with the commercialization of the holidays. More and more I love Thanksgiving over Christmas because it is family (and food!) oriented but not gift oriented.
Bernie, I know. It didn’t seem that heavy at first but I believe my arm was an inch or so longer by the time I put it away. I adore Christmas, but I want to arrive on schedule.
Christmas adverts already. Ugh. I don’t have a large extended family so what the adults do now is pick names. That’s right. All the big people write on a scrap of paper and they all go into the hat (sometimes these are folded and numbered on the outside so people pick a number especially if they can’t be there in person for the draw). Then you agree on a $$ limit ($50.00 for example). No-one lets on who has who. Adds to the anticipation. Buying the right gift became a headache so we started a wish list by e-mail. Each person shares with everyone what he / she would love.
In ramp up the ADULT excitement, we also have what we call a Chinese Raffle. You remember how you have wrapped gifts at a baby shower and they’re numbered? Someone picks a card out of a deck and someone has a match and the gift can get ripped out of your hand after you open it and someone else gets green for it? We must buy a $10.00 (or whatever amount everyone decides on) unisex gift and bring it wrapped. When it’s time for the adults to play you carry on like the baby shower game. Maybe this sounds silly but each year the adults started shopping early or kept an eye out for a unisex gift and the surprise is what you can come up with. One year my mom’s contribution was a large box of Tide. We had umbrellas, wreaths, light bulbs etc. Useful stuff mostly after a while but still Christmas was fun for everyone. The kids even like watching the adults get silly excited.
Tess, ooooh that is a baby shower game that can get ugly. I’ve seen women hurdle a coffee table over a coveted gift. We had a huge party around the holidays several years ago. A White Elephant Party. Same idea. Each person brought a wrapped white elephant type item and then you could steal. I bought a large doll in overalls that was in the image of an old codger. When you pulled his finger, well, I’ll leave that to your imagination. At any rate grown men literally fought over him. Silly. Good idea about the names. We did that before and somehow eased back into the other. Too much.
I don’t mind a lump or two in other’s mashed potatoes, but consider it a personal failure when they’re found in my own. I agree; whip ’em to death. I love mashed ‘taters, and would bet that at least 40% of my “ampleness” can be traced to them. Starch….mmm…
I luv luv mashed potatoes. When I have leftovers they find their way on top of shepherd’s pie or fried and crispy with eggs. Yum. I have a friend who insists you’re not supposed to whip them but I always have and always get asked how they are so light and fluffy. Starch is my nemesis as well. I can push away a slice of double chocolate cake, but don’t wave a French fry under my nose.
Love this post … can’t believe that the autumn has arrived so quick where you live. Here it’s still very green with some few leaves on the ground.
Love the idea about your mash … will try it this week. Does the onion really go raw into the mash ????
Please, don’t start talking about Christmas yet ?????? *laughing – in NYC some shops already had Christmas wreaths on display. Hate it. *smile
Viveka, it’s early this year. Not a lot of color but the trees are definitely dropping their leaves.
Yup, raw onion right in it. I grate and taste, but you know that. Fine grate.
I know. Oh, New York is so beautiful when all dressed up for Christmas. The store windows and the trees, skating in the park. JUST NOT YET!
Let me know how the potatoes work for you. We love them. Susie
I love this post…great observations! Thanks!
My blog seems to have gone beserk. Won’t let me answer my comments. Anyhow, thanks. Most appreciated!
yumm,nothing beats the cozy comfort of mashed potatoes,must try Rick’s favorite with the onion..
Once,I turned the blower on while on the covered deck.I surely lost even more hearing then,since when my “other” asked if “we” have seen the blower,I make him find it,(and use it..)
Dare I try the tomato jam? hmmmm.. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Jen, you must try the jam. It’s just yummy.
Yes, I question why all these lovely toys seem to have my name on the tag, so I have handed the baton to my other half. I like the ones that are easier to manage and lighter but they don’t seem to move anything around. It is not a perfect world. 🙂 The potatoes are the best.