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Hi Reader,

Today started out cold (39 degrees) and should only get into the 50s - AND the forecast is telling me it's pretty much 60s from here on out even if there is sun. Which means our stretch of mild, summer-like weather is over and my sundresses really have to be put away this time (our false end-of-summer in August and September had me thinking sundress weather was done early this year). It was nice while it lasted and I did appreciate how it eased me a bit more into true fall weather and the jeans + sweaters which follow.😀

Which is okay, as it makes for some pleasant, non-sweating time in the garden finishing projects before winter! Here's a list of some things you can do in October in the garden to button things up and get a head start on next spring. The things I'm prioritizing include:

1. Gather the rest of any tomatoes (the green ones I can use for any of these recipes), green beans, and peppers.
2. Replace the insect covers with floating row covers to provide a bit more protection from the cold for the lettuce, spinach, cabbage, and broccoli.
3. Mulch asparagus and rhubarb.
4. Plant garlic.
5. Buy and plant the evergreens for our new porch beds and a couple of pots (the deer keep eating the flowers, so I'm giving up on these two☹️).
6. Prune the rosemary (it is so big...).
7. Plant new allium bulbs I bought in the sunken garden.

If you have a garden, what do you plan to do?

Recipes to Use Up Produce

While we often have bits and pieces of produce in the fridge, it's October where I find I've got a lot to use up from the garden and the little amounts here and there left over from preserving. And you know I don't want that to go to waste! Here are my best "use-it-up" recipes I go to again and again:

Frittatas (you can easily change the vegetables out in these recipes to use what you have)

• ​Greek Salmon and Vegetable Frittata with Creamy Feta Sauce​
• ​Quick Sausage & Kale or Swiss Chard Frittata Recipe​
• ​30 Minute Chicken Frittata with Spinach and Feta​

Stir Fries

• I only have one recipe on the site (and it needs updating!) because it's more of a guide than a recipe and works with any veg and many different proteins. Plus, you can use the noodle pillows or skip them and serve with rice or cauliflower rice.

Vegetable Soups (maybe the ultimate way to use up not only produce, but leftover protein and grains, too)

• ​Quick & Healthy Bone Broth Chicken Vegetable Soup​
• ​Easy Flavorful Curried Turkey and Rice Soup (or Chicken)​
• ​Fast & Easy Curried Red Lentil Soup Recipe​
• ​Sausage Bean Soup with Spinach & Tomatoes ​
• ​Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Vegetable Soup (or Instant Pot)​

Pasta (simply add more veggies - you can even cook them by adding them the last few minutes of the pasta cooking!)

• ​30 Minute Pasta Primavera Recipe with Italian Sausage (my #1 way to use up produce with pasta!)
• ​Orzo Pasta Salad with Garden Vegetables and Lemon Vinaigrette​
• ​Tuna Pasta with Lemon and Olives (20 Minute Pantry Recipe)​
• ​30 Minute Shrimp Orzo with Feta and Vegetables​

WHAT'S NEW

​Easy Soup Recipes For Fall​ Even more ideas for warming soups as the weather grows consistently colder. RECIPES HERE

​Good Things List No.101​ I'm sharing some garden updates, the feather pillow insert covers I needed years ago, lol, and the books I liked best from September. READ IT HERE

​Salmon Patties Recipe with Flaxseed (Gluten Free, High Protein)​ These patties are my favorite way to get the health benefits of salmon without paying the big price - and to do it in minutes with a crispy, tender outcome.💜 RECIPE HERE

Whew, that was a lot today! I hope your weekend is treating you well and you found some yummy recipes to make or a few things to do in your yard.😀 AND I hope the rest of the week is wonderful for you!

P.S. You can also freeze most anything to reduce waste if you can't get everything eaten!

PS- There's also a digital copy available!

Freezing is my #1 way to preserve the harvest quickly and easily (and my preferred way to eat many veggies and fruits preserved (vs. canning). I've combined all my tips and recipes for how to easily freeze veggies and fruits (and most often without blanching!!) in this physical book you can refer to again and again! Order My Copy

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