Did fall sneak up on you like it has me this year? I woke up one morning to cool weather, steaming hay bales and spider webs adorning the trees and outbuildings. With fall comes wonderful, local fall festivals! Each fall festival celebrated by area towns highlights a different feature of the season. I spent one recent Saturday at a pumpkin festival where growers bring in pumpkins and watermelons, and awards are given to the heaviest, and best-looking, among others. This year’s giant pumpkin weighed 1,092.5 lbs. Can you believe that? The grower said at peak, it will grow 10 lbs a day. That amazes me.
I think my favorite thing about fall festivals is the food. The home-baked goods, the jams and jellies. So far this year I’ve acquired pumpkin butter, apple butter and cinnamon popcorn. I think I need a start off someone’s homemade bread starter to go with all these spreads.
Speaking of good food, be sure to check out the recipe below. My, doesn’t that sound good for a holiday dinner? Thanks to Roxie Cotter from Gepp, Ark., for always being so good to send me recipes. You can send in your own recipes! Mail them to PO Box 1319 Lebanon, MO 65536. Email me at [email protected]. I can hardly believe we’ll be putting together our Country Christmas Cookbook so soon. I need your family’s favorite recipes for that special section as soon as possible.
I always feel so blessed getting to send out some of my thoughts and experiences with you, the great Ozarks Farm & Neighbor reader.
Thank you for reading.
God Bless,
