The October 2024 Guide

Happy Halloween! Recently, I was listening to an episode of Milk Street Radio. A guest was talking about the history of Halloween. Initially, it started as an Irish celebration at the end of summer, but later, Victorians grew fascinated with the holiday after the Civil War ended. Spouses, families, and friends of soldiers lost in the war were looking for ways to explain and honor their deaths and used Halloween as a way to express their sentiments. This idea stuck with me and made me realize that this day is whatever we make. There doesn’t have to be an evil connotation; instead, it can be respectful of those who’ve passed while also being fun and festive.

I’ve often wished that I would have trick-or-treaters come to my door, but since I live in the country, it simply doesn’t happen. That’s the reason we hardly partook in the celebration while growing up. I remember one special Halloween spent trick-or-treating with my cousins. I went as a Care Bear, and my sister was an angel, and for that night, we felt like the cool “town kids.”

Maybe it’s for the best that I don’t get a line of trick-or-treaters at the door since I love to home-make anything I give away. Instead, I package up popcorn balls or my favorite cut-out ginger cookies with a festive frosting and send them to my nieces and nephew in Virginia.

This time of year is one where everything changes; the weather becomes cooler, the meals become warmer, and nights are spent under blankets. I look forward to these changes and am excited to share them together. I hope you are wrapped in something cozy and sipping something soothing as we catch up this month!

Let’s talk about the garden.

As I write this, I’m looking out the window at my landscaped backyard and the vegetable garden beyond. From this vantage point, I can see the changes that happen each month, with October being the month that shows some of the most beautiful orange, yellow, and brown hues. There are so many changes occurring, and the world is hinting that it’s getting ready to hibernate:

• The asparagus has yellowed as it goes dormant for the winter. I leave the growth and wait to cut it back until late winter (February or March).
• The tomato cages have been stored, and the raised beds are clear.
• Leaves are falling fast, and the recent winds we’ve been having have caused even more to blow off the trees. When most of them fall, I’ll add a layer of mulched leaves to the beds. I started doing this a couple of years ago and love the results. The leaves act as a mulch the following year and self-compost over time.

I’m also keeping an eye on the newer shrubs and perennials, making sure they’re well-watered. We had excellent moisture from spring through most of the summer, but September and October were extremely dry. The worst thing for plants is going into their winter dormancy with dry roots. When plants are young, they don’t have an adequate root system to bring in and hold onto water as needed. So, anything I planted this year (and even some I planted last year) needs to be watered every week or two. I’ll continue this watering through November and stop when the ground gets cold enough that the roots go dormant.

All of that said, there are three things that I typically avoid doing in the fall:

1. Removing the stalks and seed heads of perennials.
2. Picking up leaves that fall into the flowerbed.
3. Pruning shrubs.

Though it’s tempting to tidy up, leaving these elements offers extra protection and provides a habitat for beneficial insects. I’m giving you the perfect excuse to sit back and enjoy the fall season!

Let’s talk about food.

I’m beginning to spend more of my time indoors, and if I am outside, I look forward to warmer foods when I come in for the night. Squash soup has already been made a few times, and I’m currently on my second batch of slow cooker chili.

This week, friends are coming over, and I’ll be serving my go-to autumn meal: pork tenderloin with squash and apples. It’s simple but feels like fall in a dish. For dessert, I’m making pumpkin bars—nothing says autumn like pumpkin!

When I’m not making soup, I love roasting sweet potatoes or squash on a sheet pan and tossing it with olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and maybe a drizzle of maple syrup. Sometimes, I add spices like cinnamon, curry powder, chili powder, or a mixture of the two.

I find a new season of food invigorating!

Let’s talk about Kip.

Since I was away for a while at the beginning of the month, Kip was at “Grandma Camp,” which means he was being spoiled by my mom. Apparently, he took over her pillow every night, starting at her feet and sneaking up to her pillow by morning! He spent those days at Grandma Camp playing with Mom’s large dog, Max, who weighs about 90 pounds. While Kip is much smaller, he’s the one that initiates much of the playtime.

The best part of being away is returning home and reuniting with Kip. His little rear-end shaking in the car as he met me at the airport was the best feeling. Of course, I brought home a new squeaky toy for him. As with any toy, it won’t last long, but it definitely makes him happy.

I hope you have a great rest of the week and a terrific start to the month of November! Pretty soon, preparation for Thanksgiving will be on the horizon, and we’ll be rocketing toward the Christmas season!