October Blah!

It's cold. It's overcast. My sinuses are very angry. It's going to get colder. The forecast calls for partly to mostly cloudy til NEXT FRIDAY!! What is a person to do?

I have some ideas to ease your grey October funk. Here they are, in no particular order.

Cook something comforting. Here's my new favorite quick comfort food recipe:


Sausage with White Beans and Tarragon

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 30m| Total Time: 30m

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 small Italian sausage links (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
• 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced on the bias
• 1 onion, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
3. Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat.
4. Add the carrots, onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Add the beans and wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Fold in the sliced sausage and tarragon.

 Baking something could work too. I'm thinking of trying Ricki Carroll's Whey Bread recipe from her book Home Cheese Making. I've got almost two gallons of whey in the freezer from making my first two batches of cheese at home. Which reminds me, I still owe homemade cheese to all of my friends who helped me move (except Pastor John -- he hates cheese!). Cheese making could probably cheer one up too!

 Go see a play! Support local theatres! Some of my favorites are Lifeline, Corn Productions, and The Hypocrites. See what they've got going on.

Take a class! The Old Town School of Folk Music has a new session starting at the end of October. I'm jonesing to get back to Belly Dancing Class!!

 

It also helps to wear bright, happy colors. I find it very difficult to be mopey when I'm wearing pink, for instance! I've been seeing a lot of fuchsia and orange together, which is a ridiculously happy combination! 

 

Or pick up some yarn! Knit! Crochet! This very night, Sifu has an event called Sci-Fiber Fridays. The people gather together to watch a Science Fiction movie and stitch. It's a great time! And when I went, we all chipped in and got pizza!!

 

And of course Emily will be crocheting at Grace & Leavitt Tavern Monday at 7:00 pm (I'm working at the opera) and I'll be back at R Public House on Wednesday at 7:00. So that's about all the news for now. Now go and put on a brightly-colored sweater, bake me something, and bring it to a Stitch 'n' Bitch near you!! Until Monday, my darlings, Peace, (radical) Love, and Yarn. XOXOXO