2011-10-11

Solo pilates!

Today is the first day that I did pilates on my own, and it actually turned out very, very well!  It was really nice to be able to pick my own music, how long I stretched for, and what exercises I did.  One of the only downsides is having to remember how much of each exercise I did in one size series to be able to do it evenly on the other side.  In a way to keep myself motivated to push through muscle pain and finish a exercise, I tried to mentally tell myself what my pilates instructor normally would, like "Go for five more", "raise just a little further", and "keep your core tight."  I did pilates for around 50 minutes and left off the 5 minutes of final relaxation for 3 minutes of deep stretching instead.

A project I've been working on today is an Excel workbook with a long list of fruits and vegetables and marked in which months they are in season.  From now on, I will be posting at the beginning of each month which vegetables are of season.  This is a very "in general" list of seasonal produce and may not be available during that part of the season where you live.

What's seasonal?- October

Acorn squash
Apples
Arugula
Bananas
Beets
Blueberries
Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Butter Lettuce
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Chard greens
Coconuts
Cranberries
Dragon Fruit
Fennel
Figs
Green Beans
Honeydew Melon
Mushrooms
Oranges
Parsnips
Pears
Persimmons
Plums
Pummelos
Pumpkins
Quince
Raspberries
Spinach
Sweet Potatoes
Tamarillos
Tomatoes
Turnips
Zucchini

My favorite produce of October would have to be sweet potatoes.  I love them in soups, stews, and as fries in a side dish!  Sometime this month I hope to experiment with baking a pumpkin... a small pumpkin.  Have you ever had experience with this?  Tips?  Suggestions?

What is your favorite produce of October?

2 comments:

  1. My favorite fall produce is any and every kind of squash, including pumpkin. I'm actually making pumpkin butter today. :)

    Roasting squash is super easy. Just cut your chosen variety in halves or quarters depending on how large it is. Cover a baking sheet in tinfoil (this makes for super easy clean up) and set your squash skin side down. Spray evenly with olive oil from your misto, and season however you like. I usually do salt and pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees and then flip your squash over and continue roasting for another 20-30 minutes. Proceed in eating your squash as is or using it in soups, lasagna, etc. Roasted squash also freezes well for later use. Just scoop out the flesh and put in a freezer bag.

    I'll email you a couple of excellent fall squash recipes this week. :)

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  2. Thanks for the recipes in your e-mail and the squash tips!

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