Pumpkin Stuffed Shells ~ Winter Prep

It's a chilly 32°F here this morning.  Brrr.  We have not yet turned on the heat (nor burned wood).  Wood....let's not be reminded we are so far behind on that chore (gasp!).

I recently used some pumpkin puree to try another new recipe - Pumpkin Ricotta Stuffed Shells (Country Living, online).

I purchased my pasta shells.  Barilla is certified Non-Gmo.  If you prefer, you could use homemade lasagna noodles and roll them, slice and bake in the tomato sauce too (for a completely self-sufficient dinner, adding a garden veggie for a side, homemade rolls etc.).  The basil and sage came fresh from my herb garden.  I had just enough of each herb.

We absolutely loved this dish, but to me it lacks a protein.  I think I'll have a side of meatballs or something with it next time, for us meat eaters. 

Tuesday night I went to bed completely e-xh-aus-ted.  I spent the day baking and mashing sweet potatoes, amongst other chores.

We had a freeze warning Wednesday night, so I froze the last of the chives, and green onions.  It was a humdinger of  a morning.  The parsley filled my 9 tray dehydrator.

I brought in more thyme to dehydrate, but not much.  It's recovering from the cat sitting in it all season the year prior, and is finally getting more growth.  It'll be used in another recipe very soon.  A recipe I should have started 4 weeks ago (gasp!).

I brought in my pots of rosemary, tarragon, and tulsi. I brought in one last geranium.

After getting the laundry on the line, I drained the rain barrels, and flipped them over for winter.  I started to put the front porch to bed too.  Sigh.  Just some small stuff - plant hanger pots, small furniture, wind chimes, bird houses, etc.  I pulled out all of my painted mushrooms from the flower beds.

The flags came down too.  I waited for the morning dew to dry them, and rolled them up for winter.  We fly the American flag, the Army and the Marine flag.  

I pulled all of the hot pepper plants, green pepper plants, and removed all the old squash and cucumbers out of the garden.  

There is much more to do, but rotten veggies are out.  I have dead tomato plants, beans, and other veggie vines to yank yet.  I did a quick check on the raspberries too.

That's not all I did though.  I brought in all the garlic hanging in the garage.   

I gave my ladies and gent extra straw for the cold nights ahead.  Just after I snapped that photo, a barred rock jumped up and pushed this blondie out of that roost, ha ha!

And....

I washed and bleached the shower liner and curtain (both are fabric), and put up my Christmas shower curtain.  My pitiful attempt at the continuation of my "extreme clean."

I thought, "why the heck not?"  I don't have a fall one, and I need to steam out the creases.  So up it went, he he!  By the way, Hubby loves it.  Thought it was "cute" and laughed when he saw it.  I have never changed out my white shower curtain.  Ever.  This was the year to do it.

And I came in and vacuumed, before I declared it quits for the day.  Nettle tea to the rescue!

However. . .

There is always something I forget to do.  Pick the pears.  At 5:30pm, I tra-peezed out to the tall grass (in muck boots and with Hubby's help) where the pear trees grow, and picked them.  Just in time before that hard freeze arrived. 

Hubby agreed that we will try the wine making again next year (if we get pears next year).  We just have too many "irons in the fire" and we want this holiday season to be a happy and restful one.

 King and Zuri, waiting for their master to return home.  They sit at this door and watch for her (Grad Daughter).  They were also keeping a stray cat from coming up to eat our barn cat food.  Good Pups.