Before the Frost | Harvesting the Garden & A Cozy October Weekend at Home

October has a way of asking you to let go. The first day brought rain and the news of an incoming frost. That was the signal, it was time. My husband and I spent the morning in the garden. I pulled the last of the basil while he cleared out everything that had run its course. The basil is now laid out on the dining room table to dry. It will be crumbled and used in the kitchen all winter long. Day two felt like a proper autumn Saturday. I made maple cinnamon protein bagels from scratch. Warm, spiced and exactly right for the season! Then we headed back outside to plant the garlic and shallots that will be ready to harvest early summer 2027. As the day wound down my husband covered the garden with frost cloth while I made dinner. Meatloaf, honey squash risotto and broccoli. The garden is tucked in for winter 🍂 🌿 In this video: Last basil harvest in the rain Drying basil for winter cooking Maple cinnamon protein bagels from scratch Planting garlic & shallots for next summer Dinner (meatloaf, honey squash risotto & broccoli) 🥯 Maple Cinnamon Protein Bagels Ingredients: 150g flour 1 tsp cinnamon 1½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 1 cup cottage cheese 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 egg yolk for brushing Cinnamon and coconut sugar for topping Instructions: Mix flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt together. Add cottage cheese and maple syrup and combine well with a spatula. Add more flour as needed if dough is too wet or sticky. Roll into 2 bagels. Brush with egg yolk and sprinkle with cinnamon and coconut sugar. Bake at 425°F for 18 minutes then reduce heat to 375°F and continue baking 5-7 minutes, watching carefully not to burn. 🍚 Honey Squash Risotto Ingredients: 4 cups vegetable broth (plus extra as needed) 1 cup honey squash or pumpkin 2 tbsp butter 1 shallot, chopped 1 tsp salt 1 tsp dried or fresh thyme 1½ cups Arborio rice ⅔ cup dry white wine ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan ¼ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg Instructions: Whisk together broth and squash in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat. Cover and reduce to low to keep warm. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and salt and cook until almost tender, 2-3 minutes. Stir in thyme. Add rice and stir for 1 minute. Add wine and simmer stirring constantly until absorbed, 1-2 minutes. Add broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition to absorb before adding the next. Cook until rice is tender but firm, about 20-25 minutes. Mix in Parmesan, pepper and nutmeg. Serve with additional cheese as desired. If you enjoy slow living, homemaking and simple days at home, I’d love for you to subscribe and follow along. 📌 New videos every Thursday 💁🏻‍♀️ Support the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/cathleencrobons (this will help me save up to attend Italian language school in Italy 🇮🇹 #cottagecore #gardenlife #slowliving