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I stand at my window on a cool, damp January day, beginning the important first step of gardening: planning. At the moment, the garden beds harbor perennial plants storing up moisture and energy for the next year's growth. The lawn is bright green with a weedy annual grass that will die with the first hint of temperatures over 80 degrees. Weeds are dominating both the lawn and garden beds.

Research says that we cook the same 20 dishes again and again. Again and again. Again and again. (And again.) Sure, every six months, we drop one and replace it with another. Eating in rhythm with the seasons changes that. Each season, each month, there's something new to pique our curiosity and tickle our tastebuds, something that just last month wasn't available or wasn't at its freshest or had to travel from, alors, South America to reach your table. So, tis late fall. Tomatoes are two months gone and asparagus are five, maybe six, months away. What's special about what we cook in November? Here are three vegetables that will turn November into something special, something memorable.

Halloween should not be a time for parents of kids with special needs to dwell on Ghosts-of-Halloween-Past or Ghosts-of-Halloween-That-Might-Have-Been, because there's far too much fun to be had. We do, however, need to approach Halloween with clear-headed creativity and flexibility, and prioritize our kids' needs and stamina. So, if you're in the market for Halloweening advice, let me dump some on your head, courtesy of personal experience, friends' adventures, the Internet, and the Twitterverse.

An early fall Saturday is hopefully perfect for getting out the garden and getting some real work done, but we all need to return inside for a break or two.  Spend this time checking out some the highlights from many of the gardening blogs: In The News: Andrea Bellamy, from Heavy Petal, had a chance to preview the Michael Pollan Special that will be playing on PBS later this fall: The Botany of Desire.

Peeling, coring, slicing, dicing, straining, roasting, brining, blanching, chopping, simmering, canning, freezing, preserving --- the activity of an autumnal New England kitchen, and the rhythm of a spirit-filled home. There is something comforting about "putting things up", as they say -- whether it is canning or drying or freezing. It is the familiar moment of years and generations past. It is a rhythm like clicking rosary beads, familiar and full of meaning.

Is growing your own vegetables economical? With many families starting new victory gardens this year, the question is timely. Michael Tortorello analyzed the costs/value of his new garden this year and his conclusion: based only on a cost/savings analysis, growing your own is anything but a money-saving hobby. 

I love this time of year when summer hasn't quite changed into fall and gardens are bursting with vegetables. No matter if you have a garden or are buying from a farmer's market, the plentiful produce combined with perfect weather for being outside makes cooking vegetables on the grill such a delight. And of course, grilled vegetables are wonderfully flavorful. If you don't have an outside grill, you can also make grilled veggies on an electric grill or stove-top grill pan. If' I've convinced you to try veggies on the grill, here are a few tips, plus some recipes to get you started.

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