Splurged: Effie's Oatcake Biscuits and Simply's Cranberry Jalapeño Jam - Perfect with Cheese, Cucumbers, and Slices of Sausage

It took me a minute to locate the items at Big Y (thanks, Joanna), but I got them. I also grilled ribs and met Oona at Pam's for Steak, salad, mashed potatoes and a luxurious Saturday night dinner (after the charcuterie board, of course). There is something about the cranberry jalapeño jam that makes for a spectacular flavor and treat.

The oatcake reminds me of the HobNobs I used to eat in London, dipped in chocolate, as my dessert of choice - a cookie I rarely find in the U.S.. The jam, well, that is simply a heck of a wonderful flavor to go with any cracker, vegetable, cheese, or topping. I don't eat many pork chops (actually, none at all), but I imagine the jam would be awesome on meats, too...the right kind.

I also spent yesterday winterizing the back porch, storing all the tables and chairs for winter, cleaning out all the planters, and finding storage for it all in the shed. It's always a sad day to do that, but knowing the temperatures ahead, I thought it was the right thing to do after a long walk with Karal. I worked on a conference proposal and a book chapter, then decided to take advantage of a 74-degree day. There won't be too many more of them left.

Cloud cover returns this morning, cooler temperatures, and more fall-like weather. The air condition is covered and the shovels are now in the garage with the snowblower that hasn't been used in a couple of years (one that was found on the side of the road in 2008 and a blessing while I was in Syracuse). There is a time coming where a new one will need to be purchased, but I'd much rather have winters where I don't need one at all (one can hope).

Now onto 25 more philosophy papers, as I graded the first one (slowly) during the week when I could find a second or two to concentrate. I did a BJs run, got Karal's dog food, and bought Honey Nut Cheerios which will last me a few weeks - they sell such enormous proportions. 

I might fry up some steak with garlic, honey, and onion cream sauce (saw the recipe online), and I need to ready my soup game for the colder months. Ah, but this is the beauty of a 4-day weekend. There's no rush to any of it...just rolling with the day and accomplishing what can be accomplished. Let today be a day of rest (and reading student work).