Cold(er) weather is coming...What are you knitting?

October begins the second month of Honey General's weekly Knit Cafe on Tuesday nights at 6:00 p.m. So we would like to know...what are you knitting for this winter? What crafts do you share with your friends and family during Christmas? Has anyone tried to knit the red bikini in the Stitch 'n Bitch book? If so, what happens when you take a swim?
Alice is finishing up her final (for now) pair of socks to tackle a few projects that require less brain power. Rose went back to crocheting after one very interesting lesson on knitting. I have set a goal for myself to complete one scarf per week from now until Christmas. That leaves me with ten scarves. The first one is an oatmeal colored angora 4" scarf with very, very, very small stitches. Friends and family, please put in your color requests now. :) Maybe next year someone will get a sweater or a yoga bag tote!
If you're knitting or stitching or crocheting alone, come and join our group! If you are a beginner, we can help you with the basics! See you soon!

Taste of Monroe's "Best Taste" Winning Nassau Grits

Ingredients:
-1/2 pound bacon
-1 cup chopped onion
-1/2 cup chopped green or red bell peppers
-1 jalapeño
-2 cloves garlic
-2 cups peeled & diced tomatoes
-1 cup Red Mule Grits
-3 cups water
-salt & pepper to taste

1-Fry the bacon and reserve 1 tbsp of the grease. Set bacon aside.
2-Saute peppers, onions, and garlic. Add the tomatoes. Simmer until mixture is thick.
3-Cook grits as package directs.
4-Add vegetable mixture to the grits. Add salt & pepper to taste. Top with bacon crumbles & serve hot!

Eggplant Creole

Ingredients:
-1 large eggplant

-1 large onion

-2 tomatoes

-1 cup cheddar or mozzerella cheese

-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 egg
-1/2 tsp baking powder

-salt & pepper to taste

-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

-1 cup bread crumbs or crumbled crackers

1. Peel, dice and soak eggplant in salt water for one hour.

2. Boil eggplant in clean water until soft.

3. Saute peppers and onions in olive oil. Add tomatoes.

4. Mash in eggplant, add seasonings, cheese, egg, baking powder, and bread crumbs.

5. Stir well.

6. Bake for 45 minutes on 350 degrees.

Fall is in the air...

Ahhh...the weather! After this scorching hot summer, the early fall breeze is a much welcomed change! Something about even this slight change of temperature tempts me to open all of the windows and start the first of the season's many batches of vegetable soup. Today, at Honey General Store, we started to get in our first order of pumpkins. We hope you'll decorate your porch with one of these monsters. We also have tiny ones too and the prices start at just $2.00 per pumpkin.

And on the social calendar...Monroe's fall activities are now underway. Taste of Monroe was a huge success! Everyone had a wonderful night with the food, music, and friends. Honey was the winner of "Best Taste" with our nassau grits, caprese salad, brownies, cookies, and breads! I can't wait to see what the second annual Taste will involve. Whippoorwill Hollow Farm's Field Of Greens (think organic farm aid) happens this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and they're expecting a huge turnout. Also this Saturday, GWA fall fest. Please visit the Honey booth for some samples, give aways, and to sign up for the co-op. Downtown Monroe is hosting its second annual Fall Festival on October 13th starting at 10:00 a.m. Visit downtown Monroe for shopping, music, kids activities, and a farmer's market. Please come out and support your local businesses.