Weekly Roundup 10/6/23
Well, it’s officially October, which means there is A LOT going on in Brown County! We’ve been busy this week with sports practices for the girls, hosting family at the Barn Burner on Wednesday, and just generally living life. But next week is Fall Break for Brown County Schools and I’m excited to keep it low key and relaxed.
Here are a few things that have been on my mind this week:
This is the first weekend in a long time (and for the foreseeable future) that we don’t have any big commitments to keep, so we’re going to spend a little bit of time as ‘Brown County tourists’ tonight and tomorrow.
I’m excited to meet friends for dinner tonight at the Ferguson House Bistro, and then we’re all going to see “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” at the Brown County Playhouse. It runs for the next two weekends, and you can get your tickets here.
The girls and I will probably head back into Nashville in the morning to hit up the NUMC Fall Fare and visit Sweetea’s Tea Shop - they’ve been dying to use the gift certificates they got for their birthdays to buy boba tea.
The only other activity that’s definitely on my radar this weekend is working with the girls on their Halloween costumes. They have very clear ideas of what they want to be, and how their final costumes should look, so I just come along as the creative director and person that knows how to work a sewing machine and use fabric dye safely ;-)
While we’re working, I know I’ll have a few spooky-themed Ologies podcasts queued up to keep us company. In the past, I’ve loved the episodes on Vampirology (VAMPIRES), Spindroinology (SPIDER WEBS), and Chiropterology (BATS), just to name a few.
On a typical episode, the host doesn’t really hold back on swearing or tackling more adult topics, so if I’m listening with kids around I stick to the kid-friendly Smologies versions instead…episodes on THE MOON, TOADS, or ALIENS would all be fun listens.
Last weekend at the Nashville Indiana Farmers Market, we stocked up on apples from Hi-Acre Farms. I’m excited to make something apple-based and delicious this weekend, but I haven’t fully decided what that will be yet.
Some recipes I’ve loved in the past that are definite contenders include:
These Pecan Apple Pancakes are my absolute favorite. The only thing making me hesitate is that I just made a huge batch of regular pancakes last weekend…but really, why should that stop me? Any time I make any kind of pancakes I double or triple the recipe and we freeze the extras for an easy breakfast option on school mornings.
This Apple Pull-Apart Bread isn’t the simplest recipe, but wow is it good. I know the girls would love to be surprised by this for breakfast one day.
Or maybe I’ll go with this Maple-Walnut Crisp instead? I use pecans instead of walnuts, but otherwise this recipe is about as easy as it gets. This one gets bonus points because it’s delicious served warm over vanilla ice cream as a dessert, or served cold over plain greek yogurt for breakfast.
Speaking of the Farmers Market, this is the last month for the 2023 Market Season! It runs every Sunday through the end of October, from 11a-2p at the Brown County Inn parking lot, so be sure to check it out if you’re around town.
October is also the month that the Brown County Back Roads Studio Tour takes place and I loved visiting a few of the studio stops earlier this week, as I was out and about in the county for some other meetings.
This year’s tour features 15 studio locations and 23 different local artisans, with studios open every Wednesday through Saturday in October, from 10am to 6pm (many studios are also open on Sundays). This is a great option to see all the fall beauty of Brown County, experience our amazing local art scene, AND avoid any big October crowds.
And if you decide to come visit for the Studio Tour, you might as well check out some of my other activity suggestions “For the Artist or Arts Supporter” while you’re here!
Not into the Arts? I share lots of other Example Itinerary Ideas in that blog post, including For the Antiques Lover, For the Bookworm & Cozy-Obsessed, For the Foodie, For Kids (or the Kid at Heart), For the Outdoor Enthusiast, and For the Plant Person. So hopefully there’s something there that catches your eye and your interest.
It’s a great time of year in Brown County and I’m excited to soak up all the local happenings this weekend. I hope you have a relaxed one, wherever you find yourself.