Mixed Bag

...or basket, in this case, for those who can't make up their minds about which fresh organic mushrooms to buy from the wide selection available at the Cascadia Mushrooms stall at our farmers' market.

Count me among that population -- it's time for me to take the plunge! Maybe I'll do it next Saturday, if the weather is better than the pouring rain we had today. (I'd want to make sure that those beautiful mushrooms stayed dry on their trip back to my car.)

Despite the gloomy weather, there were a number of vendors in Halloween costumes, and some of the vegetables, as well. One of the craft vendors, ArtShadow Workshop, had some fine Day of the Dead decor (see a small sample here), as well as a trio of cozy chickens, made from recycled sweaters and other fabrics, that I was sorely tempted to bring home with me.

I did bring home four quarts of fresh cranberries, grown in Olympia, about 150 miles south of Bellingham, which I consider nearly-local. I love the tart fruit and use them in sweet breads, muffins, cobblers, and other baked goods, as well as in homemade cranberry sauce. They freeze well, so it's easy to have some on hand -- I'll be buying more when Felix returns to the farmers' market on November 3!

No time to polish this blip -- we're off to Boundary Bay Brewery for a party for the market vendors and volunteers!