Tuesday, September 22, 2009

How Do I Love Thee, Fall? Let Me Count The Ways


From here.
1. Evenings are cool but days are still warm. This means productivity is still high in daytime hours but evenings are more indoor-oriented. Not that I still don't have a pile of garden projects, but they will get shifted to weekends instead of after work during the week. And I'm ok with that now. By February I will be gagging for my garden time but right now I am on the edge of burned out. And I still need to plant a fruit tree. Maybe.

2. It's soup weather! Make this ridiculously tasty soup and enjoy that cool evening. I like to sub in chicken thighs (we're not big beef people) and add carrots.

3. Sweaters. Need I say more? I swear the sweater is the most comfortable/flattering garment ever invented. Also, I might finally get to wear my adorable sweater dress that I bought on super sale when it was a million degrees out.

4. Fall color. Good for practicing on with the new camera. I grew up somewhere where the fall color was pretty minimal other than the liquidambar outside my house, and that was more exciting because it dropped little spiky balls that you could throw at people. Nevada does fall color thoroughly, and it does it well.

From here.

5. Also weather for baking. Matt gets cranky when I make banana bread in July. By October, he is more amenable. And, I have started making banana nut muffins instead because it's easier to put nuts in only half a batch of muffins than in half a loaf of bread.

6. Thanksgiving is officially at my place again this year. I LOVE Thanksgiving. And this year there will be no "have it on Friday and then EVERYONE will come" going on. It will be Thursday, and family-only. So there. Also, I delegate all side dishes and only make the pies I want to make. My awesome brandy pumpkin pie and what we call the "footprint" apple pie with a crumble crust (so good that when my tiny niece stepped in it one year in the car on the way to the party we said, "Yay for Saran Wrap" and ate it anyways, little Croc-shaped footprint or no). No links for those because they're actually on recipe cards (how old school of me!) but I will post recipes on request...

3 comments:

Marianne said...

I'm intrigued by the brandy pumpkin pie.

Being in NYC, this is really the first time I will experience a REAL autumn. I really don't know what to expect, but I'm pretty excited to whip out my new cream-colored Leifsdottir coat and selection of scarves. Definitely need to track down some good sweaters, though, and some flat brown boots.

Anonymous said...

Ok, I'd love a good recipe for pumpkin pie! It's not a big thing here at all, but I've managed to get a can of pumpkin from the English shop. Please share! xx

Anne At Large said...

I will post a pumpkin pie recipe then. Soon-ish. It's not too fancy, the brandy just gives it a little something different ;)

And Marianne, get thee some sweater action ASAP! I've been in NYC in the winter and you will be sad! Also, in San Diego it may not matter, but let me tell you, do not bother buying cotton winter sweaters. You are in wool country now!