hello fall...

we are heading into that time of year where the leaves change colors, the sun is still shining but it is cool, we make heavier food, and the smell of baked goods fill our homes.  i love it.  no really, i love it.  after months of wearing practically nothing showing off too much skin, eating tons of salads which make me bloated and gassy, and sweating my arse off the change is nice.  you know i wish that whole sweating your arse off really worked because i did not lose my winter arse this summer.  this is a tad bit concerning.

 

i have been in the mood to cook, bake and then eat.  remember my winter arse issue, this is why it is concerning i tend to put on my protective layer through the fall so i don't freeze my arse off in the winter.  again, i wish freezing my arse off worked but it is just a silly saying.  in the past couple of weeks i have made a blackberry crisp, rice crispie treats, banana bread, and an oatmeal cake.  seriously i don't need to eat any of those things.  the funny thing is nobody in my house eats them either.  i am just baking for the joy of baking.

 

it's not just sweets that i've been creating in my kitchen.  i made a few batches of a basic tomato sauce.  my thought was that i could doctor them up for specific uses; a hearty meat sauce for spaghetti, make it a little thicker for lasagna, add some veggies and ground turkey and stuff some green peppers.  the possibilities with a basic tomato sauce are endless.  i pickled or brined a whole slew of garlic.  for some reason i bought the giant bag at costco.  i must've been craving garlic, but once i got it home i realized that i only needed maybe three heads.  what in the heck am i going to to do with a 5lb. bag of garlic?  pickle it of course.  i have yet to try it, but it looks real good. 

 

i pulled out my crock pot over the weekend.  so i have to admit i am not a huge fan of crock pot cooking, but it does have its purpose.  with soccer practice, wednesday night church, school and homework it can be a challenge putting a meal together and having it serveable at a decent hour.  in comes your crock pot.  on saturday, before going to a nine o'clock soccer game, i put a pork roast (not sure what cut, but it was roundish), chopped up a bunch of tomatillos and one jalapeno, dumped in some taco seasoning and cumin into the crock pot and let it do it's thing.  by dinner time the meat fell apart on it's own, i could hardly get it out of the crock pot.  we had pulled pork tacos (queso, cilantro, guacamole, sour cream and a squeeze of lime).  they were delicious, even ash ate them. since it is just the three of us i have a lot left over, so i am thinking i can assemble some enchiladas and have another meal or two.

besides food, which obviously i love food, i adore the weather of fall.  it allows me to pull out my boots, sweaters, scarfs and all the other cool weather attire.  i prefer dressing in layers, the outfits are just more interesting to the eye.  for instance today i have on a heathered grey pencil skirt, white ruffle blouse, cranberry colored cardigan and boots with plum fishnet stockings.  it is a divine combination.  i will probably be sweating my arse off by the afternoon (there is that saying again), but i love what i am wearing today.  i will make the sacrifice and who knows, maybe a millimeter of my arse will disappear?

i am so looking forward to evenings curled up with a blanket, an inviting fire crackling in the wood stove and candles emitting a soft glow.  i tend to crochet a lot this time of year creating hats, scarfs and sometimes blankets that rarely get used.  i read a lot more in the fall, curled up with a cup of tea in the corner of my couch.  doesn't this sound nice?  i think it sounds heavenly. 

in my opinion fall is the most romantic, peaceful and beautiful times of the year.  my goal this fall is to keep my protective layer to a minimum but still enjoy delicious homemade food, create a little more and slow down.  i want to enjoy life a little more instead of rushing through it.