Fall is Coming, Fall is Coming!!

With the first day of fall quickly approaching (September 22nd), I find myself filling with anticipation. I know something exciting is coming… It’s not a vacation, the upcoming holidays or any one thing in particular. It is simply everything that fall brings. The crisp air mottled with the smell of damp ground and chimney smoke. The changing of leaves in the tree canopies overhead, the fields bursting with pumpkins, and of course, there is the food. Maybe I did lie after all.

Though there is not a certain kind of food, I just love the variety and the homey-ness of fall-time food. There are wine parties, the family potlucks with hearty dishes such as macaroni n’ cheese and green bean casserole, an abundance of baked breads and various sweets lingering about. Even the smells are more warm and inviting: vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin, plum and pomegranate. It’s like the cool air and need for a jacket or our favorite sweater brings upon the need for something more substantial in our bellies and comforting in our senses. I find myself already planning to make my traditional pumpkin, hazelnut cranberry bread and hearty soups like cream of potato and minestrone.

Though I did say there is no one thing, I do have one substantial reason for my love of this time of year. It is when I fell in love with my husband. I used to have a paper route when I was younger which meant I was always up bright and early regardless of the weather. Luckily my route was inside a retirement home, so I only had to rough it to the place. One morning around the beginning of October I remember walking down the dark street bundled in my jacket and gloves. I can still see my breath in front of me and I’ll never forget the way the air smelled. It had a briskness to it that stung at first, but then became invigorating the more I inhaled it. There was a little hop in my step and I can see the smile pasted on my face as I thought about my new boyfriend Brandon (now my husband). We will be celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary in October. I never used to enjoy the holiday season much until he came into my life. Now I always look forward to this time of year because it has the most memorable moments of my life in it and because of that, it makes everything else around this time of year so much more memorable too.

I encourage all of you to also find some time of year whether it is the fall, summer, spring, winter or all of the above and find your own reasons to love it and things to love within it, and that includes the food. However, even if food is not one of the first things on your mind don’t forget to stop and smell the bread, pastries or whatever it may be. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to share your favorite recipes and memories with me. I would love to hear them!
Peace and happy eating.
Rachel :)