Cool, crisp air. A sheen of frost in the early morning. Brilliant sunshine and brighter than bright blue skies. Caramel.
How'd I jump from the description of a perfect
Fall day to food? Well, it's not hard here in The Lair, lol.This past weekend in Kentucky, we enjoyed some beautiful weather. Just like I described above. So it got me to thinking. What were the Top Five things I like about Fall?How'd I jump from the description of a perfect
Food. There are certain foods I only make or eat in the cool days of autumn. Beef stew, chili, apple anything (was having a MAJOR apple crumb pie craving Saturday...went to Weight Watcher's instead). They say an apple a day, keeps the doctor away...why not add some streudal topping? Pumpkin rolls with cream cheese, Halloween candy (I do TOO save some for the 31st...unless I buy Milky Ways) and pretty much anything dipped, covered, drizzled, imbedded with caramel.
Leaves. We are just now starting to have our leaves turn color. I'm expecting a good show this year as we've had plenty of rain (and floods) and cooler temps. My favorite leaf color is scarlet followed by deep gold.
Naps. Yes, I take naps year round sometimes right before bedtime but an autumn nap is the best. With the hint of cold in the air, a soft pillow and a snuggle blanket...man, you can't go wrong.
Squirrels. Not the rabid type Susan ;-) but the cute, gray furry ones scampering around with their nuts. I admire their industriousness...as I lay under my snuggle blanket eating caramel.
Pumpkin Farms. We have a wonderful one across the river in Starlight, IN called Huber's. There's nothing like going there on a day like I described, driving through rural roads, enjoying a home cooked meal and watching kids scamper (in a similar vein as squirrels but without bushy tails) picking out "the best pu
mpkin ever, Mom!" It doesn't take a stretch to imagine the Great Pumpkin finding that the most sincere pumpkin patch. So what about you?What are your Top Five Things you like about fall?
105 comments:
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Favorite things about fall? The leaves changing colors. Apple cider. Caramel Apples. Football - especially college.
And uh... I guess that it's not bearable to bake? Although... fall is not my favorite, because it means winter is nigh. We've already had the heat on for a few weeks, with temps in the 40s. I am not happy about that.
I love fall, it's my favorite season. I love the beautiful fall colors, the cool evenings, pumpkins, Halloween and hot chocolate. And Thanksgiving dinner isn't too bad either.
Congrats, lime!
My top five things about fall?
1. Candy is on sale.
2. Apple cider.
3. More candy is on sale.
4. Apple crumble.
5. Still more candy is on sale.
It's kind of obvious when I write my comments while hungry, isn't it?
Hey, Lime! Congrats!
OK, Miss Joan, I'm striking a blow for the people south of the Equator and telling you the top five things I like about spring. Ha ha!
Seeing the bearded dragons. I've got a big one sitting just outside the office at the moment. He thinks I can't see him. He's VERY wrong!
Getting in the pool when I'm stiff from the computer. Actually today it's chilly and windy so that one's not true but it's GENERALLY true!
The jacarandas coming out. Purple bliss!
My maybush turning into white snow.
Being able to turn off my desk lamp at 5:30 am and only turn it on again at 6pm - if I'm still here then!
sadly i've never experienced a real fall season. sadly there's no fall season in hawaii... it's actually been humid and hotter lately than it was in the summer :(
There's snow on the ground up to my ankles! But it will melt soon. Favorite things about fall: ruska (=all those colors on the leaves), apple pie -that is a bit different than the ones you make in the States. Bats -haven't seen them this year, though. Maybe because there weren't as many insects as there used to be before we cut down the birch trees that were a bit too close too the house. Watching the geese and other big birds move to south. It depends on the winds if I get to see them here. This year I was in luck.
Oh, yeah, and knitting.
Congrats Lime - I'm with you. Not fond of these unseasonable cool temps in Ohio at the moment. I love fall - but I prefer it a bit warmer in October.
Hi Linda - You've got me thinking of Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pie.
Lynz - love your list. I'm fighting purchasing Halloween candy early because I know it will be gone before the Holiday.
Anna - I'm jealous - enough said.
Mahalo Michelle - I have a nephew living in Oahu - well, he will be living there when he returns from Baghdad. His wife is waiting for him there at the moment.
Hi Minna - love your take on Autumn. Bats? I'm not sure I've seen them flying around, but it would be interesting.
My fav five:
1. My birthday! - this month on the 24th
2. Fall leaves - love the colors
3. OSU Football - love the pagentry
4. Return to comfort food - everything pumpkin, cinnamon, apples, roasts, chili...the list goes on and on
5. Snuggly sweaters and big warm quilts - perfect for hiding under with a good book.
Hi Donna! Congrats, Lime! Great post!
Donna, I'm wearing a OSU t-shirt right now! A gift from a guy I sponsored in Afghanistan and he sent me a "buckeye" necklace too..never knew what a buckeye was til last week! Fall is one of my favorite season...college football Saturdays at a packed stadium, caramel apples, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin cheesecake bars (I feel weird if I make them before October) cool crisp air, and since we've moved into a real neighborhood, I love the elaborate Halloween decorations some of our neighbors put up. My husband is wearing a Santa outfit while he hands out candy. He thinks he can save the parents a trip to the mall at Christmas.
Hi Joan,
1. Leaves- I'm not a leaf peeper, but I do enjoy watching the leaves change color.
2. Apple picking
3. Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations- I love shopping for these.
4. Sports- World Series and hockey season.
5. Brisk weather
Congrats limecello have fun with him
Joanie I am very envious of you as Anna said it is spring here in Australia but my favourite season is autumn for all the reasons you love it although we don't celebrate Halloween here so the pumpkin farm isn't big here but I love eating pumpkin anything LOL and we have possums not squirels.
But saying that I love the thought of all the salads and ice cream and of course all the summer fruits that will be available soon cherries necterines peaches yummy.
Have Fun
Helen
1. I love seeing the leaves change, our hills look like huge patchwork quilts with all the reds, oranges, and golds with just a little green here and about to make it interesting.
2.I am not into pumpkins myself but I do make some pumpkin bread that everyone else enjoys.
3.Caramel apples, why I only make and eat them in the fall I don't know but that is the way of things.
4.I favor the cooler temps of fall, a light jacket and I am good to go.
5.Hunting season, I know that doesn't do it for a lot of you so that is all I am saying, makes for good eats at my house.
Lime! The chook may not be quite the thing today. I think he was with Joan, scarfing Milky Ways and who knows what else yesterday. He may ralph on your rug! *g*
Joanie, you KNOW that autumn is my Favorite. Season. Ever. Besides all the cool weather and leaves and whatnot, I adore cool-weather cooking! I've already made chili, soup, Spanish rice and cornbread in the past week, so I'm well on my way.
Guess what? The NC State Fair starts on Thursday. WOO HOO!! My youngest will be baking her cookies tonight (one in the rolled category, one in the drop), so we'll be anxiously awaiting word on the results from my husband when he goes out on Friday. Wish her luck (she got a blue ribbon last year)!
Why aren't the girls and I going, you ask? It's TEEN CAMPOREE! So, I'll be sleeping in a tent all weekend, along with a couple of co-leaders and 14 of my 17 Girl Scouts. I know you're jealous!
I'll think of you, napping in your soft, warm blankie while I freeze my tuckus off in my tent! Please pray for dry weather. We are often monsooned at this event. Oy.
Oh, I didn't do my top five. Doh!
1. Cool weather - Lived in the steamy South my whole life, except that unfortunate year in Houston, TX (shudder). Give me four solid seasons, at least two of them COOL!
2. NC State Fair - For all that the fair is full of carnies, port-a-potties and garbage, it's still magical. NC does a great job with the State Fair and ours is always full of deep-fried goodness. Ooh, I feel a State Fair food blog coming on again! *eg*
3. Sweaters and turtlenecks - It hasn't quite gotten cold enough yet, but I know I'll be able to bust out in a turtleneck any time now. Of course, we just closed the swimming pool 3 weeks ago, but a girl can dream!
4. Piles of covers - I love piles of blankets on the bed. Naturally, my husband prefers a single sheet - maybe a comforter if it's below 20 F. He invariably flings all his covers over on me. Hooray, double covers!!
5. Thanksgiving - The most beloved and cherished of family holidays. My family, my huge family of origin, various in-laws of various sibs, nieces, nephews, cousins, dogs and PILES of excellent food. Throw in some bluegrass, honky tonk or questionable 80s music and it's a party that never ends!
Man, I love autumn!
Lynz, I am virtuously ignoring the mega-sales on Halloween candy. I bought mine weeks ago and HID IT. Otherwise, the weight I've lost since conference would be right back on the hips. Be strong, sister!
Ooh, Linda, hot chocolate! I discovered the Hershey's Dark Chocolate cocoa powder last year. That stuff is AWESOME!
Michelle, I'm not sure we're going to feel too terribly sorry for you missing fall when you live in Paradise. Hang on, I'm going to try...okay, I managed it. I'm sad that you don't have gorgeous crimson and gold maple leaves and a serious nip in the air. There! *g*
Anna C., I just put my fingers in my ears and went, "La la la la la la..." so I would hear nothing about Spring. What's that? Couldn't hear you talking about bearded dragons and jacaranda!
Minna, snow already? Brr! We almost never see snow here, so it's another big party if we do. With pictures! *g* As to the big birds, we in the southern USA are recipient of boatloads (or maybe just flocks *g*) of Canada geese and other large birds. Problem is, the Canada geese never leave. They have become year-round residents! Other big birds keep moving, though.
As of now, the hummingbirds have only been gone a couple of weeks. They have flown back to Mexico and Central America! No idea how they manage it, the tiny little things!
PinkPeony, that is too funny about your husband and the Santa suit! I hear you about the wrongness of pumpkin desserts before October. It's a violation of the natural order! Thank goodness it's October now. *g*
As to buckeyes, I knew about them growing up in TN only because my father had been hunting up north and brought some back because he thought they were cool. Plus, there are the candy buckeyes like Suz makes annually that are fabulous. Chocolate and peanut butter. Yummy!
Donna, don't let us forget your birthday! I was totally with you on your list until you hit OSU football. I'm fairly certain I won't see any sort of football game this year. No one in my family is even vaguely interested in sports! Now, when we go down for Thanksgiving, my sporty BIL will have the TV on the football games for sure!
Joan, I adore fall! It's my favorite season and here are some of the reasons why:
1. Back to school!
2. Birthdays. My older daughter's (Sept) my son's (this month) mine (Nov)
3. Apple cider, homemade applesauce, pumpkin crunch, pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice cookies...well...you get the idea ;-)
4. Football. Go Steelers!!
5. Curling up under a blanket with a cup of hot coffee and a great book *g*
Did I mention back to school? *g*
Joanie wrote: Not the rabid type Susan ;-) but the cute, gray furry ones scampering around with their nuts.
Heh. You said "nuts."
snork.
Okay, teenaged boy humor aside, I just have one thing to say.
RABID SQUIRREL!
Just for those of you who didn't encounter the strangely unafraid squirrels in DC this summer, Joan & I met up with one while walking back from dinner one night. Picture it, if you will--tall retaining wall on one side of the walk, big tour bus parked on the other, me & Joanie walking this thin strip of pavement leading back to the hotel. Suddenly I spotted this huge squirrel on top of the retaining wall (so like at EYE LEVEL), not three feet from my HEAD.
Instinct took over (squirrels are *supposed* to scamper away from people--this one looked me dead in the eye like, "Yeah? Who's gonna make me?") I jumped toward the tour bus, grabbed Joanie by the arm & yelled "Rabid squirrel!"
Turns out the woman behind us had NO sense of humor. She politely informed me that rabid animals do not eat & see? This one is munching a nut. I returned that I preferred he not do it quite so close to MY HEAD. She (again, politely) rolled her eyes & sighed.
So there you have it. I am maligner of innocent squirrels but a staunch defender of my right to act foolish in public. I'm okay with that. :-)
p.s. a comment on the post? I love fall, too, but we skipped it this year. I'm looking out my window at three inches of snow that fell yesterday. My kids built snowpeople in the yard. On October 12th. Yikes.
Donna, there still might be bats around, even if you don't see them.
U2 - Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31bd0bNI-jA
I only get 5 favorite things about fall? That's not right. Fall is my favorite season.
1. Cool temperatures with a hint of wood smoke in the air.
2. Baking. I love to bake but just never feel like doing much of it in the summer.
3. Soups. Yes, more food. We are in the lair. I love to make soups in the fall.
4. The beautiful colors on the trees. The only problem is I live in Maryland and they just don't get as pretty as in upstate NY.
5. A fire in the fireplace with a good book (or does that count as 2 things?)
Minna, snow already?
Yep. There was snow up to my ankles when I went to get the mail and it's still snowing. It is a bit early for snow, though. Anyway, it should melt within couple of days, but we'll see.
5 Favorite Things About Fall
1.) Sunlight on autumn leaves--I love the glow, it's like a halo.
2.) Caramel apples. This blog has reminded me of my priorities.
3.) Fall movies. The occasional Summer blockbuster is okay, but usually for the 15-24 male crowd. Fall is for the girls in the audience, usually. There is always a bodice-ripper period piece, and a number of feel-good woman-sob movies. Okay, I do really want to see Couples Retreat, but I also want to see Amelia.
4.) Halloween: my favorite holiday
5.) Baking. There is always more excuses for baking this time of year and I do like beer bread, coconut cake, brownies, oatmeal cookies, fresh bread, garlic cheese biscuits, et al.
And of course the rodants try to move inside. And not just the rodants. Couple of days ago I made a disgusting discovery. I went to check the mouse trap -as I had been hearing that scratching noise again. For starters, the trap wasn't where it was supposed to be. I started looking for it and it was about 2 meters from where it was supposed to be. There was a rodant in it -nothing unusual there, but it was obvious that someone had started to eat it! The eater was long gone, but mom thinks it might have been a least weasel. Don't any of the animals stay outside anymore?
Fall is my favorite season, and October is my favorite month. I love the sights and smells and sounds and textures of autumn. Choosing just five favorites is tough, but I finally came up with the following:
1. Family birthdays (The youngest grand turns one today, and #3 turns eight the day before Halloween.)
2. Festivals (They abound this time of year. I prefer the old-fashioned kind with cake walks and apple bobbing and local crafts for sale.)
3. Fall foods (chili, vegetable soup, caramelized fall veggies, fried pies, and fig preserves)
4. Fall flowers (particularly mums, pansies, and dianthus)
5. Football (from the five-year-old grand’s flag games through Sundays with the pros)
Apparently fall also inspires me to be alliterative. :)
Hey Limecello! He's back with you! :>
Top five things:
1. Cool weather
2. Halloween
3. Everything else (pumpkins, leaves, caramel, planting bulbs for spring, cooking...)
4. Thanksgiving
5. Everything else (cider, leaves, pumpkins, halloween, cookies, mini-Krackle bars, hot tea, etc....)
Um...did I mention everything? :>
Hi Joanie! I love fall too...I don't like cold weather, so that keeps it from being my favorite season, but it's a close second to spring. :-)
My favorite things:
1) Pumpkin patch! We went this weekend with the kids. Believe it or not, this was my first year to venture into the corn maze with the kids. We were all on the verge of total panic when we stumbled our way back out through the entrance. Great fun.
2) MY BIRTHDAY. (*waving at Donna, my fellow fall birthday!*) It's November 25, if anyone wants to start thinking about presents now. *VBG*
3) Presents on my birthday. Yeah. I'm not scared. I LOOOOVE presents. To hell with all that modest, grown-up, "no, don't get me anything," crap. I want me some PREZZIES!!!
4) Thanksgiving. Which often falls on or about my birthday. Caren, I loved your description of Thanksgiving -- big holiday, lots of family and friends, and TONS of fabulous food. What more could a girl ask for?
5) Sweaters. Boots and dresses. Cute puffy down vests. Warm fuzzy socks. An excuse to buy new clothes.
Congrats on the GR Lime! Maybe you can get him to rake leaves (Another fav..raking into a pile and then jumping in..)
Yeah, we're experiencing cooler than normal temperatures this year too. I had both my A/C AND my furnace on yesterday!
Hey Linda, I agree with all of the above and yum on Thanksgiving dinner....I'm probably not getting one this year as I'll probably work...but they make frozen ones :(
Lynz, you crack me up!
Since you mentioned candy (a few times) what is your favorite Halloween treat? Mine is dark chocolate Milky Way bars, Twix, Smarties and M&M's. I do NOT like those peanut butter taffy stuff..bleach
OMGosh I forgot to say:
FOOOTBALLLLL!!!!! OMGOSH!!!
Did anyone else stay up and watch the Dolphins/Jets game last night? FAB-U-LOUS!!!
(Hey, in my house, it's all about baseball, so they're happy - playoffs! - and I'm happy - FOOTBALL!!!!)
I'm...happy for you Anna? But see the whole idea of having a HUGE LIZARD staring at me through the window gives me the shivers.....
And I think there's a reason DRAGON is part of its name.....probably a shapeshifter.
Now getting in the pool to alleviate stiffness sounds like a plan.
Hawaii, Michelle? Don't the coconuts in the trees change color?
Man, I'd LOVE to visit someday. It's on my list.
JT, the aforementioned Krackle bar mini's...ahhhh...slurpy!
Oh, and football. Yeah. Love the football. Did I mention that?
And Halloween? I'm having Halloween withdrawl. I've got the decor up, but I'm not going to be able to do my annual Addams Family Halloween Party - got to get the book in, instead.
I'd sigh, but having a book contract's great too. And hey, I have pumpkin pie to comfort me...with cool whip too...
Ok, now Minna I'm putting you and Anna C. in the same "What?!!" category with the mention of BATS!
Don't like bats. I know, I know, they help with insects (where were they when the Savannah mosquito hoard attacked me?) but as Barney Fife from Andy Griffth says "They'll land in your hair and lay eggs and you'll go crazy"
I believe everything Barney Fife says :-)
Good luck to your OSU football team Donna though again...I don't get football. At. All.
And I am developing a serious crave for pumpkin now....pumpkin ANYTHING!
Santa giving out Halloween treats....talk about overlapping holidays! YOu could dress up as the Easter Bunny!
I do enjoy giving out treats esp. to the little bitty ones who come early. They are so cute! One year when it was realatively warm, I sat outside on my steps. This little girl maybe 2 1/2 dressed as a princess came up shyly to get her candy.
As she walked away, her father said "Tell the lady thank you".
She turned...gave me this considering look...than ran back and gave me a kiss on the cheek!
Ohhhhhhhh
Leaf peeper, Jane? Is that what they call people who make trips to see the changing leaves.
I would absolutley LOVE to travel the New England states in the fall! Or go through th Appalachias....gorgeous
Helen, ya'll don't do Halloween?
I find that surprising as it originated in Celtic/Irish/Scots areas and I'm thinking Australia has their fair share of people with that heritage.
So you don't even do jack o lanterns? That makes me sad! I'd mail you one but the lit candle inside would mark it a bit hazardous
Dianna I love your comparison to the leaves changing and a quilt! Two icons in one as you can cuddle under a quilt!
And yes...I'm one who doesn't understand the allure of hunting when the Kroger has everything all nice and wrapped up in the freezer section.
Joanie said: Leaf peeper, Jane? Is that what they call people who make trips to see the changing leaves? I would absolutley LOVE to travel the New England states in the fall! Or go through th Appalachias....gorgeous
It's a gorgeous ride, Joanie. You'd never see the world the same way after you've seen the fire on the mountains that is Fall in the Appalacians or the Smokey's or the Blue Ridge. Magnificent.
Oh, and we used to call the slllloooowwww drivers on the Blue Ridge Parkway both LeafPeepers and LeafIdiots, so pick your moniker by driving style. :>
Good luck to your daughter in the State Fair competition Caren! I hope she gets TWO blue ribbons this year!
Man, I can't believe you're going to miss the Deep Fried Fest. I had my Lipitor all ready to read about it.
I like SOME turtlenecks. Can't stand them to be tight around my neck. But I've found some really pretty classic cable sweater hoodies that even a mature Bandita looks cute in.
I'll wear one in your honor as you shiver..er, enjoy your campout
Beth, pumpkin crunch?
That sounds GREAT!!!!!!
Care to share the receipe? Care to make some and..oh, I don't know..mail it to KY?
Dianna, I'm with you on hunting. I don't, given living in a city and having very young children, but I do miss having neighbors who do.
"Want some venison?" Sure.
"I've got a few extra quail" Okay.
"Wild turkey suit you?" Uh-huh.
Once a neighbor of mine went boar hunting. Evidently they're getting pestiferous in the mountains of NC because the wild hogs are intermarrying and they have no fear of humans. That equals danger. (Not quite rabid squirrel scary, but scary, you know? SNORK!! Sorry, Susan, had to do it...)
Anyway, good eating.
JT, I'm fond of the meat dept.'s easy packaging too, but every now and again, it's good to get a little wild. VBG
I love fall because I'm a baker and I enjoy baking with apples and pumpkin which taste their best when locally grown (I'm in NJ). So for me, it has to be the great aroma in my house during that time. That and the ability to sleep with tons of blankets.
Nick's Another baker-in-the-fall, JT! Sounds like a lot of us skip heating up the kitchen in the summer. (Me!) And drag all the pots and pans out in fall.
My kids and DH love this, btw.
Nick, what do you like to bake?
Oh, and I'll third you and Caren and others on the quilts and blankets weather.
Not so sure I want to go as far as Susan's situ, making snow people on Oct. 12, but...
LOL Susan!
I understand your concern....you're so petite that that squirrel might have dragged you off to his lair!
But I would have fought for ya! That squirrel would not have gotten you without a fight from me. No squirrel! You can't have her.....ok, squirrel gun...maybe...
No! No! You can't have her
I didn't hear the lady behind us as I was too busy laug...er, feeling concern.
Who was she? National Geographic woman?
And yikes on snow that early. Our local weatherman mentioned that the last time MN got snow THIS early, KY got an 18 in. storm the following January.
Now where did I put that shovel?
Ah Christie...I LOVE good homemade soup!
I actually like thicker soups kind of between stew and soup...esp. of the chicken variety.
Hmmm...why is it we always focus on FOOD?
MsHellion,
What a lovely picture and so iconic...fall sunlight through the leaves.
Sigh.
And here we go with the food again...now I want cheese biscuits with chicken soup followed by pumpkin bars....
Janga! Yes! Festivals!
We're starting to have Craft festivals where you can buy all sorts of CUTE Christmas things and they sell.....pumpkin cookies, caramel apples,
Sigh
That corn maze sounds like too much fun! I've always wanted to do one...
And a ghost run. Do ya'll have those? It's a treasure hunt by car around local sites and you try to find all the "things" in a record time and in for a big prize.
I think it would be a HOOT for the Banditas to do one!
And YES to warm soft sockies....bliss while you eat pumpkin bars
Jeanne, I love to have tulips in the spring but my luck with bulb planting has been neglible.
I'd plant them and then the next spring...nada.
OMG! I just realized! Rapid squirrels must have dug them up!!!
Hissssss
LeafPeepers and LeafIdiots, so pick your moniker by driving style.
Gee...which one would I pick?
Rapid Squirrel Scout.
NIck, I can almost smell the aromas of your baking.
Care to send any? There's room in my mailbox :-)
Favourite things about autumn?
1. Hockey is back! LOL (okay, and footie of both types too)
2. Changing into warmer clothes and remembering all the great shoes and boots I have!
3. Glorious sunsets, leaves changing colours, bright days with that crispness to them.
4. Saying goodbye to salads and hello to stews and soups.
5. Bonfire Night (aka Guy Fawkes Night on Nov 5th). Though I can't stand fireworks, it's such a wonderful tradition and so very English. Especially now that so many people don't risk a celebration at home and go to teh village/town displays.
Plus, who can resist the smell of an autumn bonfire?
What I do not like is that the Christmas displays are already up in the shops and have been for a month!! People, it's only October!!
A time for everything is my motto - I like to enjoy the season I'm in.
Minna just reminded me of another things I don't like about autumn - the spiders moving inside! Eek!
And tell me why my cats, who leap at everything else that moves, sit and stare at the spiders like they're the coolest things ever?!
Great post Joan!! And I must say that I am so happy that you mentioned Caramel. As one who doesn't do chocolate, caramel is my flavor of choice during the fall season. Nothing better than a freshly picked apple from the North Georgia mountains dipped in a whole lotta caramel!!!!!! Yum
Mmm, my top 5 is . . .
1) The M&M Conference! *wink*
2) I love taking walks with the family on paths through the woods, enjoying the breeze and the wonderous colors around us.
3) Soccer. My kids play fall soccer and I love watching their faces when they get a goal.
4) Puzzles. When the weather turns cooler, my family loves to work big puzzles together. It is a great family time!
5) Camping. While I am not a lover of camping, the hubby and the boys go on Scout camping trips, which leaves me with a weekend to myself :-)
So exactly how big ARE the spiders in England? {glances around nervously} The size of Anna C.'s dragons? Do they fly like Minna's bats?
Do they like to crawl under your snugglie blanket?
Aghhhhhhhhh
Along that same line,there is nothing WORSE (ok, maybe the bats) than having a cricket move into your attached garage and "cricket" at 2 am which is AMPLIFIED by the garage and piped right into your bedroom.
I so agree Anna on the Christmas decorations coming out WAY too early for my comfort.
Used to be you wouldn't see them till the Friday after Thanksgiving.
I do NOT get in the mood until then!
Buffie,
Right back atcha about M&M...I feel a tradition coming on in the Joanie household.
It was so lovely having all ya'll there cheering me on at the Maggie awards.
And yeah on puzzles. I grew up with the card table in the living room and trying to find that one piece that had a smudge of the puppies nose on it...
My brother carries on the tradition so last year I bought him a Mickey Mouse Fantasia one where each piece contained teeny little scenes of Disney movies on them..
He gave up said it was too hard....
What a lovely post, Joan. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year too. We've finally lost that hideous California summer heat and the winter with its rain hasn't yet come.
Today, however, we've got a storm that's moved it. I wanted Dr. Big to build a fire, but it's not quite cold enough. I love to snuggle under a blanket and read a good book while it's raining outside.
Today I'm making a big pot of chicken soup. Fall just calls for chicken soup with homemade biscuits, doesn't it?
Joan! What a fantastic idea about dressing up as an Easter bunny! I'm going to look on line right now! Last year, my trick-or-treater was a tiny two year old girl dressed as a nun.
Today I'm making a big pot of chicken soup. Fall just calls for chicken soup with homemade biscuits, doesn't it?
Let's see...with the 3 hour time differance, connecting in Dallas...I should be there about 5 pm :-)
Sounds great JoMama
OMG PinkPeony...have I created a monster? Er, Bunny?
You'll HAVE to take pictures if you do it.
And how CUTE about a 2 year old nun!!!!
Sr Mary Sweetie PIe
Oooh, good ones, Joan. I like raccoons better than squirrels, but other than that, our lists are similar.
1. Leaves -- I don't which I like better, fall color or spring flowers. I think it's a tie.
2. Pumpkin farms -- I was in Chicago for a family reunion two weeks ago, with BOTH of my kids (very rare!). We had a free day and they both wanted to go to Goebberts, a pumpkin farm we used to go to when they were kids.
My son's girlfriend loaded up on pumpkins (six of different sizes, shapes and colors), my daughter rode a camel and my son posed by a stack of pumpkins, copying a pose from when he was three or four years old. Had hot apple cider, too -- it was a blast!
3. The smells -- although, with anti-pollution laws, there aren't many bonfires anymore. I love the crisp autumn smell of the air, and the way the colors all look more vivid, too.
4. Football -- Sort of. I loved going to all the games when my son was in high school. My husband and son are still addicted, but it's mainly the ambience I enjoy.
5. Yeah, okay -- the food. Pecan pie, which I should never, never eat because it's ten gazillion calories, but it's also one of my most favorite foods in life. Pumpkin pie, which runs a close second. Caramel apples. Hot cider. Damn, there goes the diet.
Michelle - my daughter, who lives in Florida, misses the fall. My son, who is shivering in Chicago, thinks she's nuts. Hawaii sounds pretty good to me right now, even though the weather in Cincinnati is gorgeous today.
Anna - While I know in my head that it's spring for you, I still have trouble really believing that the seasons are opposite for us. By the time we have snow, I'll be ready to trade places with you!
Becke, how cool that you got to "recreate" your kid's childhood experience.
I went pumpking shopping with a 5 and 6 yo a couple of weekends ago.
"Mom! This is the most beautiful pumpkin! Mom! Mom?"
If Mom hadn't bought it I was going to....
Our family pumpkin carving party.
The gorgeous leaves.
Passing out candy to the children.
Pittsburgh Steelers and Nittany Lions.
New apple crop.
(but not the cold weather lol)
Joanie
Over the last few years we seem to have a few neighbourhood children going trick or treating but that is about it here for us anyway. I would love to have a jack o lantern maybe one day I will be lucky enough to visit the States and celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving and stay for a white Christmas I wish.
I forgot to say how much I love caramel I make the best caramel biscuit slice yummo.
Have Fun
Helen
Oh Joanie, I ADORE fall.
Usually, (and I had one planned, but had to cancel), I make a trip home to Ohio from Texas to see my parents, get in some nice drizzly Ohio weather and see the myriad (isn't that a great word?) of colors on the trees. Yes, we get some leave color in North Texas, but not nearly as much!
The cooler weather has always been a favorite part of fall for me. Makes me want to put on a sweatshirt or sweater. Unfortunately, it makes lots of people want to cuddle, which makes lots of babies 9 months later for me to deliver in the heat of summer!!!
Apples. Yes, I'm an apple loving woman. My father's family has several apple orchards in the Blue Ridge hills of Tennessee. We used to bring home bushels of apples, (Rome, golden delicious, MacIntosh, crow's egg, etc...) and mama would make homemade applesauce and freeze by the quart. Yummo. Apple Pies, apple crisps, cooked apples, apple dumplings with caramel sauce. Sliced apples with caramel dipping sauce. YUMMO!
Birthdays and holidays. In Oct, I have two kids with birthdays. Mine is in November, as is my mom's and soon my newest granddaughter. Then there's Halloween, Thanksgiving and all of it leading up to Christmas, which I usually start shopping early for!
Oh and the smell of fireplaces being used in the air!
YEP, LOVE ME SOME FALL!!
OMG...Donna, how could I forget OSU football? We manage to watch every game down here in Texas...(do not ask me the cost!). I too love the pagentry.
The other day at work I was talking about the band performing Script Ohio. Being the good Texas girls they are, NONE of them, NOT ONE had ever seen it. DUH!!! Someone had a laptop, so I found it on youtube, and they were like, "they're in a box and a line". I said, keep watching. By the time the Sousaphone player highkicked his way to the i to "dot" it, they were all...."Wow that is so cool!!"
Yep, love the Best Damn Band In The Land, too!
Do you know my kids all know all the words to the OSU fightsong?
Will teach the grandkids, too!
catslady
A family pumpkin carving?
That's cool!
Now, do you go traditional, triangle eyes, nose, jagged mouth?
Scary as opposed to cute?
I do cute....I don't like to see frown lines on pumpkins....
Ah Helen...your talking about caramel is forcing me... FORCING me to go to the grocery and get some...
That and the fact I might have, possibly promised another budgeted nurseling on Facebook I'd make some cookies to bring tomorrow...
Well, dang...add apples to that list too Suz.
Right now? I'm favoring Gala apples for noshing. They have JUST the right consistency and sweetness...
And I'm not EXACTLY sure what you're referring to with the OSU band but I DO like marching bands.
Here you go Joanie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPNnIFH6_RU
JO...I forgot about soups!
Made a huge pot of chili last Thursday. We've had it for lunch a few times since. mmmmmm
Will have to make some chicken tortilla soup this week, I think.
JOanie, try Honey Crisp Apples. They're new and in season right now. Tangier than a golden delicious or Gala, but not quite as sharp as a granny smith. Makes a yummy pie...
hmmm...wonder where my mama's apple cake recipe is...must.go.look!
That was pretty cool, Suz!
What do you think they could do with KENTUCKY?
:-)
Suz! I'd forgotten about Script Ohio! How fun is that. I love bands. :>
Gosh, Joanie, I don't know if I can limit it to just 5. I love Fall. Love it, love it, love it!
1. Football - Yeah, I'm one of those. College, pro, high school, pee-wee. I'm there!
2. Food - Apples (in all their many varieties), soups, breads, muffins, stews, chili. Fall is when my baking and comfort cooking swings into high gear.
3. Festivals - Oktoberfest is this weekend. After that, there's some type of festival almost every weekend until Christmas.
4. Weather - Cool nights, crisp mornings with a tinge of mist hovering over the water, crystal clear days (like today) when the mountains are deep blue and absolutely stunning!
5. Holidays - The smile never dims from Halloween to New Years. In my life, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year.
BONUS: Gorgeous leaves, a hint of wood smoke in the air, hot cider, fuzzy socks, the return of Canadian geese to our cove and a dog who turns into a snuggle-bum on cold nights. Ah...bliss.
Jeanne,
At home coming they have the alumi bands there and do four of them, one on each side of the field. In PERFECT coordination. And the story goes that when they changed the priveledge of dotting the i go to a sousaphone player, the number of sousaphone players in middle and high school doubled!
Woody Hayes, Jack Nicholas, Bob Hope are the only 3 non-band members to dot the i. (all 3 Ohioans)
PJ....I know at YOUR house there is plenty of caramel.
Man, you describe where you live in such idyllic ways. It almost seems like Shangrila....
...with caramel
I love Bob Hope!
The coordination is amazing and for multiple groups to be able to do it? In sync..???
Amazing.
I wonder what would happen if you threw a rabid squirrel into the midst of them?
Joan, I love caramel. In any form. And I'm a great believer in naps. For any reason. Many of us night people believe in naps.
Limecello, congrats on the rooster!
Limecello, it hasn't been that cold here yet. We had 74 degrees today, but the temperature was in the low 60s the other day and in the 50s a couple of nights ago. I like having fresh apples--ones that don't come halfway around the world--in the fall, too.
Linda, the dh loves fall and spring. He grew up in Colorado's Front Range, where the year is mostly winter and summer, with little transition in between.
I had hot chocolate for the first time this season on that cold day recently, and I look forward to seeing all the pumpkins carved.
Oh, Joanie, you make me wanna come and visit and I don't even LIKE cold weather! It's spring here, and after low temperatures, suddenly, yesterday was HOT and with a wind that promised more dust. Hope we don't get the predicted dust storm today. In Brisbane, the leaves don't change colour even in winter, so I really love the idea of those amazing shows of golden, orange and scarlet leaves you get over there. There were mountainsides covered with bright foliage when we were in Japan last year and it was an awesome sight.
Christine,
I'm sorry your leaves do not change :(
You know if you hope on a plane now, with the day and half time difference and changing in Dallas you could get here in time for the molasses cookies I'm baking :-)
The leaves changing color
Cooler tempts, but its been cooler then usual here, we've had a lot of rain too.
Candy on Halloween and sales after.
Mary Jane peanut butter kisses, can only find the at Halloween
Thanksgiving
Chili and Beef Stew, just had chili last week and fixing Beef Stew one day this week.
Beth, pumpkin crunch?
That sounds GREAT!!!!!!
Care to share the receipe? Care to make some and..oh, I don't know..mail it to KY?
Joan, it is totally yummy! And I would LOVE to mail it KY but I don't think it would make it - mainly because my son and I would eat it before it even cooled *g*
Here's the recipe:
15 oz can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
12 oz can evaporated milk
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup butter, melted
Mix first 5 ingredients until smooth. Pour into a 13 x 9 - inch baking dish. Sprinkle cake mix over top, pour melted butter over cake mix.
Bake at 350 60 - 80 min. Serve warm or cold (I like mine with whipped cream and I've actually cut the butter down to 1/2 cup and it still worked out well *g*)
Beth, that sounds fabulous!
Virginia, those peanut butter things have a NAME???
And it's not Yuck?
I made beef stew last week and chili this week though I do not put beans in my chili....drove my Mom nuts when I'd pick them out and put them in a bowl..
Thanks Beth! I see I have next week's snack for watching The Biggest Loser :-)
Oh, JOanie, I love all of these things too! WHAT a great blog! Fall used to be my favorite time of year, but now that I've gotten to kind of dread winter, fall makes me think of winter getting here and so...well...
But in the spirit of remembering LOVING fall, lessee...top five.
1) Chrysanthemums. They've always been my favorite flower, though some spring flowers have threatened to replace them recently. I love the SMELL of the old fashioned garden mums when you crush a bit of the bloom or foliage.
2) Black Walnuts & hickory nuts. I used to sit with my dad under the trees on our farm and he would crack nuts for me. I could eat them faster than he could crack them. He did get a few though. And as to walnuts, there's that smell thing again. The scent of black walnut hulls--the ones that turn your hands black...I LOVE that smell.
3) Wood smoke--dang, it's another SMELL thing. The scent of wood smoke in mid-autumn when people start cranking up their wood stoves and fireplaces. Yum.
4) Colorful leaves. It's gorgeous. It always inspires me to want to paint.
5) Pumpkins, gourds, and fall decorations. I think they are SO festive--perhaps the most festive seasonal decorations of the year, second only to Christmas. Fourth of July is colorful here in the States of course, but as SEASONAL decorations go, fall decorations rock. AND as an extension of the pumkin thing...Pumpkin pie. My favorite pie. The recipe off of the back of the Libby's pumkin can. With whipped cream.
One of my goals this fall is to make a pumpkin pie from real pumpkin.
Thanks so much for the reminder of why I do like fall!
Oh Cassondra, I've been CRAVING mums this year.
My original plan was to plant them in my porch pots but then...it seemed a sacrilage to not put them in the ground where they can come up time and time again.
My favs? Purple and deep rust/burgandy
Cassondra said: One of my goals this fall is to make a pumpkin pie from real pumpkin.
Ohhhhh, yeah. Just made pumpkin pie the other day because its soooo my favorite pie. LOVE IT!
I've only made it from real, cut up the pumpkin and boil it down pumpkin, once. It was worth it though. Grins.
Yay Pink on the necklace. Don't eat those buckeyes - they're poisonous nuts - unless you are talking the peanut butter kind dipped in chocolate.
I have never seen squirrel, rabbit or venizon at my local Kroger store either and when hamburger (okay, ground chuck) costs 3.49 a pound??? I am a poor person, got to stretch that budget some way.
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