Normally this time of year I get very homesick for a Northeast fall. This year I am focusing on what I do have as opposed to what I don’t. Though the temperature is still well into the 90’s during the day I have been able to make it feel like autumn (at least inside my head).
- There is a hint of coolness in the morning and evenings, enough so that I have resumed taking the dog on longer walks. This has led me to find some autumn color, desert style.
- The inside of my house all decorated for autumn.
- Football season! College marching bands at halftime are the best!
- Pumpkin chili and pumpkin beef stew made in the crockpot. The pumpkin adds a wonderful creamy thick texture.
- Taking pumpkin oatmeal spice bars to bowling.
- Using wax scents to make my house smell like autumn despite the a/c still being on.
- Cooking a pork roast in the crockpot also makes a home smell autumnal.
- Some promising new cookie recipes that will be on the healthy side but still taste of fall.
- Working on the outlining of my autumn needlepoint tissue box cover.
- Adding a Trader Joe’s harvest tea bag to my pitcher of iced tea.
- Trader Joe’s pumpkin soup crackers, with a bit of cream cheese, crazy yummy!
- Starting to wear my “fall wardrobe”. Not flannel and sweaters alas, but capris and cropped jeans and autumn colors. I got two new pairs of LL Bean cropped jeans in pale spruce and vintage blue….love them!
Happy First Day of Autumn!!
Tracey at Home 
Good for you, looking on the bright side and finding so many things to love. I personally have been a little annoyed that the temperatures have still been in the 80s here in the Mohawk Valley. However, things are supposed to cool down starting tomorrow, and even if not, I will follow your good example and enjoy what I have! I bet I can find some pumpkin spice coffee at Hannaford. Hey, where can I find a recipe for that pumpkin beef stew? I have a pumpkin and some stew beef.
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I didn’t actually use a recipe. I just added a can of pumpkin to chopped sweet potatoes, a bag of butternut squash and some frozen peas along with a can of v-8 juice in the bottom of the crockpot, stirred together and then put the meat and onion on top with another can of v-8 juice. You can just use your usual beef stew recipe and add the pumpkin in with the veggies. I would bake the pumpkin first and stir it in or maybe you could just cube it small and put it in raw? (I am way too lazy to deal with an actual pumpkin!)
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Well, we were given a pumpkin recently. Steven almost always uses the canned stuff if he makes a pie (I personally have never made a pie). If I get creative with this one, I will surely write a blog post about it!
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