Happy Fall

Lucky for you and for my household... the pool is officially closed until next Spring.

The pool is like a child to me. I feel very guilty when I don't spend enough time with it. But then my "Aunt" status kicks in. And I give it back when I've had enough. And when I am sitting in the pool, curled up in a ball, shivering until my lips turn blue... then I have had enough.

The good news is that my weeks won't be so hectic. I will be spending more time on the inside getting things done. Like watching tv. And avoiding the laundry.

But most importantly - The pool closing means IT IS FALL. I love this time of year. And yes, I do say that about every season. I think it is the change of scenery that I love because we all know my attention span lasts about 3 1/2 minutes.

I love the weather. I love the clothes ( wearing boots is my favorite hobby). I love the flavor of pumpkin. And I LOVE the amount of cooking I get to do. It is so much more fun to cook in the Fall and Winter than in the Spring and Summer. You can actually enjoy a hot meal without sweating.

And my Dutch Oven sure has missed me.




I decided to kick off October 1st with a couple of things. First of all, I put a Fall wreath on the front door and a pumpkin candle in the Lodge room.

I had to take a nap in between the two because decorating is exhausting.

Second of all, I decided to make a yummy chili/stew. My Dutch Oven has been begging for me to use it. It calls to me every time I walk through the kitchen. All shiny and red. It is one of my prized possessions. I found this recipe in an old Rachel Ray magazine. It was called "the end of summer stew".

Perfect!

Now, we have been eating pretty darn healthy lately. I pride myself on being able to turn just about any meal in to a healthy version.

I also pride myself on my grocery shopping planning and purchasing. And how much food I have been able to fit inside my pantry, fridge, and freezer. It's obnoxious, folks. Let's just say that if we were ever to be invaded by Aliens and we had to hide in our homes for safety.... we would be set food-wise for YEARS.

That is if they let us keep our electricity on. My survival is based on my freezer's survival.

Anyhoo, all that just to say that I had most of the ingredients in my house already. I had tons of vegetables I needed to use. Ground turkey. And Beer.

This soup had the most delicious and most random ingredients. Lime zest? check! Fire roasted tomatoes? check! A can of Bud Light? check!

Kev commented that my cutting board looked like a taste explosion when he saw how many yummy things were going in the pot.

And the stew/chili did not disappoint....

I'm sure it will be even better today. And tomorrow. And the next day. Because I made enough to feed an army.

And then I spent the evening looking through old cooking magazines and cookbooks - making a list of all the recipes I want to try this Fall. Things that I had passed on before due to difficulty and flavors.

I'm looking forward to a yummy season. In moderation, of course.

And now I'm off to put up one more decoration. A hay bale on the front porch. The perfect placement will be so intense that I may have to sleep for the next two days straight.

But that is the price I will have to pay for a decorative home.