Can you believe that Halloween is almost here?
I always associate Halloween with the beginning of the holiday season, which is probably what most people do. All of my family members have birthdays between Halloween and the very end of January… both of my children, my husband, as well as my sister, mother, and brothers… even Sprite! That’s a lot of holiday celebrations for my family!
Halloween also reminds me that it is actually autumn. Here in San Antonio, we have such mild fall weather, it is difficult to remember that fall is actually taking place!
Halloween also makes me think that it’s time to get out my recipe books and leaf through them, searching out my family’s “comfort food” meals. I have to admit that I am not one of those people who absolutely love to cook. Actually, I enjoy going out for dinner, preferring to let someone else do the cooking. But, since part of my “job description” includes being the sole cook in the house, then so be it!
I am planning on spending this morning going through my two favorite recipe books, after which I will make my (very organized) shopping lists. I have to admit that once I am reminded about the meals that we all enjoy so much, I get rather “pumped-up” at the prospect of making the meals.
Unfortunately, once the chopping, dicing, mincing, and sauteing start, my autumnal cooking plans become just as tedious as any household chore… regardless of how tasty my efforts are!
Rebecca says
Its interesting that you feel like cooking, when the weather starts to get cool here in Ohio, I feel like baking, my family loves my homemade bread and I like to make cakes and pies. I am looking forward to other comments when they come in.
Sandra says
Gosh, I know it is almost Halloween, and “Fall” is my favorite season if a native Arizonian can actually call anything “seasons” other than hot and not ha-ha it is snowing there but not here!! But to actually see Christmas decorations etc out at my local supermarket last week just totally blows my mind!! Here outside Phoenix in the desert, yeah real desert with ranches is where I live, we still have our air on and thinking about using anything other than the microwave for dinner, not the oven of course!!! is crazy. Halloween here is how can kids stand getting any kind of costumes on other than shorts and a tee shirt and having Christmas decorations out in the stores is driving me insane both economically and weather-wise!!! Baking? Haw! I DID bake a spice cake mix the other day ONLY because the oven really needed self-cleaning turned on late at night, it was nasty from who knows what and when, so what the heck, may as well fire it up, but here in the desert, Halloween is “why give chocolate bars out, they will melt before the kid can get them home. But come Dec and Jan people, you will see me here, BRAGGING!!! about eating outside for my Christmas and New Years Eve with short sleeves and a lovely view in our backyard of the Superstitition Mts!!
Stephanie says
I don’t like to cook or bake, regardless of the season!
I’m sure your family appreciates it when you get into the mood, though!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Rebecca, it sounds like the cooler weather affects you the same way the prospect of cooler weather affects me. I have to admit that Mrs. Paul’s is the closest I come to baking. Oh, and boxed cakes. For some reason casseroles speak of autumn to me.
Sandra, we have our air on, also. Our trick-or-treaters have to be adaptable around here. When my son and daughter were trick-or-treat ages, we never knew what the weather was going to be like. I miss real seasons, but try to remind myself about beautiful, crystalline snow turning into black-ice and slush. Enjoy your weather!
Stephanie, not all of my family appreciates my recipe-loving mood swings. I have one family member who doesn’t like chopped vegetable in anything I prepare, and another who doesn’t like nuts in his food. Unfortunately, the rest of us enjoy nuts in our desserts and vegetables in our meals.
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
So starts my favorite time of year and not even because of the holidays! I love to bake, but now that it’s cool, I use the big oven. Instead of making half a cake in the toaster over, I go all out! Full cake with lots of icing!!!
Every year I am going to learn to bake bread. Every year my bread is…not so great. But I don’t stop trying. This year I think it will be pizza dough!!!
I garden a lot this time of year. I’ve already planted the freesias–and they are starting to come up! I just put in onions (from seed) today. Can’t wait to see their little green heads!
Meanwhile, with a cooler night on the way, it’s time to load the other starter plants (tomatoes and beans) and bring them inside for the night…
In Texas we get spring twice. Now and in the spring. Only in the spring, we have to hurry and grow things before the heat kills them.
:>)
Mrs. Mike says
The PNW is quite mild but we are more seasonal than our more southern neighbors.
In the fall out comes the nutmeg and roasted root vegetables (not necessarily together), Agatha Christie (not sure why Christie = fall), and Mendelssohn.
Since feeding my family is in my job description, I can’t help but be creative, but I will say: I love eatin’ out!
I love bein’ served! (to which) I’m glad I’m not doin’ the dishes!
LeeAnn says
Alas, although I did in my younger days, I no longer like to cook and/or bake. (It’s either anything that can be done in a microwave or restaurants.) But I will enjoy the fruits of all your labors vicariously and do so enjoy reading your blog and mystery lists.
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
Trying out that pizza dough today…eep!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Maria, you certainly sound energetic!!! Pizza dough sounds like it would be a time-consuming baking project. (I cut a focaccia bread loaf horizontally, and that’s it for my pizza “dough”! As for baking bread… I’m afraid I use the bread making machine. Again >>> too much work with the kneading, rising yeast, ETC. As for gardening, I hope that we don’t have an early frost/freeze this year. Good luck with your pizza dough!!!
Mrs. Mike, Agatha “Christie = fall” is a new one for me! However, since she is probably the Queen of Cozy… maybe the fall just calls for Cozy reading… I’m with you about eating out… My husband, however, gets his fill of restaurants way before I do. One of my Christmas gifts from him (several years ago) was a coupon (of sorts) which had him cooking one weekend meal a month. I LOVED that gift! Unfortunately, after that one year, the gift was not repeated…
LeeAnn, this mood of mine for going through my favorite cookbooks doesn’t last long… Most of the time I would much rather rely on the microwave for items I bought in the grocery store ((Stouffers and Marie Callender’s being favorites of mine!) or restaurants.
Carrie says
I love the onset of Autumn because it give me my annual excuse to make Parkin. My mother always made it around Halloween and now all of my sisters and myself do the same. Parkin has to be made in Autumn it is perfect for the crisp, cold days and the evenings which are getting shorter.
There is nothing like curling up on the couch on a Sunday afternoon with a big mug of coffee, a slice of Parkin and a cozy mystery. Pefect Autumn indulgence!!