October Just Means... All Things Pumpkin

Am I the only one to equate October with Pumpkin?   I think October just means 'pumpkin'...  especially when the cold winds begin to blow and there is a real chill in the air.
Certainly you've heard of the Big Storm we've endured this week.  Not just MN, but most of the country has been experiencing some wild weather due to this monster storm.  Thankfully we did not get the snow here that was expected.  We did receive almost 2-inches of rain before it turned over to frozen rain/snow.  We ended up with less than 2 inches of snow on the ground.  But the real issue has been the wind.  Howling 25 - 30 mph winds, gusting to 40!   Batten down the hatches!!  Oh yeah, this is MN, in October.... there are not may hatches that haven't yet been battened down!!  Oh well...  Hang on to your hat, then!  But I digress.

We made Pumpkin Bread this morning.  Mmmm.  This is one of my very favorite smells.  It feels as if the whole house begins to wrap us in that heavenly aroma, taunting us and teasing our noses - and tummies!  

        Of course, we all enjoyed a slice while it was still warm... and by the time lunch ended, we only had a small portion of the first loaf left!  Yum! 

I'll share my tried and true recipe with you.  It's nothing special, just thoroughly yummy:

Lori's Pumpkin Bread
Yield: 3 loaves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Blend together:

3 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup oil

1 - 15 oz can pumpkin (or 2 cups freshly cooked  pumpkin)

Add:

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

3 1/2 cups flour

(optional: stir in 2 cups ground pecans)

Mix well, pour evenly into three greased and floured standard 9x5 loaf pans (or use no stick cooking spray).

Bake at 325-degrees for 1 hour and 10 to 15 minutes, til toothpick comes out clean when inserted into middle of loaf.  Remove from pans and cool.  Mmmm.

 What are your favorite pumpkin treats? 

It Smells Like Fall

There's something about the autumn season...   it just has that smell, you know?  
There is a crispness when you walk outside, of course, those leaves meeting the coolness of the season. I just love the smell of the great outdoors in the fall...

But I'm talking about the smells inside the house today.  I took the summer-ish decorations down and packed them away, brought out the pumpkin spice candles, the silk mums for the front porch, the little pumpkins scattered here and there throughout each room... 

I just love these warm, welcoming, relaxing colors...

                                          

...and the food.  Mmm.  Fall has its own food.  I made Apple Crisp the other day.  I only make it in the fall.  I'll make Apple Pie all year 'round, but not the Crisp.  Hmm.  Pumpkin Bread.  I make that each fall, when the crispness hits the air.  Potato Soup.  Definitely in the fall.  Rice Pudding.  Homemade Chicken Soup...

We've been enjoying the delicious smell of chicken soup simmering since lunch-time today.  (Actually, I began this pot of soup yesterday afternoon, as that enabled me to chill it overnight and skim off all the coagulated fat before we ate it.)   Is there anything quite as comforting as a big bowl of homemade soup?  I can't think of anything at the moment.  Of course, I had to make drop dumplings to go with our soup.  When asked if we'd have dumplings tonight,  and I answered yes, we would, children's cheers were echoing throughout the entire house!  Funny thing though, I only make these dumplings with my chicken soup.  I'll make biscuits with stew.  Fresh bread goes so well with my Beef Vegetable Soup.  Cornbread with Chili.  But with Chicken Soup, it HAS to be these dumplings.

Every time I make my chicken soup and dumplings, I think of my in-laws.  This was my father-in-law's absolute favorite meal I made.  My mother-in-law raves about my soup, but my father-in-law could've eaten just the dumplings and been completely happy.  He loved the dumplings.  His mother made dumplings like these when he was a boy...  need I say more?  It truly warmed my heart to make him so happy, and by doing such a little thing as making dumplings with chicken soup.

So I'm thinking that the love of the dumplings must be in the blood - but, oddly enough, it skips a generation.  My hubby graciously leaves all the dumplings for the rest of us.  He does not like them - at. all.   

As we were settling in at the dinner table tonight, Crash said,  "Mommy?  I'll just eat those (pointing to the dumplings) and not that (pointing to the soup pot), okay?"  So sorry, Little Man.  He had a bowl of chicken soup, then asked for a second helping!  And he darn near ate his weight in dumplings tonight.  Liza was a close second...  and Mimi ate whatever was left.  Their Grandpa would have been so proud of them!