Ready

As of this week I am officially ready for fall. Yeah, I know, I am a bit behind. But before now I have been looking back at my 8 months of summer, Chaco tan lines, and afternoons at the pool, and wishing that I didn't have to leave it behind.

Then there were strings of pearly clouds around the mountains this weekend that gave me tingles. The smell of autumn captured my senses when I walked outside Monday morning. I saw a flat bed pickup full of richly orange pumpkins on the highway. I helped can apple sauce with the homey aroma of home grown apples hanging thick in the steamy kitchen.

And then today on MSN I found 10 recipes for pumpkin and I now want to raid a pumpkin patch. Pumpkin Seed Pesto, Pumpkin Shortcake with Fruit Compote (I don't even know what that really is, but I want it in my kitchen), Pumpkin Potato Gnocchi,

Pumpkin and Chicken Chowder,

Pumpkin-Sage Cream Sauce (ohhhhh),
Spiced Pumpkin Soup (doesn't that just make you want to snuggle up in a blanket with a good book?),
and Pumpkin Spiced Waffles (I might be more willing to leave the warmth of my bed in the morning if I knew this was awaiting me).
Ahhhh, yes. Fall is wonderful.
http://www.delish.com/entertaining-ideas/holidays/halloween/pumpkin-recipes?GT1=47001