What are some of your family traditions around this Fall season?

It is such a fun time of the year for families, with lots of activities and the anticipation of the coming holidays! Halloween is only a week and a half away.  Costumes and candy are a necessity, of course; but what would Halloween be without a Jack-O-Lantern?

We went to a pumpkin patch last weekend.  It was crowded with people all searching for that perfect gourd while children, looking on the verge of tipping over, ran around carrying bowling ball sized pumpkins.  Even with all the competition, we managed to find (several) ideal pumpkins that would soon become victims of a carving massacre.  Sitting on the floor with my husband, surrounded by the gutted pumpkins, knives and pattern traces, I could feel a tradition in the making.  Although he is much more artistic than I am (all the interesting Jack-O-Lanterns are his), it was fun to work on this together and mutilate/enjoy the iconic image of Halloween.

With all these beautiful pumpkins around me, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try out some new dishes either. This was the first time I’d ever tried baking with fresh pumpkin (although, I did keep a can or two on the side just in case) and it was definitely an experience.  Although not all pumpkins are meant to be baked, I did scrape enough away to whip up some loaves of pumpkin bread and muffins (I used this recipe, although I added Rodelle vanilla extract and omitted the walnuts and frosting), attempted a pumpkin based soup (epic failure on my part, although the recipe looks delicious) and even made treats for the dogs!  After the soup fiasco, I felt the need to redeem myself and tried out a few of Rodelle’s Halloween recipes.  The Candy Corn Rice Crispy treats were so easy that my kitchen confidence was boosted immediately! And Rodelle’s rolled sugar cookies turned out amazingly for such a simple recipe.

Of course, Americans are not the only ones who have a supernatural day approaching.  Falling immediately after America’s Halloween, Dia de los Muertos spans the first two days of November, coinciding with the Catholic celebrations of All Saints Day and All Souls Day.  Dia de los Muertos, celebrated mostly in Mexico, also includes family, friends and paranormal experiences.  People gather together to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed away, bringing gifts and their favorite foods to grave sites, hoping for a ghostly visit from long gone relatives.  There are several customary foods, like Pan de Muerto, that are made leading up to Dia de los Muertos.

Someday, I hope to get the chance to celebrate Dia de los Muertos.  For now, it’s time to display the Jack-O-Lanterns, hope that they don’t cave in and get ready for Halloween!   Do you create costumes together, carve pumpkins, hang up decorations?  We’d love to hear your stories!

Always,

Laura

I’m a morning person.  Regardless of the time of year, mornings bring the promise of a new day and a moment of calm before the rush of things that need to be done.  I do find fall mornings just a bit more difficult though because the coldness in the air makes it nearly impossible to leave the bed! However, there are a few things that can tempt me away from my cocoon of warmth.  Perhaps the quickest way to lure me from the blankets is the promise of something hot.  This weekend was especially cold for early October and I needed extra motivation to abandon the warmth. That motivation came in the form of hot chocolate.

I used to use the packets of hot cocoa mix but once I started to make my own, I was hooked.  It’s a simple recipe that I adapted from one I found here but you can also use a divine recipe from Rodelle, available here!

·         1/3 cup cocoa powder
·         ¼ cup of white sugar (if you use unsweetened cocoa powder, use ½ cup of white sugar)
·         ½ cup of water
·         1 small can (5 oz) of evaporated milk
·         3 ½ cups of milk
·         1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract

Boil the lightly salted water over medium high, then disintegrate the sugar into it.  Turn the heat to low and add the remaining ingredients.  Once you add the cocoa powder and milks, be gentle with the heat so you don’t get that burned flavor.  Using the evaporated milk and vanilla makes it creamy and deep without being too sweet.

Now, hot chocolate is a comfort drink and is meant to be consumed, well, comfortably.  Tiny little teacups are not going to cut it for hot chocolate!  I love those big mugs that can double as a soup bowl (or an ice cream dish!) that I can easily wrap both hands around.  Once I have my mug of hot chocolate in hand, I’m in a much better mood and I am reminded about some of the advantages of cold weather.

Autumn is the season for hot drinks and thick soups.  There are several flavors I associate with the changing colors of leaves: chocolate, pumpkin, cinnamon and apple are the ones that immediately come to mind.  Vanilla is such a complex ingredient, it really enhances these flavors and brings them to the forefront. With holidays looming, there is the chance to bake an amazing array of breads and desserts, combining most, if not all, of these ingredients. So even though I was a little resentful when I first switched off the air conditioning and prepared to turn on the heat, I remember how much I love fall flavors and colors and I look forward to sharing them with you here on this blog.

What’s your favorite hot chocolate recipe for when the temperature drops and you’re trying to warm up your family?

Until next time,

Laura

Thanks cwalker71 for the tree picture!