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Monday, September 15, 2014

What I like about the cooler weather of September

The weather is turning in our area. While the weekend high temperatures were right around 80 degrees, the days are shorter, so the nights have a longer period to cool off. Mornings and evenings can be quite chilly. But I love this changing period of the year.

  • soup makes a delicious, warming and frugal dinner
  • oatmeal warms the tummy, is easy to prepare, and doesn't bust the budget
  • potatoes, again! after a summer of rice, bread and pasta, potatoes make a welcome, and frugal, backbone to many cool-weather meals. Leftover potatoes with an egg for breakfast. "Cream" of potato soup for lunch (I blend in silken tofu in place of cream, for protein without the dairy). Potato and any leftover meat and veggies for a tasty hash at dinner.
  • I sleep so much better when the nights are cool, but it's not so cool that we need the furnace yet
  • cooking and baking doesn't overheat the kitchen (and cooking/baking from scratch saves us mucho $$$)
  • because I sleep better this time of year, I have more energy during the day!
  • no more need to water outdoor plants, any vegetable rinse water that's clean enough just goes into the washing machine now (not saving it for watering the garden)
  • the vegetables that I will be buying in autumn, like winter squash and carrots, are so much cheaper than spring items like asparagus
  • the air smells fresh, the garbage doesn't stink up the garage and the sky is incredibly blue on a clear day
  • I'm almost done with garden and will soon have more free time
  • we make some favorite foods: caramel popcorn, candy apples, pumpkin everything (lattes, soup, pudding, bread, pie)
  • fresh, crisp russet apples -- best flavored apples IMO!

What are some of the things you love about this time of year?

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20 comments:

  1. I love the cooler weather best of all. And I love cinnamon, apples, pumpkins, full moons, the colors of the leaves, watching the mountains change from green to beautiful autumn colors, snuggling up with a blanket, long drives to see the fall colors, scarecrows, apple cider, hot chocolate, tail gating. Some of my favorite things come in autumn,. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Belinda,
      long drives to see the changing colors sounds lovely. We haven't done that for a few years, but just may have to add that to our fall list -- thank you!

      Delete
  2. My favorite time of this year is...Brach Candy Pumpkins!! This is the only time that they are available!! They are the cutest little things! LOL!! It doesn't take much for me, I LOVE FALL! We take a weekend trip to the mountains! There is a little road side stand that sells all the fall fruits and veggies there. They also sell this bag of kettle corn that is as long as my arm for $5.00. The best $5.00 EVA spent!! LOL!! I just come alive in the fall!! My hubby hunts deer for food, so that means that the freezer will be filled! :) Fall glorious fall...how I have loved and missed thee...lol!! Have a great week Lili!! Lona

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lona,
      oh, those candy pumpkins are cute. I also love the Autumn Mix. The maple-flavored ones are my favorites! We saw candy corn in the store yesterday -- must be that time of year again!

      Delete
  3. I love this time of year!

    It got down to 45 F Saturday night. I woke up before 6:00 AM Sunday and with the little bit of chill in the house, I couldn't stop thinking about baking. So, I got up before everyone else and went to the kitchen. I decided on oatmeal cookies. I enjoyed the time so much...a cup of coffee, 1940's music quietly playing and a pleasant heat coming from the oven while I baked.

    I love the chilly nights and mild days this time of year. We have shut off the AC and the heat isn't needed yet. I don't sweat anytime I'm working outside. Our weekend fires for hotdogs and s'mores are even more pleasant when the air is chilly.

    I love the colorful leaves, fall mums and pumpkins on porches.

    I love the feeling that I have canned, frozen or stored most of my harvest and the garden is almost done. It's nice to have a break from the weeding, watering, picking and preserving. Although I'll be longing to do it all again toward the end of winter.

    And I love the foods associated with fall! Soon I will be baking pumpkin pies, pumpkin breads and muffins. My sons and I always make popcorn balls. My 18 year son was actually talking about that over the weekend. We can't wait.

    I've always told my husband that I feel so blessed to have the changing of the seasons that we do. There are so many things to love about each one. Winter is my hardest one, I think due to lack of sunlight, but still things to love and blessings if I choose to look. :) I think with the changing seasons, I am less likely to take things for granted. It makes me appreciate the good things about each season all the more.

    Angie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Angie,
      I think you're right. With changing seasons, I do tend to appreciate each new one more. Winter is hard for me, too. I need to find more to appreciate about the late months of winter.

      Popcorn balls are a Hallowe'en tradition for our family. I can hardly wait!

      Delete
  4. Cooler temps for sure! Though we are still up and down this time of year, it isn't supposed to get above 90 this week. And that is doable after the heat of summer.

    I also love to be able to bake with overwarming the kitchen.

    Warm cranberry wassail (I have loads of cranberries in the freezer after getting them inexpensively after the holidays last year).

    Being able to open the windows and get fresh air.

    Green bean crop growing. :) Too hot for them in July and August here.

    Apple butter-getting ready to make and can a batch or two today.

    Lower priced apples, potatoes, and cabbage. :)

    Being able to make it through a day in one shirt (instead of changing because of making the first one so sweaty and stinky by noon.

    This year? The kids going to school....it is a refreshing break.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cat,
      Cranberry wassail sounds intriguing. Do you have a favorite recipe? I was mentioning to my daughters, yesterday, that I'd like to find some alternatives to coffee/tea.

      I've been picking apples this past week, and am still hoping to make a batch of apple butter. Yum, yum, yum!

      Delete
  5. Soup. Chili. Sweaters. Apple anything. Pumpkin anything. Pears. Fall colors. Jumping in a pile of leaves. Fires in the fireplace. Baking. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kris,
      Yes, a cozy fire in the fireplace! And I am very hungry for pumpkin pie these days!

      Delete
  6. I love not having to use either A/C or turn on the heat...just perfect without either. Also, no bugs or lots less now...flies, wasp, bees, etc. Love how the leaves change to such awesome hues! Like baking and enjoying the seasonal food....while also preserving some to use during the winter. I am also one of those ladies that enjoy snuggling under an afghan on the sofa in the evening or at a bonfire. I love that I can breathe much easier with the cooler temperatures. Definitely an awesome season.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Linda,
      Snuggling under a blanket with a good book! Can't wait to have the free time again!
      We had a campfire over the weekend, and for the first time all summer I needed to pull my chair up close to the fire. S'mores in the chill of September evenings are even more delicious!

      Delete
  7. I love September, basically for the opposite reasons you do - because the weather is finally starting to warm up again :) I wore shorts the other day and there were mangos at the market. Summer is on its way!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Liz,
      Mangoes in September! I do agree, there is excitement as spring is beginning, and summer is not far off.

      Delete
  8. I think fall is my favourite season! I am a teacher, so fall always means new beginnings for me. I also love the crisp air and if we're lucky, that last burst of summer heat, with a chill in the air in the evening. We have a lot of aspen trees in my area, and the gold of their leaves turning, mixed with all the evergreens is just amazing! I just took a fall drive on Sunday to enjoy the beginnings of the leaves turning. It's also nice to be back on more of a regular schedule at this time of year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lisa,
      I was thinking the other day about how fall feels like a new beginning for me, too. And I think it is because of the school calendar. Everything feels new and fresh as the school year begins -- and I'm not even in school anymore!! I remember getting that new box of crayons, a new binder, pencils, lunch box. Even though it was all for the school year, it felt a lot like Christmas to me.

      Delete
  9. I'm still having problems getting your posts. I see you did this on Monday and I don't have it yet, late Tuesday afternoon. I am having problems with one other blog this way.

    Anyway, now that it's not getting light at 5:30 AM, I'm sleeping better, too. While I miss the fading daylight, this is a welcome change.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi live and learn,
      I have no idea why the posts aren't showing up. Although, my feed reader has been doing funky things, too -- showing only posts from one blogger, and none others, that sort of thing.

      I love the longer nights, and sleeping a bit later!

      Delete
  10. I'm loving the cooler weather. We had a few days of winter like temps with lows in the low 30's and highs in the mid-40's - but I cooked for 2 days straight and managed to make it through without turning on the heat. I love these in between temps when we don't need heat or AC.

    Even though I went "gardening lite" this year there has been a remarkable amount of stuff to put up. Mostly zucchini & grapes, with a few odd tomatoes worked into stews and the like. Did you know you can make amazing muffins out of concord grapes - if you're willing to spend the time seeding them. They're like blueberry muffins only better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cat,
      those muffins sound delicious! My grapes have never produced very much, unfortunately. Maybe some year in the future they will.

      Do you ever juice the grapes, or make jelly? If you eat the seeds, is there anything bad in them, or just unpleasant to eat?

      Our garden keeps producing -- lots and lots of tomatoes, plums and apples, right now. I didn't work too terribly hard this summer in the garden, but have definitely had a good season.

      Delete

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