it's the most wonderful time of the year

raise your hand if this is your favorite time of year. it is for me, for so many different reasons.

i hate the heat. and even though i was born in the summer, it's my least favorite season. going backwards through the calender, spring is least favorite after that. yes i know, everything is turning pale green and waking up from it's long winter sleep, birds singing, bees buzzing, flowers blooming. well birds nest in my porch eves and poop all over my car, bees just freak me out, and i can't grow flowers, just weeds, which aren't nearly as nice. after that, winter is my third least favorite, or second most favorite, depending on how you like to phrase things. i obviously like to phrase things as awkwardly as possible. i enjoy the cold of winter, the crisp air, the snow. even when it's slushy and yucky, i like when i'm able to stay in doors and enjoy a nice hot drink and cuddly with my loved ones. what i don't like is that i very rarely get to stay inside. no, i'm the one that has to run around in the muck and slush, dodging those on the roads that freak out when things get a little slippery and decide that they need to go 10 miles an hour on the highways.

so by default, autumn is tops on my season list. though i do love this season for all the wonders that it possesses in its own right. it's getting cooler now, so jeans and comfy jackets are totally appropriate apparel. it gets dark earlier now too, and with the crisp air, star gazing is a perfect night time activity. of course, my favorite thing about this time of year has to be the food.

with halloween done with, there are pumpkins and squashes galore, just begging to be cooked and eaten. and soups and roasts are the perfect meal after a long hard day when the temperature drops. though i would be remiss if i didn't tell you about all the desserts that i look forward to making.

every year for thanksgiving, i'm in charge of making the pies for the meal. now, pumpkin pie and pecan pie are always delicious whenever you make them, but to me they just seem to taste better when made in november. and i know the cookie season will soon be upon us with december just around the corner. also, i've always been one to make things for christmas gifts. not that i'm crafty, no i go all out and make candy. and i'll be totally honest here and say that i've already made some, because i have a few new recipes i want to try, just to make sure they'd stand up as good gifts.

yes, i'm making candy purely as research, and for the practice of cooking the sugar and tempering the chocolate. and if it all should go horribly wrong, i guess i'll just have to force myself to eat my mistakes.

i'm sure i'll go on more food tangents in coming posts, but being that it's november already, i figured i might as well get the ball rolling. so prepare yourself, i'm very opinionated when it comes to these topics. maybe i'll find my three page rant on proper mashed potatoes, it was truly riveting.

(sadly enough, i'm really not kidding, i do have a three page rant about mashed potatoes somewhere out there. let's just say i'm "passionate" and leave it at that)