Signs of Fall

Fall is slow to come to Florida and even then it is very subtle. Beautiful bright, cool days generally arrive in October. I can't wait. Fall is my favorite season. I love the colors, textures and tastes. I want to bake carrot and apple cakes full of walnuts and pecans and rich, warm stews and soups. I want to buy a new leather purse and a plaid skirt and a wool blazer. I want to go for a drive in the mountains and breathe the cool air and see the leaves. But, alas, we have no mountains, the cool air is a month away and the golden leaves are few.

So far I have catered to my fall longings by cooking a Mrs. Smith's Pumpkin pie and a pork roast with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. And I got out a few fall decorations. When I started this blog I thought I would fill it with recipes. But it turns out I'm not a very imaginative cook. I leave that to my wonderful blogger friends like Beverly and Kary and Tess.

What I really like to do is eat and feed my friends and family. A few tried and true recipes seem to fill the bill for me. Have you seen the show on the Cooking Channel called "Mom's Cooking"? The daughter and a camera crew surprise the mom and she teaches the daughter to make a favorite meal.

If they came to my door what would I do? Hopefully my kitchen would be clean and I would be dressed for company. What would I make? Pork chops and fried potatoes or pot roast are all that come to mind. I make several very good versions of bundt cake which I usually start with a cake mix, but I haven't enjoyed baking as much since we have Mia on a low carb diet.

If my mom were here and I could ask her to make a special meal, I think I would ask for her country style steak. She pounded round steak, floured it, browned it and simmered it with water and onions until it made it's own rich, brown gavy and was fork tender. I have never been able to duplicate it though I keep trying. She did teach me how to roast a turkey and make dressing and it was her pot roast that has always been my favorite. Oh, and she taught me to make a good meat loaf. I remember my Aunt Nellie's wonderful pineapple upside down cake, baked ham, stuffed green peppers and crispy fried fish with grits and hush puppies.

There is one reason that Jaime will never surprise me with a camera crew and ask me to teach her to cook. Onions. I love them. She hates them. She is a very good cook herself. She makes all my recipes with her own version minus onions. She does break down and add minced onions to her pot roast. Cory, on the other hand, eats up anything I have when he comes to the house. He and Jill seem to like my cooking even though he once told me his favorite meal from his childhood was Taco Bell.

Fortunately, my husband loves my cooking, especially homemade oatmeal cookies with raisins and walnuts. We always enjoy a nice supper together at night with an occasional glass of wine. Our favorite special meal is little bacon wrapped fillets from Omaha Steak with baked potatoes and a salad.

As you can see I am a little melancholy and longing for the fall.