Pumpkins Basking in the Autumn Morning Sun

Quoting Author, Cook, Mimi Thorisson, “Every Season has something great about it.” She says “Autumn is reflection.” I agree with her. After the busyness of the year and excitement from summer, it is time to slow down before the coming holidays.

There is a profound shift happening. The weather cools. Our gardens take a rest. Days get shorter. Root vegetables come into season. The wonderful aromas of soups, stews, and gratins permeate our kitchens.

We can easily add autumn into our lives through color, ribbons, scents, mother nature, decorating, cooking, and celebrating. I have listed ten ways, but I could really list many, many more. It is my hope that maybe one or two that I mention will trigger your creative juices for your home this autumn.

1) Decorate with pumpkins, inside and outside your home. Pumpkins come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Create a tablescape, arrange little pumpkins under a glass cloche, or simply create a friendly arrangement of pumpkins as a welcome gesture at your front door. White pumpkins for fall, can carry on into the holidays. Gather branches, berries, rose hips, from your garden to further embellish your pumpkins.

2) Add a scented candle to your home such as Pumpkin Clove from Anthropologie.

3) Make Ina Garten’s Warm Fig and Arugula Salad from her Make It Ahead cookbook.

4) This is the season to add Fuyu persimmons, apples, pears, pomegranates, nuts, to your vinaigrette salads. Experiment with new recipes for squash soups, pumpkin desserts, and root vegetable gratins.

5) Buy bright orange marigold cut flowers at your favorite Farmers Market for your home. If you are really ambitious make a simple single marigold flower headband by threading together the center cut marigold heads with elastic string. Be bold and wear it to a dinner party.

6) Experience “Day of the Dead,” around the same time as Halloween. Where Halloween is about costumes, scary, and spooky, “Day of the Dead” is paying homage and respect celebrating the past life of loved ones with altars, face painting, and skeletons. Originated in Mexico, it is celebrated in Latin America and many countries around the world.

“Day of the Dead” Celebration at a Baja, Mexico Winery

7) Plan a trip or simply a hike to the great outdoors and experience the brisk air, autumn scents, crunching of leaves, and beautiful foliage colors.

8) Roast marshmallows and make s’mores over a fire pit with friends and family. Create a gourmet board of ingredients for your s’mores by using special chocolate, nuts, dried fruit, coconut, and cookies.

9) October starts the peak season for fresh mussels (moules) now to March. If your loved ones enjoy mussels, try Jane Webster ‘s recipe from her book, Château Life for Moules À La Normande. It is one of my favorite very “fall” ways to make mussels

Moules À La Normande

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

3 shallots diced

2 pounds mussels (moules)

1 cup apple cider

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp crème fracîche

1/2 bunch chives, coarsely chopped

1 baguette, sliced and grilled

Directions:

In a lidded cast-iron pot over high heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and sauté until soft. Add the mussels, pour in the cider, cover, cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the mussels open. Transfer the mussels to a serving bowl.

Cook the cider over medium heat for 5 minutes to reduce, remove from heat, than add the mustard, and crème fraîchte. Whisk into a sauce.

Pour the hot sauce over the mussels, sprinkle on the chives, and serve with the grilled baguette.

10) Use orange, wine, gold, tawny, and olive colors in your tablecloths, napkins, seasonal pillows, scarves, dishware, and more. Beautiful hues for a beautiful season.

A Warm Welcome Autumn Greeting

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie