My Favorite Time of Year

Tomorrow is officially the first day of Fall, and for me this means its the start of one of my favourite times of year. The crisp cool weather, rich colours and great food have always gotten to me.

Maybe its because I grew up in rural Southern Ontario where Fall looks like this. Taking hikes this time of year is one of my favourite pastimes and I intend to do as much of it as I can over the next couple of months.

Cool weather also means its back to great heart warming foods. I haven’t really baked very much this Summer with all the heat and now I’m itching to dig out my mixing bowls again. This Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread is super moist and delicious and is absolutely fantastic when you make it into French Toast. Yep, you heard me right, Whole Wheat Pumpkin French Toast!

Another seasonal favourite is pumpkin seeds. While I do like roasting pumpkin seeds the traditional way, last year I tried Caramelized Pumpkin and Squash Seeds and now I’m hooked! I’ve even make them during the rest of the year with other squash seeds. The sweet and salty taste is addictive.

Another addictive treat are these Pumpkin Brownies. I paired them up with my favourite Ooey Gooey Brownies and they were a big hit.

What better way to share all this great food then with the ones I love on Thanksgiving (which thankfully is early for us here in Canada!). Its hard to believe that its only two weeks away now.

And we like to decorate for the season too, which I always love to do with my mom and sister. Even my brother gets in on it and hunts down perfectly coloured leaves outside to add to the table.

How cute is this picture of last year’s giant turkey side by side with my wee little Whiskey. He was eyeing the bird the whole time that I tried to get this photo. I don’t know how he thought he’d be able to eat all that.

Even back in the city at my apartment, I really enjoy changing things up with lovely Autumn colorus, like I did here with new pillow covers in the bedroom.

I think I’d do this even if I didn’t have visitors stopping by. Coming home to a lovely decorated apartment makes me feel are warm and happy. Especially if I have a stew in the crockpot!

Last year I made these great candleholders that were a cinch to make (and cheap too!) I haven’t put them together yet for this year, but I’m sure I will. The glow they cast around the room is so cozy and inviting.

I usually have my beloved Maltese Falcon statue on the bookcase and during the Fall/Halloween season he gets plenty of use. It almost looks like he was made for this time of year.