Winter Menu

Fall is my favorite season. I love the smell of the newly fallen leaves and the early season smoke that you can smell coming from people's chimneys when out running. I love the crisp, clear blue sky days. There are no bugs. The blueberry bushes turn a rich deep red, while the maple trees set the forest afire with their shimmering red, yellow and orange leaves. Wonderful. In our house, fall also means that I shift to our "winter menu." I enjoy cooking, and like trying new recipes when I have time, but I also have a well-loved menu of staple meals. These change to a certain extent with the seasons. Winter brings more soups and stews, curries and lasagna. There's something comforting about these foods. This week I made both lasagna and a butternut squash and leek soup, so it seems we've officially shifted to winter mode. Yum.

I got out for another mellow 3-mile run this morning. I went to the Commons to run our "regular" 3-mile route. The woods were quiet. The air was crisp. It was bright and sunny. Chickadees, juncos and sparrows were twittering about in the bushes. A nice morning to be out. Felt good, although I'm nursing a bit of a scratchy throat. Ugh. Lots of Zicam and Vitamin C, and a few good nights of sleep should do away with it though.