Fall Days and Soup Beans

My weekends lately have been full of family, football, and food (hey, look at that alliteration!) and I am absolutely loving it!!  This time of the year is almost magical as far as I'm concerned.  Life gets a little cozier, we all snuggle in a little as the air chills a bit, and our thoughts start to drift towards the upcoming holidays.  Don't get me wrong- I'm all for shorts, flip flops, and the warm sun on my skin but at the same time...in my mind autumn is where it's at.

Last night, just before bed, it struck me that it would be really nice to come home from church to a nice warm batch of soup beans and cornbread and I threw some in the crock pot.

I think I had beans on the mind- as the internet was quick to remind me, yesterday was Pioneer Day back in my hometown.    A day for kids to dress up like pioneers, locals to make floats for a hometown parade, and the city park to be absolutely FLOODED with people lining up for the free bean feed.  And really, when it comes to Pioneer Day, it's all about those beans.  So good.

Fall Days and Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Turkey Soup is one of my favorite things to eat in the entire world.  Creamy, filling, spicy, and flavorful...mmmm... Every year I eagerly await the first day of the season on which we are graced with weather cool enough to eat soup so I can make a big batch.

Well friends, that day has finally come this year and I'm loving it!

I took advantage of the awesome weather and made up a giant batch of soup after church yesterday- enough for a few meals and leftovers to freeze for later when I need another fix!

You know, I've actually written about this soup before, briefly- two years ago  this month actually.  One thing that I can honestly say has improved a great deal in the 3+ years that I've been at this blogging thing?  My photography.  I'm far from a professional or anything, but seriously...my last picture was pretty unappealing.  I've wanted to retake it and do this soup justice ever since.

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Braid

First of all, let me apologize for these pictures- I know they're terrible.

I'd gotten a late start on dinner, my natural light was gone, and I decided just to snap a few pictures rather than getting my whole crazy nighttime setup pulled out.  To be honest, I considered not even posting this recipe because they really weren't up to par.  

However this recipe is one that is definitely worth sharing so I decided to to forge ahead.  :-)

Back when my son was a baby I was on this kick where I would find a recipe I liked, multiply it by like 5, and freeze the extra portions for easy meals later.

It really did make life easier.  I called it my "soup file."  Chili, soup, whatever- I'd cool the excess, portion it in freezer bags, lay them flat in the freezer, and then store them vertically in the freezer to save space and for easy access.

Remind me why I stopped doing this??

Simple Pork Caesar Salad

I'm a big believer in salads.

You know...doughnuts taste good- but I can honestly say I've never felt good about myself after polishing off a doughnut.

Salads, on the other hand, leave your body feeling good- and if you do them up right they leave you feeling full and happy too.  I serve a lot of side salads at my house, just because they're so easy to throw together at the end of a long day and require pretty much no thought.  As an added bonus they're a veggie side that my daughter will eat without complaint, which is always nice.

Salads are so versatile, and such a great way to use up whatever you have sitting around in your pantry or fridge.

"Who Needs Buffalo?" Sauce

Last Sunday on the way home from church I asked my husband if there was anything special he wanted me to make on which to snack during the football game that afternoon.  He assured me that he was low-carbing it again and would just make do with whatever we had on hand.

 That lasted until almost game time.  After I'd settled in, gotten comfortable, had a glass of wine, and did not want to head back out to the store.
It's really just not a game without a fun snack, is it?

I started racking my brain for things I could make that would both suit my husband's diet and not necessitate a trip to the store.