We have now come upon my favorite time of year: fall.

I used to look forward to it because it meant a new school year, either as a student or as a teacher, and it meant new clothes, new school supplies, and a fresh start. Now, however, I get to enjoy it for what it really is...crisp, cool mornings where you can almost smell the beginnings of winter in the air; an appreciation for a different kind of nature's beauty--that of living things going dormant, or fattening up for a hard winter; hot apple cider and warm pumpkin bread; a time to focus on others as I prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

For my husband, fall means hunting season...and for me, because of that, it also means major cooking season.

So...let the steel fly and the stewpot fill up!