Autumn Blessings

It really felt like autumn this weekend. There was a crispness in the air and after a rainy Friday, the temperature dropped down in the 50's! Since it was in the high 70's/ low 80's last week...that was quite a change. Here is a photo of the reserve across the street taken from our front steps. The trees are already starting to turn.

And with this cooler weather we wanted warm comfort foods. That is just one of the things I love about fall, the soups, stews, chilies, breads, pies....and the house smells so good when these are cooking!

We pulled out one of our favorite soup recipes that a friend gave to me years ago...(and I'm not sure who to give the credit to, as I recall, it was given to her as well). So we made some rolls to go with it, and it lasted us a few meals. This soup is always better the next day after you cook it! Here is the recipe for this yummy Minestrone Soup:

1 lbs Italian sweet sausage
1 Tbls olive or veg. oil
1 med onion diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup sliced carrots
1 tsp dried basil
2 small zucchini sliced
1 can (14oz) Italian pear tomatoes
(chopped; undrained)
1.5 cups chicken (or beef) broth
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 tsp salt (more if using low sodium broth)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 can (14oz) Great Northern beans; undrained

Slice sausage (1/2 inch pieces). In Dutch oven, brown sausage in oil; drain excess oil, leaving enough to sauté onions until tender. Return sausage to pot and add garlic, carrots, basil. Cook 5 mins. Add zucchini, tomatoes with liquid, meat broth, cabbage, salt and pepper. Bring soup to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour. Add beans with liquid; cook another 20 mins. Garnish with shredded parmesan.
Serves 6 to 8 (depending on how hungry they are).... Enjoy!

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When we moved into our home 2 years ago one of the first things we planted was a pear tree....seemed silly not to have one of those since that's what I named my business! This year the little tree produced pears. At first, we weren't too excited because they looked so small and not very edible. But they surprised us and these past 2 or so weeks, we've enjoyed eating our pears, and some of them actually look like pears! I think we have probably eaten the last of the season's, but it was a treat to eat ones that we grew.

Happy Fall!