How are you celebrating fall with your family?
I am enjoying so much seeing all my friends’ fall photos on Facebook. From pumpkin patches to corn mazes to pumpkin carving, I am seeing friends enjoying the lovely fall weather. I am reading tons of posts about pumpkin spiced lattes and seeing bunches of photos of pumpkin pies and pumpkin cookies baking.
We have been baking pumpkin-carrot muffins. The kids loved them. I was baking them for a friend who is diabetic and made a batch for us. I will definitely make them again. We also made pumpkin pancakes this weekend but they weren’t as good as the muffins.
Are you excited about Atlanta’s early drop in temperature? It’s been about 10 degrees below normal and a cold front is supposed to move in today.
I am so jealous of the fall weather in Atlanta. It’s still so hot here that it’s tough to get into the fall spirit. We did go away for a few days last week to Northern Arizona and southern Utah and had some crisp weather, which was lovely. (I will write more on that trip to Navajo country in a later post.) We were sleeping in flannel pj’s and wearing sweatshirts and then came home to 100-degree temps. It was a big bummer on my fall spirit.
Fall is definitely different here. There is no changing of the leaves and flowers are blooming everywhere as it cools down. The pumpkin patches in this part of the state are sad dusty fields where pumpkins have been trucked in and dumped. They were spraying the field down with water last year to help control the dust. (Big bummer!)
We did learn one important fall lesson here last year — don’t put your pumpkins outside except for on Halloween night. We had a pack of four javelinas (click here to see them) show up and ravage our front yard and they ate all of my fall pumpkins that were set out as decoration. We had no idea what they were. So now I have my big pumpkin and my my three sugar pumpkins inside.
How are you getting into the fall season? Are you slow-cooking some comfort-food favorites? Have you been picking apples or visiting the pumpkin patch? Are you baking pumpkin everything? Are you heading out to hike and look at fall leaves with your family?
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19 comments Add your comment
We are not in to celebrating Fall weather...
October 18th, 2011
12:19 pm
…since none of us can stand still long enough to enjoy it…can we have some Ritalin, please…
JJ
October 18th, 2011
12:33 pm
We are going on a Family adventure this weekend. We are all going to pile into Mom’s car and head up to THe North Georgia Mountains. We’ll get our pumpkins at Burt’s Pumpkin Patch, and we’ll stop at an orchard and get our apples…..I have NUMEROUS recipes for something apple, and I’m dying to try them. Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) made a beautiful apple tart, I printed the recipe and I’m going to make it this weekend.
I love apple pies, tarts, cobblers, etc…..All things apple…..
And I love that the weather is getting cooler….this is my favorite time of the year.
jmb
October 18th, 2011
12:53 pm
We just got back from a camping trip in the N GA mtns and it was awesome. The days did get a little warm with the warm front we’ve been having but the nights and morning fires were great. Also, the trees up there are only about 10% into the fall change of colors so we’re going back in two weeks when they should be at their peak. Fall is my favorite time of the year. The lake pretty much calms down so we’re able to actually enjoy our boat rides and cook outs on the dock without some ski boat or jet ski riding by and rocking us.
Dirty Hipster
October 18th, 2011
1:29 pm
Camping in Woodruff Park. Mayor Reed won’t kick me out, I hear!
Becky
October 18th, 2011
1:38 pm
We have been to North GA just about every weekend for the last couple of months..We haven’t cooked anything pumpkin or apple..Yet..Heading to KY in two weeks for a baby shower, so we will probably see come color changes in the trees then..
I have been cooking in my slow cooker for months now..Chili, Meatloaf, BBQ, Beans..You name it, I cook it in the slow cooker..I’m cooking chicken and dumplings in it tomorrow..
Like JJ, I am so happy that it’s cooler weather..I’m excited that it’s going to be in the 50’s tomorrow..I have coworkers that are bundled up today like it’s 50 below..Not me, shorts, sandals and T-shirt..My winter wardrobe…
MatthewH
October 18th, 2011
1:59 pm
Those are some scary looking animals!! My three year old can’t stop talking about the field trip his class is taking to the pumpkin patch! He knows exactly what kind of pumpkin he wants.
Camille
October 18th, 2011
2:09 pm
So Theresa.. do the javelinas just run wild? You said a “pack of them.” Do you live in the country? I can’t seem to picture a pack of wild animals that look like these roaming the streets.
Sylvania
October 18th, 2011
2:10 pm
We live on top of a mountain in North GA. Some leaves are changing color, but things are still mostly green at 2400-ft.
JJ
October 18th, 2011
2:27 pm
Dahlonega had some pretty colors this past weekend….
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
October 18th, 2011
2:41 pm
The javelinas scared the hell out of us. We live near a Native American reservation so there is a lot of unoccupied land — although we are in a pretty populated area. They do run in packs and we see them from time to time around the neighborhood at night. They come off the reservation looking for food — like Western versions of racoons!! We also see a bunch of coyotes — and they are big!!!!!!! not like the Ga. ones. The coyotes are out during the day and they just look at you like who do you think you are — they are scary too. I asked my neighbor if we should call animal control and she said they would laugh at you. I went to the Walmart with a friend on night after working out. She drove me back to the Y at like 11 p.m. to get my car and it was like freaking Mutual of Omaha. We couldn’t believe the number of javelinas and coyotes roaming around. it is a very odd place here!!
jmb
October 18th, 2011
3:38 pm
JJ – I was above Dahlonega and only saw a few trees starting to turn. I think we have 2 more weeks for the great fall colors to come out.
jarvis
October 18th, 2011
4:36 pm
Theresa, Arizona says don’t ignore the coyotes. You’re supposed to yell at them. I think that’s hilarious.
http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/urban_coyote.shtml
Jayne
October 18th, 2011
5:40 pm
I love Fall best, I get out and about and I cook more. It’s the best time of the year. Spring is beautiful too but it saddens me because I know that major heat will come. TWG, I think I would love to live in your area.
mom2alex&max
October 18th, 2011
8:51 pm
Jayne: I feel the SAME way! I love the fall and I can’t stand Spring because my allergies kick my butt and I know that very soon we will be melting!
But I love everything about the fall.
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
October 19th, 2011
1:17 am
jarvis — that was good info — my neighbor told me to keeps a tennis ball can of rocks in my stroller to shake at them and last resort throw at them — also said a whistle works well. they are really big though — they do look like that photo on the web site — the kids and I play a game called: Dog or coyote? they are that common!!!
Nikhil
October 19th, 2011
4:48 am
Nice Post
N @ http://dictionary.cambridge.org/spellcheck/british/?q=autherise
motherjanegoose
October 19th, 2011
12:03 pm
We drove up to HIghlands, NC last week and the leaves were breath taking! I too love the fall and am having a lot of fun with my October program and the little kids!
JATL
October 19th, 2011
4:28 pm
LOVE this time of year! October is my favorite month. We went to our favorite pumpkin patch and fun farm last Sunday and had a ball. We’re hitting the Little Five Points Halloween Parade this Saturday -both of those things have become traditions. I’m excited to head to N. GA in November for a weekend. There are still gorgeous leaves up there that time of year. After the Halloween madness, it’s Chomp and Stomp -the best chili cookoff around in Cabbagetown (and always gorgeous weather). I’ve been really enjoying 5Ks this fall -so many fun ones and the weather has been perfect for running. Run Like Hell through Oakland Cemetery is this Saturday! This is the first time I’ll get to run it, because we’re usually at Magnolia Fest in Florida (another fall tradition), but we didn’t go this year. We did go camping at the end of September, and the nights were crisp and the leaves were already changing -beautiful!
brandice
October 20th, 2011
7:48 pm
going to all the festivals and fairs!!! Taste Of Atlanta, this weekend, great food and looks like great weatther!!