Contemplating the first day of Fall today. The weather outside is gorgeous with vivid blue skys and nary a cloud in the sky. The full moon shone brightly last night around 7 pm as I was driving back from Rousses after picking up 2 “Who Dat” reusable bags of groceries.  I did pick up a couple of rib eye steaks for my husband who has been craving meat and potatoes lately.

My husband will have grilled rib eye and loaded baked potato tonight for dinner. I am still contemplating what I am having for mine. I have leftover coconut tofu from a Thai noodle bowl I made for dinner a few nights ago. I could pair with a baked potato and a salad and be perfectly happy for the rest of the evening.

I also made a recipe of Cuban beans and rice. The beans were good and the added banana made them slightly sweet to the palate. Yum! I actually made a cherry pie for dinner this last weekend and boy did it go fast. Too long not baking and I miss it.

I remember in the fall growing that the apples were in season and that mean’t going out to the orchards to pick up several bushels for canning and baking.  My aunt Anna had an apple pie recipe that was out of this world and I can still taste it on my lips to this day.  I often wonder what she would think of my vegan diet. She and grandma were born in the horse and buggy days and new ideas were seldom given much credibility.  I have pictures of them working the dairy farm on Mica Peak just outside of Couer’dalene Idaho. Grandma was a good cook, too. She made some hearty meals for everyone and the portions were such that you could eat the leftovers for days to come.

They would have huge family gatherings at the dairy and the kids were destined to play outside until the meal was ready to be served. These gatherings were all the brothers and sisters and cousins, their kids and families. So crowds could be as big as 100 people or more. But there was always plenty to eat and no one left hungry.