{my friend Sally and I at an orchard in Michigan. That is a Honeycrisp Apple. Delicious.}

I am feeling exhausted today. I am supposed to be studying for a test that I will be taking in two hours, and instead, I find myself wanting to look up recipes.

Friday will be October. That is unbelievable. It seems so odd that we are entering deeply into the fall. So before we leave September, I have to acknowledge on of my favorite foods.

The apple.

Its remarkable.

There are so many varieties, shapes, colors, tastes. Some are crisp and tart, others sweet and soft. I am an advocate of the apple. It lands on my top five list of foods, hands down.

And who doesn't love an apple orchard.

These bars, though simple, are one of the best gooey fall treats I have had. Top them with a scoop of butter pecan ice cream and you will experience bliss. Its a promise.

Apple Brownies

1 ½ Sticks Margarine

2 Cups Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

2 Eggs

½ Teaspoon Salt

2 Cups Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Cup Chopped Apples

Bake in a 350 degree oven in a 9x13 pan for about 30 minutes or until set in center.

o-pie, oh my.

Word of today.

Accolade.

it means, 'an expression of praise or admiration.'

My dear friend Annie recently got me hooked on a show called Pushing Daisies. It is about a pie-maker who has the ability to bring the dead back to life. Odd, yes. But very entertaining.

Shortly after the show addiction began, Annie became inspired to bake her first pie. It was phenomenal and the inspiration somehow spread to me.

On a day that required rich chocolate and indulgence, I chose to make a peanut butter-chocolate-banana cream pie with a home-made graham cracker crust.

I can admit I am classically girl. There are days where I clearly need rich, dark, mood-altering chocolate.

On an emotional day, where you need some form of food gratification or coping, make this.

dinner party.

{black bean soup with home-made croutons and avocado}

I love cooking for people.

If I had my way, I think I would cook for a friend everyday.

I have learned about myself that food is somewhat of a love language. To cook for a friend represents providing for them, inviting them into my space, and sharing a necessary piece of life with them.

On Friday, some friends came over for a dinner party. It was lovely. There was seven of us, all women, and each one of them has become someone special to me over my past year in grad school.

Our question of the evening was to choose five words to describe yourself. It was insightful, and a fun exercise of naming ourselves.

Walt Whitman has a beautiful poem titled What am I After All

he says;

What am I after all but a child, pleas'd with the sound

of my own name? repeating it over and over;

I stand apart to hear - it never tires me.

To you your name also;

Did you think there was nothing but two or three

pronunciations in the sound of your name?

I love to see the process of an individual naming herself. I love to see people owning the things within them that they love.

This, in my opinion, is a walk toward freedom.

oh, and my words were...

ebullient

playful

reflective

dreamer

{roasted red pepper, mushroom, and parmesan flatbread}

{pepper flatbread, zuccini and walnut pasta, squash flatbread, spinach and feta salad, and black bean soup}

falling in love with food in the fall.

I have recently begun to fall in love with food.

Truthfully, I have always loved food.

But recently, I have become increasingly adoring of the ways to create, to experiment, and to enjoy good food.

So, I have jumped in. Full force.

My life has begun to slow a bit over the past week. Up until then, my days had been chaos, scheduled to the minute, and now, with the coming of a slower pace, I find that my internal speed is struggling to adjust to the halt. Perhaps cooking has become a way to stay busy, to keep my mind going.

But if I am honest, I think it is more than that. Cooking, in my opinion is play, it is learning, it is joy for me to create.

My food of the month is Squash. I am obsessed. Fall foods are so fun. Squash. Its a weird word, it looks weird, taste incredibles, and compliments any meal.

With our dinner the other night, I made a butternut squash flatbread with cheddar, sunflower seeds, and onions. Yum. And Fun.

It's easy. And unique. Try it.