Fall is here (officially!)

According to the October 2011 issue of Better Homes and Gardens fall is officially here once the pumpkins arrive in the local grocery stores. I disagree, especially considering there are already Christmas decorations in some retailers! I say fall is officially here when you harvest pumpkins in your own yard! Yes, folks, as JSM predicted this time last year, we have our own pumpkins! They aren't huge, they are just right and one has already been placed at the front door. Who cares if the weather has been in the 80s? Or that our summer squash is ripening just as the pumpkins are ready to be pulled from their vines? We may be having a little Indian summer, but it feels like fall on our front doorstep!

I love pumpkins so I am especially proud of JSM for growing these beautiful gourds. My favorite thing about  fall is eating pumpkin. Truthfully, I eat pumpkin bread, pumpkin black bean soup, and pumpkin pancakes any time of year, but eating them always reminds me of shorter days and crisp nights, my favorite time of year. So, when I stumbled upon a recipe for pumpkin stuffed shells in the October 2011 issue of Country Living you better believe I made a batch and pronto! The warm pumpkin-ricotta filling spiked with garlic, basil, and plenty of Parmesan and Romano cheese was heavenly and the tomato sauce added the perfect compliment to this comforting dish. Since I can't find the recipe online check out the October 2011 issue of Country Living (hint.... it's free at your local library!)

No matter where you live, if you buy or grow your pumpkins, or if it's 80 plus degrees outside, these pumpkin stuffed shells will have your home feeling (and smelling) like fall in no time! Bon Apetit!