Autumn, or better known as “Fall,” is one of my favorite seasons. It can mean different things to different people depending on where you live. In Florida, it means the start of school, football season, tailgating, southern food, the celebration of Halloween and concludes with Thanksgiving. For those of us in Florida, we don’t see much of a change in weather but still dream of colder days.
In other parts of the country such as Seattle and the northeast, the first signs of autumn are the changing, vibrant colors of the leaves on the trees. It is a sight to see if you have never been to these areas. Colors range from yellow, gold, brown to orange and red. Taking a walk or a hike at a local park to view the changing leaves is as relaxing as sitting at a beach watching the roaring waves. It is amazing how every year the leaves start the process of change in September and then peak in mid-October. Coincidentally, the weather starts changing in September and is in the 50s by October. The boots, sweaters, and coats are pulled out of closets as the weather becomes cool. Pumpkins are popular in the south but in other areas of the country, you get more than your traditional “orange” pumpkin. If you make a trip to the grocery store in Seattle, you will find various shades of pumpkins including white and some with stripes on them.
There are some similarities during the Autumn months no matter what city you are visiting in the U.S. Pumpkin flavored food and drinks can be found in local coffee shops and especially in gourmet grocery stores like Trader Joe’s. It seems as if most people either love pumpkin-flavored foods or hate them. However, I think is a nice change from the traditional chocolate or vanilla flavored foods that we have for the rest of the year. Some of the interesting pumpkin-flavored foods at Trader Joes is the pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin Joe-Joes cookies, pumpkin spice coffee, and pumpkin chocolate mousse desserts in the bakery. The pumpkin pancakes are one of my favorite items at Trader Joes. While the traditional pancake tastes like bread, this one is quite different. It tastes like pumpkin but it is neither sweet or bitter. It has just the right amount of flavor to satisfy your tasting buds. You can also make pumpkin muffins with this mix. Having these two options keeps the foods interesting and satisfying in your household. The pumpkin-flavored Joe Joe cookies are not your typical cookie. It isn’t sweet like most cookies especially the chocolate and vanilla cookies. I think you will either love them or hate them. If you want a change from the “traditional ” cookie, I would encourage you to try them. The pumpkin spice coffee is a big change from the traditional coffee that we drink all year long. If you are adventurous and looking for a different kind of coffee, I would say go for it but if you do not like change then I don’t think you would enjoy this spicy flavored coffee. The pumpkin chocolate mousse desserts I found in the bakery exceeded my expectations. It combines chocolate cake and mousse with pumpkin icing to create the perfect dessert. What can be better than this combination!
Halloween and Thanksgiving are popular holidays celebrated during Autumn everywhere. Children enjoy dressing up as their favorite character and look forward to Halloween for months. It is the one day they can be a little mischievous and get away with it with their parents and teachers. Schools usually allow the children to dress up on Halloween and have a party at school. When you combine the costumes with candy, this is almost as wonderful as Disney World. Trick or treating at the mall has become very popular in the last ten years as many parents are hesitant to go to neighbor’s houses to ask for candy. This is most likely due to everyone’s lives are busy and they do not know their neighbors as in previous years. The mall takes away the fun of running around your neighborhood with friends and squealing trick or treat at every house until your parents drag you home. Teens and adults also like to celebrate the holiday. Teens enjoy haunted houses, festivals and also like to dress up for school on Halloween and have costume competitions with their peers. Some adults dress up and go to Halloween parties and enjoy the feeling of being “young” and playful on this special night.
As Halloween fades, everyone starts focusing on bringing their families together to celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day about family but sometimes there are frustrations with this holiday. In autumn, airline flights are expensive, and schools and work limit the days for you to travel and celebrate the holiday. If you must travel for the holiday it can be a headache trying to leave and return on the same days like everyone else in our country. I know this is true with so much of my family spread out across the country. Thanksgiving is also generally known as the busiest traveling holiday of the year. Of course, after blocking out these frustrations it is nice to see and visit with family. I always look forward to the turkey and stuffing, mash potatoes, mac and cheese, casseroles and desserts on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving always makes for great food and even better leftovers to enjoy. After eating a scrumptious meal, most families enjoy football games on tv. It is a day of laughter and excitement as the different teams compete with each other. Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays because it is a nice break from school and work, but most of all it is time well spent with those you love.
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