Baking is Best in the Fall

So, I live in the northeast sector of the United States and that means that we have actual seasons - fall, summer, spring and fall. Those seasons come replete with the stereotypical weather associated with each of those seasons. In winter, it snows, is sometimes brutally cold, is often very dry and is windy. In spring, the sun is light and yellow and the flowers bloom. In summer, it is hot, hazy and humid with long, golden days. But the fall - ah the fall. The trees begin to change color and it begins to cool off, but it isn't so cold that you have to really bundle up. You can often get by wearing jeans, sweaters and t-shirts with a light jacket. There is the smell of fires and burning leaves in the air. And of course there is football on Saturday and Sundays.

With the change of weather, I inevitably get a hankering to begin my baking. I was never much into the culinary arts growing up, while in high school or in college. I wasn't even all that interested in them when I "grew up" and was living on my own. However, in the last few years, I've developed an interest in both cooking and baking, although baking definitely is the predominant of my interests during the fall and winter months. There's just something about making apple or pumpkin pie or cookies when it's getting cooler out and when family is coming over for a holiday like Thanksgiving or even Halloween. And really, it's not as hard as it may seem - it may seem really daunting - but I promise you that if I can do it, anyone can do it.

There is some necessary preparation that you must take in order to be successful in all of your baking endeavors. Of course, a good cookbook is recommended. I usually use the ones from Better Homes and Gardens because they have pretty good basic recipes for things like apple pie and crust, which you can then expand off of. There is also the Internet, which provides a plethora of recipes, tips and other information that relate to baking. You will also need to make sure that you have the necessary ingredients and, if you don't a trip to the supermarket is absolutely imperative. Also necessary is the requisite equipment - measuring spoons, bowls etc.

Once you have the necessary items, it is actually very easy to engage in baking. All you have to do, quite frankly is follow the directions. The recipes will provide you step by step directions in how to create the most fascinating and delicious items. Once you become more confident, you can change the recipe in creative ways (like, for instance, adding cranberries to an apple pie or chocolate chips to banana bread!). When the kids were younger, I used to do this myself. It was my time to decompress and having my husband and young children underfoot would just stress me out. My son is now three and he adores helping mom out by breaking eggs into bowls and pouring sugar as well. He also loves to taste test the items when they come out of the oven.

These are the reasons that I love to bake in the fall!