Joy of Fall

Fall is a season with much to enjoy. The month of October is filled with pleasures to see, feel, taste and smell. Watch the trees starting to turn into a cascade of color as leaves drop to the ground. Weather becomes more comfortable as each day passes from mildly warm to comfortably cool. You will start with short sleeves and move into a light jacket. The trees and gardens will start to produce some of the best of all tastes. Big orange pumpkins are waiting in gardens for filling a pie shell or growing for Jack-o- lanterns a bit later in the month. My favorites hang onto the trees with a green husk waiting to ripen and fall to the ground. On front lawn of my home on Church Street was a glorious, large pecan tree. When ripe, the nuts covered the ground. I did not mind picking these up one by one for much good eating was ahead. This variety of nuts was Stuarts. These were much harder to crack than Paper Shells which could be cracked by hand. The Stuarts filled the hard shell with a dark brown lusty nut that could be eaten right from the shell. After picking up from the ground, the Stuarts were cracked open with a little hammer. Half were eaten on the spot and half saved for fruitcake, Christmas divinity candy, or best of all pecan pie. The sense of smell comes in when each of these delicacies are being cooked. Early in my cooking experience, I mastered the Georgia pecan pie. My pie was often complimented, and I was often asked for the recipe. I did not mind sharing and confessed this was not an old family recipe but was available on back of the bottle of Karo Syrup. All I have left to say is YUM YUM!!! Write to Shirley at [email protected].

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