Fall Food Realness

I have been trying to write a blog post declaring my love for the fall season for quite a few days now. The one I have saved in my drafts highlights the fall-time activities I believe everyone should try. You know, the typical pumpkin farm, hot apple cider, baking with loved ones shenanigans. Groundbreaking. It didn't sound like something I had written or like something I would personally enjoy reading (even though it was embellished with some pretty spiffy photographs I took). So, using my disappointment in that post to my advantage, I am going to write in my usual style...typing whatever comes to mind. Can you tell I don't do well with structured writing? I don't know, it just sounds a bit insincere when I do it on the blog.

In place of reciting off all the reasons I love fall, I'm just going to share some things I find exciting as they come to me. Let the journey through Aneela's scattered thoughts commence...

Lately, I have been enjoying cooking/baking dishes that taste a gajillion times better during the colder months. Last week, we hosted a tea party and I took a short cut with some Ghirardelli chocolate chip cookies. They totally tasted like they were made from scratch. I truly believe that with a few tweaks here and there in terms of ingredients you can make packaged desserts taste like you've been slaving away for hours. Case in point: I was just in NYC over the weekend and the lovely person I was staying with baked the most delicious brownies. They were so rich and had a generous amount of almonds and walnuts in them. When she told me she just used a brownie mix and added lots of nuts, I couldn't believe it! They tasted sooo good! Now, before you accuse me of trying to turn people to the dark side, give boxed baking a try. You might win over a few hearts and never look back ;)

Now, I know a lot bloggers are into doing everything from scratch. I enjoy both methods and I think it really depends on how much time I have and what kind of mood I'm in. Personally, I love cooking from scratch on the weekends when I have hours to spend in the kitchen. So, I have been collecting (and using) recipes that I think will be extra delicious as the trees outside become bare and a blanket of white settles in.

First of all, in case you haven't been looped in, sea salt + caramel = the solution to 99% of the world's problems. In honor of this delicious equation, I am going to link some of my favorite fall-time salted caramel recipes. Here is how to make simple salted caramels via Barefoot Contessa. Or, you could opt for a fun salted caramel pudding recipe via Portuguese Girl Cooks. And, of course, no fall gathering is complete without cupcakes, so try your hand at these salted caramel cupcakes via Tidy Mom.

image via Tidy Mom

image via Portuguese Girl Cooks

Now, this next topic, I am hoping to dedicate another post to as well, but in the meantime, I will just give you a quick synopsis here. Can we just take a moment to appreciate the goodness that is...THE CHEESE BOARD?! It's sweet, it's salty, it's fancy, it's casual, it's whatever you want it to be. I personally like one that is actually made on a wooden board...add those cute little chalkboard labels for the cheeses and we're talkin' par-tayyyy. And this is coming from someone who doesn't even particularly like cheese. Which, I know is embarrassing for someone who lives in America's DAIRY LAND, but I can't even remember the last time I craved cheese...UNTIL the cheese board. Here is 'The Perfect Fall Cheese Platter' via Honestly Yum. Get on it, people! More to come on this in a future post ;)

image via Honestly Yum

Well, I wanted to share some fall fashion trends in this post as well, but it is getting insanely long. Honestly, congratulatutions if you're still reading this. So, I'm going to end this post with the "it drink" of the moment. Make it. Try it. Love it. Here is how to make Rosemary Hot White Chocolate via Golubka. You're welcome:) Also, this girl has some mad manicure game (see below).

image via Golubka

Happy Monday!

xo Aneela