The Aromas of Fall

Betty dried her hands on the checkered apron tied around her waist and checked the timer on the stove. She could just smell the allspice wafting out of the oven, signaling her nose that the apple pie was almost done.  Stopping to stir the cider as it bubbled on the stove, a heavenly aroma of cinnamon filled the kitchen.  She smiled, watching the clove-studded orange slices float on the surface.  Betty turned down the heat under the kettle and turned to the honey-spiced bread, carefully cutting generous slices of the still-warm loaf and wrapping it in the rust-colored towel before depositing the fragrant bundle in the basket on the kitchen table.  The timer dinged and Betty slipped on her oven mitts, careful not to bump the pie plate as she set it on the trivet.  Standing back, she surveyed the fall bounty.

And then she frowned.

"You did it again," she mumbled.  "You prepared the feast, but forgot to invite the friends.  Better hope the neighbors are hungry."

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Inspired by the picture above and my own tendency to bake, bake, bake in the fall and winter.  And then eat, eat, eat more than I should.  Gratefully, my kids are getting old enough to help their mom out with some of the culinary creations coming from our kitchen, so I can cook with abandon and not feel any guilt!  And I get to enjoy the added bonus of a house filled with these delicious aromas of fall!

The recipe for the honey-spiced bread is on my blog:  Honey Spice Bread.