Fall-la-la-la FALLELUJAH!

IT'S HERE! The PSL harkened it. The boots and scarves suddenly making an appearance let you know it was on the way. Fall is back y'all!

What's so special about fall? If you really need ask, I'm not sure I could do the answer justice. There is just something phenomenal about crisp weather, falling leaves, sweaters and snuggling....and the food. THE FOOD. Cinnamon sticks start popping up at the grocery stores, apples are in their prime, and colorful squashes and root vegetables are being stocked. Things get spicy.

My kitchen smells like a combination of Thanksgiving, Christmas and all the fall you can get today. I am, admittedly, a meal prep master. I may only cook once or twice a week, but when I do...

I was feeling a little pork choppy this week. I bought three center cut, bone-in pork chops from the farmers market and brined them to death. I used my Thanksgiving turkey brine: pickling spice (whole coriander, black peppercorns, bay leaf, whole cayenne pepper, plus some unidentifiables) apple cider vinegar, sea salt, maple sugar and water (or chicken broth). I let them sit in the fridge overnight and then roasted them in the oven on a bed of granny smith apples and yellow onions. Even the fat tasted good. I'm not ordinarily a big fan of anything bone-in, but let me telllll you. That was my dinner tonight. If eating rib meat off of pork chop bones from the cutting board while standing at the kitchen counter is wrong, then maybe I don't want to be right. I blended the apples, onions, pan drippings and chicken stock together and reduced on the stove for a gravy. I added a little more apple cider vinegar because I really can't get enough of it, but that's a personal preference.

I have mashed potatoes a-boiling right now to soak up some of that liquid deliciousness.

I made maple-chili roasted golden acorn squash too. The name is pretty much the recipe.

In addition to the pork chop dinner masterpiece, I made my old standby: turkey burgers. You really just can't go wrong there. Pair with a baked sweet potato, avocado half and some garlic rice? Done.

Now I've got oranges sliced and drying in the oven and pumpkin seeds toasting. The pumpkin seeds are for general snackage, while the oranges are for a wreath project I have in mind. More on that one later...