Hello Autumn...

Do you guys remember when I posted this video on the first day of Fall last year?

My calendar says that the first official day of Fall is tomorrow but since everyone is giving Fall a shout out today I will too. Autumn is my favorite season.

I love how crisp the air is and the way Fall smells. Something about Fall makes me want to just kick back and spend time with my family. It's so peaceful.

Right when the season starts I like to make some Chow Chow to enjoy for the next couple months. I also love to make boiled peanuts. Savannah loves them. That's the Carolina in me - loves me some salty boiled homemade peanuts. Have you had them? Thank me later.

Everything about Fall makes me happy. The overuse of my crockpot, planning and cooking Thanksgiving dinner and making Fall favorites like Pinto Beans, yum! Fall food is so comforting.

Of course, I also love Fall fashion. Leopards, greys, layers and being able to wear black almost everyday.

 

Now that my favorite season is here I'm ready to take the kids to a pumpkin patch, make some warm tea and take naps on Sunday afternoons while football plays in the background.

Are you as excited about Fall as I am? Any special Fall traditions you want to share?

Oh. And just in case you aren't quite ready to leave Summer behind visit my Autumn Pinterest board for all things Fall.

Chow Chow: A Family Tradition

My great Grandmother, Big Momma, preserved and canned all sorts of things. If it wasn't for her I probably wouldn't even know what Chow Chow is.

In the South we put Chow Chow on just about anything. Veggies, hot dogs, bratwurst and you can not have a Thanksgiving dinner without Chow Chow. It can be spicy (that's the way I like it) or sweet. What I have to say I love the most about this family tradition is making it with my mother. Spending time with my Mom in the kitchen is like having a cooking class with my very own Paula Deen. Minus the gray hair and the over use of a Southern girl's favorite word, "y'all". I learn something new every time. Every. Time. The lessons that she learned from my great Grandmother are now being passed down to me, and I am forever grateful. Grateful and proud.

Here's how you make it. Once you get your jars make sure you have cleaned them along with the lids. Chop up one large head of cabbage and an onion and place it in a freezer safe container. Sprinkle a generous amount of pickling salt into the container. Stir well. Put it in the freezer overnight.

The next day place your mixture in a bowl and rinse it well with water. Drain your cabbage mixture in a colander. Place mixture into a huge pot. Finely chop your favorite pepper and add it to the mix. Next you'll need to add four cups of vinegar, one-two cups of sugar and a tablespoon of pickling salt. At this point, you'll want to add your seasoning of choice. We try something different each time we make it and it has always turned out VERY good. Place your mix on the stove and bring it to a soft boil. Let it boil for about five minutes. Taste as you go. Add more of your spices if you need to.

You'll want to give your jars a hot bath. The jars should sit in the hot bath for five minutes. Make sure you are wearing a glove/oven mitten while handling the jars. They will be extremely hot. I recommend using tongs for easy retrieval. Place the Chow Chow in the jars while they are still hot. A funnel will make this task a breeze.

Place jars with lids back into hot bath for five minutes. The next day you can add a thin layer of wax under the jar lid if you'd like. After about six weeks your Chow Chow will be ready to eat. You can eat it before if you want to but the flavor gets so much better if you wait. Trust me it's worth it!