Smells like Fall

Pumpkin, spices, apples...

What smells remind you of autumn?

I don't know exactly what it is, maybe it's the chill in the air or knowing that I'll be spending much more time inside the house, but Fall makes me want to bake. A Lot!

My kitchen smells just heavenly right now! I made an apple pie and it is in the oven baking right now. The smell of apple pie in the oven just screams fall to me.

So while I'm waiting for the pie to finish, I decided to return to my blog and ask a few questions to fellow bakers out there.

• When making your own pie crust, do you prefer to use only butter, only shortening, or a mixture of both?

• What type of apples do you prefer to use in apple pies and crisps?

• What's your favorite fall recipe? Share yours here.

For this pie, I used a flaky, butter crust and macintosh apples. Can't wait to eat it, with a big scoop of French Vanilla ice cream.

YUMMO! ...not YUM-O

I am making the most delicious Homemade Tomato Soup tonight! I made up this recipe two nights ago when I was craving a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup but had no ready made. I offered some to my boyfriend and he shrugged and said "Okay." Three minutes later his bowl was empty and there was no soup left in the pot. Tonight, when I asked my him what he wanted to eat, he looked at me, smiling, and said "Tomato Soup, please."

it really is that good!

Ready for the recipe? Here it is...

2- 14 oz cans of whole peeled tomatoes, cut in half or quarters with juice reserved

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground garlic, more if you like

1 bay leaf

4 cloves (yes, whole cloves)

dash of ground chili pepper

dash of white pepper

Complimentary herbs of your liking... (I chose oregano, thyme and rosemary)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 - 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (this is an approximation. I pour a very thin stream from the bottle into the soup while blending)

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon flour

1/4 - 1/2 cup cream (I even used half & half), this too is a preference thing and I eyeballed it.

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large saucepan, add the garlic until fragrant and translucent. Over medium-high heat, stir in the tomato juice from cans. Then add halved tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes. Add in bay leaf, cloves, chili pepper, white pepper, and herbs. Stir and let simmer for 20 - 30 minutes.

Tomatoes should be soft and easily squished with your spoon.

Remove cloves and bay leaf from pot and transfer tomatoes into a standing blender. Puree for about 10 seconds. Let stand for a sec, then puree again for another 15 seconds. This time adding the sugar and balsamic vinegar. Let it all sit in the blender while you prep the next step.

In the same saucepan, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter. Whisk in 1 Tablespoon of flour to make a sort of roux. Be careful so it doesn't get lumpy. Slowly add the tomatoes back into the saucepan. Once the roux is incorporated with the tomatoes, you can start adding the cream. I add just enough to lighten up the color. Let the soup simmer slightly for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving

Enjoy!