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fall in an autumn menu for four by Yee-Fan Sun | 1 2

Last week, for the first time, my boy and I had to nestle under the warmth of our quilt to sleep at night. The air felt crisp when I finally got out of bed that first chilly morning, and I breathed in slowly, relishing the coolness. After weeks of unseasonably summery days, the weather had finally gotten over the lunacy and settled down into the lovely temps that make this season my favorite part of the year. Bye-bye flip-flops, tank tops and smoothies; hello tall boots, sweaters and soups.

In the high heat of summer each year, my stomach seems to shrink: light, low-prep meals are the norm, and the less time spent in the kitchen the better. Come fall, though, my appetite's back in full force. Whether it's my body's instinct to store fat for the winter, or the fact that it's finally cool enough to linger over the heat of a stove, I don't know; either way, fall, for me, means getting reacquainted with my kitchen, and remembering how much I love to linger over my food.

So get into the kitchen. And enjoy the hearty flavors of autumn with this mmmm-yum menu featuring fall goodies like cranberries, butternut squash, pears and maple syrup.

salad with dried cranberries, goat cheese and almonds
mixed greens
red onion, julienned
soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
handful of sliced almonds

red wine vinaigrette
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
2 tsps. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp honey

Heat a dry skillet on medium-high; add the nuts. Cook the nuts, stirring frequently, for a few minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. Assemble the salad ingredients. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients, adding salt if desired. Serve with the salad and enjoy!

mosey along this way

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