the first week of october

 da vinci trebuchet set

 egg noodle prep

 blackberry cucumber smoothies

 roasted potatoes and carrots

 carrot soup

 homity pie

potato soup

September never feels like Autumn in the Midwest. We always have consecutive days in the upper 80's with humidity to complement. We pull out our sweaters and quilts, begin making pumpkin bread and other treats, but really, I've found it is better to wait until the wonderful month of October!

October consistently brings authentic Autumn. Cool temperatures, falling leaves, gentle rains. This weather coerces us outdoors and beckons comfort foods ~ this is truly soup season! That carrot soup, oh my, was wonderful and the perfect complement to a serving of beef roast and corn bread. 

Although I mostly take photos of the garden, hiking and children, I've made the goal to photograph what I actually make with the garden goodness. Anything made by hand, made by oneself, takes time, effort and care. 

Purchasing, growing, planning and then making our meals does take a good amount of my hours, although I'm not consumed by it. I actually have a very good system now, to where I enjoy it and always seem to have homemade food on hand for my ever hungry people. So, acknowledging the effort and work of the meals in picture form is really a way of encouraging myself to continue learning and creating. It truly is a way of loving on myself and my family to provide these nourishing meals. The greatest encouragement, of course, is when my children say "I love this meal!" or "May I have seconds?" The goal is to have those responses on repeat, and, hopefully, this is teaching them by example to eat healthy.