It’s October. Fall is more than officially here. Which makes my heart pretty much palpitate with joy =) I love, love, love fall {you knew that}! The chill in the air, boot weather arriving, spicy candles burning, fires in the fireplace or a chilly bonfire outside, and the food. Oh, the glorious food! The slow-cookers are unearthed, the soups simmer, the breads bake. Ahhh. And nobody does fall food better than our sweet Gooseberry Patch friends.1277969_715836281763493_1644947316_o

Their latest fall cookbook is Hometown Harvest, and ladies. It is adorable. I have dogeared the heck out of my copy – there are SO many winners in here! I don’t often do this, but I’m going to straight up tempt you. Forgive me (and remember you can’t gain weight from reading). By chapter, here are the pages I’ve dogeared to make (things with a * are things I’ve made and intend to share with you):

  • Hometown Pancake Breakfast: Pumpkin Pancakes*, German Apple Pancake, Quinoa Breakfast Bake, Cranberry-Eggnog Monkey Bread (this one will be in my oven the day after Thanksgiving – a perfect blend of Thanksgiving & Christmas!), Breakfast Pumpkin Butter
  • Church Social Soup Supper: Howdy to Harvest Soup, Willie Family Chili, Sesame Skillet Bread, Pumpkin Streusel Muffins, Cranberry Cinnamon Bread
  • Thanksgiving Dinner to Remember: Fancy Faux Crab, Spiced Holiday Ham, Sourdough Mushroom Stuffing, Parmesan Pork Chops,
  • Game Day Get-Together: Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Bleu Cheese Dressing, Bewitching Brew, Easton’s Dill Pickle Dip
  • Pumpkin Patch Sweets: Pumpkin Spice Shortbread*, Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies, Caramel Pecan Rolls
  • Slow-Cooker Potluck Pleasers: Gramma’s Beef Barley Soup, Hot Caramel Apple Cider, Savory Beef & Vegetables*, Chilly Day Spicy Chicken Soup

Even with all these recipes, my favorite chapter is the last. Over the River & Through the Woods is a gathering of memories, shared from across the country. I’ve been reading and re-reading this chapter like a favorite, worn novel. The memories chapters’ have not been in some of the newer Gooseberry Patch books, and honestly I missed them! I’m so glad they brought one into this autumn collection. Here’s one of my favorite stories –

Autumn Fun in the Country: I remember autumn as a child, living in the small country town of Fletcher, OH. Autumn meant church hayrides, hot cider and doughnuts. We would always have a bonfire, too, because the weather was nippy then. My family of either would go apple picking, and Mom would make homemade applesauce, apple pies, spiced apple rings… the house smelled so delicious! The leaves were turning and falling, and we six kids all took turns raking them up in big piles and then jumping in them! We picked the pumpkins from Dad’s garden, and after Mom scooped out the insides to make pumpkin pies and pumpkin butter, we got to carve them. Autumn was a fun time for me as a child, I sure do miss those simple days!

Can’t you just feel it?! Thanks, Gooseberry Patch, for bringing autumn to us via Hometown Harvest no matter what the weather in our neighborhood. And friends, you know they sent me a copy to give you too =) Just use the form below to enter! {It will be open October 3 – October 20. Only open to US residents.} Can’t wait to read your favorite fall memories, and I’ll be back soon with recipes!
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-Anna
{girl with blog}

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