Perfect Fall Preserving

The view to my neighbours house across the street has been blocked from view for the last 6 months because the leaves of the maple tree that grows on the boulevard provide a nice cover. Well in the last few weeks as the leaves began to fall, their house started to appear almost as if the pieces of a puzzle were being put together.

In the last 48 hours as the winds pick up with the expected arrival of Hurricane Sandy the last remaining leaves that were hanging on for dear life fell and my lawn is a blanket of yellow and orange.

These blustery winds and cooler temperatures have me craving comfort food and I want to fill my house with the smell of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. If you are having similar feelings, you may want to check out these great posts that have provided me with some inspiration for these fall days ahead of us.

Nectarine Butter - now nectarines might not be in season where you are but there are certainly a lot of great pears available and this recipe sounds like it would work with them as well.

Pear Slices Preserved in Whiskey - if the sound of that recipe alone doesn't start making you feel warmer all on it's own, read it again ;)

Cranberry, Orange and Port Sauce - a nice twist on Cranberry Sauce. This would make a great gift for the upcoming holiday season

Banana Jam - the addition of Vanilla made this jam for me

Pickled Grapes with Cinnamon and Black Pepper - I could just picture these on my next cheese plate

What are your fall favourites?