Wishing For Fall

I have been dreaming of cooler weather since mid-July.  Which probably makes me certifiably insane since I hated last winter being cooped up in the house with 5 kids and could never get outside.  Now this summer we have been cooped up in the house because it is too hot outside.  Good grief, I need to get over it, or move somewhere where it's always like 70 as the high.  Does this place exist?  And also, do they need a handsome mechanical engineer?

Fall is my most favorite time of the year.  So in honor of it hopefully just around the corner, although my neck of the woods has been known to be extremely warm through September, I am listing things I love about fall.

1.My cool weather clothes.

I hate dressing for summer.  I love jeans with a cute tee and a cardigan.  It's pretty much my everyday uniform.  And a little tough to wear when it's 90 degrees out.  This past summer I bought 4 long dresses from Walmart and have probably worn them 75% of the time.  My friends probably wonder if I own anything else.  

This year, I have decided to shoot for wearing skirts with fun colored tights and riding boots.  I love me a good riding boot and am on the lookout for a black pair, which surprisingly, I don't own.  I actually bought my first pair of skinny jeans a couple of weeks ago.  I have fought that like the plague, because at a size 10 it's not always the best look.  But after trying and failing miserably to shove my boot cut jeans into my boots and looking ridiculous, it was time to bite the bullet.  I would never, ever wear skinny jeans not tucked into something though.  It's a little something called "thigh heavy"

This looks like the perfect outfit for me.  I love everything about it.  Especially the contrasting scarf in a different color.  The only thing I would change is that the bag is probably a bit small for me just judging by the picture, who knows though, it could be huge.  I need room for a book or two, and baby stuff.


2.  Soups

This is my hands down, favorite meal of all time.  I would take a bowl of yummy soup over almost anything else.  Here's a yummy recipe:

Chicken Enchilada Soup
3 cups chicken stock
2 skinless, chicken breasts
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
4-6 jalapeno peppers, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup tomato paste
8 oz cotija cheese, crumbled
8 oz pepperjack cheese, divided
1 cup cilantro, chopped
Tortilla chips

In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add chicken stock and heat over medium heat. Add chicken breasts, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Simmer about 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside. Add tomatoes, jalapenos, bell pepper, onion, and garlic to the pot. Simmer about 30 minutes, covered until tomatoes have begun to break down. Add black beans, corn, and tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Add cotija cheese and half of the pepperjack cheese and stir to melt. Return chicken to soup and cook about 20 more minutes until desired consistency.

Add cilantro, reserving some to top individual bowls. Ladle into serving bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips, reserved pepperjack cheese and cilantro.

3.  Fireplaces

Okay, I admit that I don't actually have a fireplace.  But curling up next to a fireplace with a good book and a comfy blanket is like my mental image of perfection.  So instead of fireplaces I will replace it with:

4.  Bonfires

Love being around the bonfire with family, roasting marshmallows and staring into the flames and pretty much forgetting that anything else exists.

5.  Fall Leaves

Love the trees that turn red the most, hate raking.  But I will take the gorgeousness of all the color, even with all the work.

6.  Holidays

Okay, so I get that the holidays has the highest suicide rate of the year.  And I guess I can understand that when we stress all the family togetherness and if your family sucks, or you don't have one, I can see where this comes from.  That is why we need Jesus, people.

I happen to be blessed with an amazing family (for the most part!) and so I love the holidays.  I love the togetherness, the decorating, the food, and how fast it helps the crappy, cold part of the year go quicker, at least until New Year's, after that, winter drags on f....o....r....e....v....e....r.

Plus, I love the Christmas tree in my small, cramped house.  I really do.  I leave the lights on all night long because I love waking up in the morning to the brightness of it all.  

So, August, please go as quickly as possible because I am ready for some change.

What are you looking forward to this fall?

PS- Hunger Games comes out on video tomorrow!  Now my hubby and I can finally watch it together since I saw it three times in the theater without him!