Fall is upon us, and already I am obsessively roasting everything in sight! But before the real cold (and hopefully, RAINY!!) weather sets in and summer becomes but a distant memory, here are a few random scenes from my life in the last month or two, in no particular order.

Those who know me have heard me complain about my commute more than any of us care to recall. And yep, it's brutal. But it's nice to stop and appreciate the surroundings once I finally get there. I took these photos on a lunchtime walk a few weeks ago. A good reminder to get out, stretch the legs, breathe the air, breathe in the color blue!

I hardly posted any garden photos this year! Our garden was modest and not very prolific, but we did get a handful of nice squash, peppers and tomatoes. This was the very last bounty of cherry tomatoes getting ready to be slow roasted and eventually frozen so we can keep enjoying them in soup, sauces and whatever else suits our fancy for months to come...

The adventures in pie baking have continued, with peach and apple pie. Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours continues to deliver, delight and inspire.

I used Dorie's recipe for the crust both times. I used the Smitten Kitchen recipe for peach pie for the filling on the one above, and Dorie's apple pie filling on this next one. Both received rave reviews!

Oh, and did I mention? I started my first class this week studying holistic nutrition at Bauman College in Berkeley! I don't expect to stop baking pies any time soon and I can't quite imagine ending my love affair with wine and cheese! But, I'm excited to learn more about the healing powers of food, and how we can all use it to strengthen and sustain ourselves. I'm sure I'll have much more to report on that topic over the next 18 months, so stay tuned, and happy Fall to one and all!