Fall has always been my favorite season. The leaves changing color, the crisp temperatures, the thick sweaters, the boots, the fall fashion in general.. it is all so lovely and brings about such a warm feeling. But the best part of Fall? THE FOOD. I love candy corn, egg nog, the chili, cookies, pumpkin rolls.. so many delicious and delectable treats to enjoy. When I looked at entering this special challenge, so many ideas ran through my head. I have not always enjoyed cooking or baking but within the last year, I have really started enjoying it more. One thing I really enjoy making is a classic chicken pot pie. Read the rest of this to get my delicious recipe for this soon to be Fall favorite of your family.

Salsa Time No, I don’t mean the dance. In fact, I am not a particularly good dancer at all. Just recently I wrote an article about tomatoes. I mentioned in there that I had some tomatoes in my green house. I managed to get quite the harvest this year. So, I decided to try and make some salsa with my tomatoes. I am also going to can some as well. I have never done either before, so this is all new to me.

Is there a better time waster out there than watching Facebook videos? I mean, I don’t know about all of you, but nothing sucks me in more than a never-ending series of short videos auto-playing one after another until I blink and realize that I’ve been watching 5-Minute Craft clips for three and a half hours and it is well past my bedtime. It’s a trap I so easily fall into that sometimes I become completely numb to the randomness I’m consuming. But today? Today is different.

Many have heard about going vegan and some of the health benefits that it can have, but may think that it's mainly just a way to lose weight. While this can be one of the top benefits of choosing to live a vegan lifestyle, the truth is that it can have many more benefits than that. If you're considering going vegan, or simply think you might like to try eating vegan meals once in a while, here are some things that going vegan can do for you.

WARNING – this content may be offensive to vegetarians, vegans and friends of lobsters. Much has been made of the new skills people have been learning during lockdown. According to all the social media posts I’ve seen, the population of the UK is going to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic speaking multiple languages, playing numerous musical instruments, indulging Picasso delusions, able to run marathons without breaking sweat, ready to take on Michelin starred chefs and thinking of challenging for the post of the next UN Secretary General.

Did you know that in Connecticut, for a pickle to be considered a pickle it must bounce? In addition, contrary to popular belief, cucumbers are actually a fruit because it has seeds within itself and grows from a flower. Just looking at a jar of pickles can make one’s mouth water, but have you ever stopped and thought about pickles on a deeper level? Why do pickles have a satisfying crunch? When were pickled cucumbers first made? What makes a pickle a pickle? From the right pH level to the modern-day pickle purpose, there’s a lot more that goes into pickles than you could have ever thought. Although pickles seem like a simple garnish, they have been a necessary food for centuries, and the misconceptions about them only increase human fascination with these pungent fruits.

Coffee, a drink made from the roasted and ground seeds or berries of several species in the Rubiaceae family. After water, it is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. The main psychoactive ingredient of coffee is caffeine, which has been shown to increase alertness and improve mood.

Chinese cuisine is considered both a craft and an art and it has been developing and getting richer since the oldest of times. During the reign of Emperor Fu (20 centuries BC) the Chinese people learned how to fish and hunt and agriculture and cooking began their evolution. During the Chou Dynasty Chinese cooking and food decorating gained the status of high art.

Cooking has been apart of my life for as far back as I can remember, and for me, that’s as early as two and half years old. My grandmother always had me hip-side, so when baking sweet potato pies, I was the spoon licker and bowl cleaner or, if it was sugar snap peas, after she’d open the peas and throw the shell I would be sure to pick up remnants needing to be discarded. I was always there and in hinds sight I didn’t realize that not only was I physically present but I was paying attention…taking in the details, the aromatic smells, attention to seasonings and flavorings - never a measuring cup, just a dash of this, a pinch of that, a bit more of that there. My grandmother affectionately called Mom-ma was mostly quiet, wasn’t much on words and with so much noise inside the home from others her power was in quieting the soul with cooked food served.

From traditional family gatherings to simple dinner parties with friends, cultural food is always the main focal point in connecting with different people from all parts of life. Being from West Africa, specifically Benin, sharing our food with others is a very respectful way to welcome them into our home. One of our most popular meals from West Africa is called Attiéké (pronounced Ah-jeh-keh).

When I think about a recipe I don’t think about going to restaurants having a fancy meal. I don’t think about dressing up and walking in high heels through a fancy lobby. I don’t think about fine dining, ou la la, and a seven course meal served by hard working people.

Did you know that according to recent statistics Americans enjoy about 46 slices of pizza on a yearly basis? If we count by the pie, the number of pizzas Americans eat per year is 3 billion! On an individual level, that’s about 40 pizzas a year for the average American. Over a lifetime, the average American will eat 6,000 slices of pizza.