Fall is here!

Fall has finally come to Japan! Its been in the 60's and low 70's, finally, this week. It's time to make soups and stews, take long walks and enjoy the changing leaves. Although here, one has to watch out for snakes sunning themselves in the trails. Some of the best things about fall in my mind, are:

drinking hot apple cider
going to the apple orchard * pumpkin patch! *cooking with everything squash, sweet potato and pumpkin * hot sweet potato drink at Ducky Ducky, topped with whipped cream! * chestnuts! piles of leaves, and the smell of burning leaves * warm sweaters * changing the blankets and bringing out the warm quilts * putting rugs on the floors * bringing out some orange, rust and brown colored pillows and throw blankets * using the oven more * kids sitting at the kitchen table with their homework * lighting candles more time outside in Ikego, due to the milder weather :) * bonfires and roasting marshmallows for smores * lazy fall beetles and bees * good sleeping weather!

What are your favorite things???

Anyway, we had communal dinner this weekend here in the courtyard, and I made some soup. My soup was potato, a very easy recipe:

Potato Soup:

6 pieces of bacon

1 cup celery

one onion

a bunch of potatoes

3 cloves garlic

6 cups chicken broth

hot sauce

Cook the bacon and remove it, save it for sprinkling on top of the soup. Drain out most of the fat. Sautee the celery, onion and garlic in the bottom of the bacon pan. When soft, add the potatoes and broth. Cook until soft. Use a hand blender or potato masher to mix. Now, I used 6 potatoes and thought the soup was a little thin, so I cheated a bit and added some instant mashed potatoes. No one will know the difference!!

Add hot sauce to taste.

Serve with bowls of shredded cheddar, bacon, and green onions.