Forest of Beech Trees by Gustav Klimt, 1903

Fall is finally here. Yesterday, it was in the high 70's (boo!) but for the rest of the week, it's going to be in the high 50's/low 60's (yay!). To me, this means cooking more comfort food because my semester is filled to the brim with stressful responsibilities. It means less fresh fruit and vegetables, and more canned ones, which is depressing, but it also means more melty casserole type things and pumpkin and cinnamon and warm beverages!

I'm keeping this post short because I have a big post coming (more cooking adventures: pizza and tacos -- with lots of delicious secret ingredients that I will reveal upon posting), and because I have homework to do.

Today, I recommend taking time to read and drink some hot tea, or hot chocolate. It will do your soul some good, especially if you're a student of any kind dealing with the torrential downpouring of new stress that comes with starting a new semester! I recently finished "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" by Harriet A. Jacobs for my Black Women's Autobiography class, and I highly recommend it. It's not a light or fun read, but it's an important one: can you remember ever reading a slave narrative written about a woman, much less by the woman herself? Probably not, because this is one of the only ones. It was published in 1861, by the way, and initially under a pseudonym, because Harriet didn't want those who helped her escape to get in trouble upon its publication. What a woman! If you're looking for something light, steer clear, but I truly believe that the most rewarding part of being a reader is the discomfort one feels when having to grapple with a challenging text full of difficult ideas and thought-provoking insights. Make yourself uncomfortable, and feel your brain grow.

Also, feel your stomach grow as we transition into fall, the season of comfort food! Next post soon!