I was riffling through my closet this past week looking for something with a sleeve. It’s been three degrees less than a million degrees here in New Orleans which means Autumn is upon us.
Every season I go digging through my closet hoping to assemble some sort of haphazard capsule wardrobe for the coming months, hoping that I have enough classic and and comfortable clothes to keep any shopping to a minimum. It’s all fine. This Autumn, like last is all about a straight jean, a silk button down, and flat a boot and a coat. Keep it simple.
This is also the second Autumn I’ve had lived in this little house in New Orleans. Learning the rhythms of a little piece of ground with a house on it has felt good. The leaves are falling and I’m still pulling weeds. My young fig tree is trying to figure out its life, and the magnolia tree is ready for another bird to come nest.
The best housewarming present I received last year was a mostly out of print book called The Home Almanac. It’s divided into months and has a list of tasks and chores to keep your house up and running for the year. This book is more about prepping your house for actual (what I might even call extreme) seasons, but it’s really helpful to think through things like when to get your air conditioner looked at, and radiator know-how… wait, do I even have a radiator (actual question I asked myself this morning).
What the book hasn’t talked me though is things like… how to effectively throw a giant cookbook at a flying cockroach, or how it’s smart to text a friend that you’re home alone and taking boxes up to the attic because the last thing you want is to be alone with bats or murder or ghosts or whatever else you might come upon in an attic.
Suffice it to say, this transition of seasons, and the prospect of cooling temperatures and less summer rain, has me thinking about some of the Autumn projects I’d like to accomplish for myself and for my house. The big task this season is to spray seal all of my fences and I think I’m about 5 more youtube videos and 2 more Home Depot visits away from figuring that out for myself.
Here are some other things I’d like to do (besides spray the fence with sealer) . What’s on your Fall Project list?
โข Because I’m always making new recipes, I don’t often go back and revisit. This Fall, let’s revisit these Fresh Herb and Gruyere Puffs. They’re easy and cheesy!
โข Get a bird feeder. Any suggestions?
โข Plan Spring garden! Have you done this? Where do you start?
โข I can’t wait to put up a Christmas tree – this year with big paper flowers! So… I’m going to make paper flower poinsettias. I’ll share my own tutorial once I figure it out!
โข I want to show you how to make my very favorite chocolate layer cake! I made a cake (several, actually) for an event in Portland a few weeks ago and it was absolutely my favorite chocolate cake. The secret ingredient is black cocoa, get ready.
โข Bake from as many of the new Fall Cookbook I can. I’m already into the Zingerman’s Bakehouse Cookbook and Cherry Bombe: The Cookbook.
โข Make bagels – get it down. I’m currently looking for the right book to really guide me through the process, though I may just need to get a job at a bagel factory for a hot minute.
โข Make bay leaf ice cream. Let’s steep green leaves in cream.
What are your plans this season? Are there any recipes you’d like me to explore and share here? Let’s make a plan. Also, I think you’re wonderful.
More soon!
xo Joy
66 Responses
I have twin boys at U of M and they have already talked about the famous Zingerman’s of Ann Arbor. I just looked up the new Zingerman’s cookbook that you mentioned. It could be a great gift for my mom, or me! However, looking at the reviews, they weren’t all that convincing. The layout, too much chatting and not enough photos were the complaints. What have you liked in the cookbook so far? Do you recommend it or is there a better baking cookbook that you like and I should skip the Ann Arbor connection?
The Zingerman’s cookbook is a really solid baking book with a wide range of recipes and loads of information! I didn’t find it too chatty and also feel satisfied with the amount of photos. If you like to bake and have a medium amount of experience in the kitchen, I find that this book can really help you grow. It’s GREAT. The other baking book I LOVE this Fall is The Fearless Baker. So much approachable information and the recipes are fantastic!
Fall gardening for spring… plant garlic!! It overwinters, and then by the time you want to actually plant summer things (May/June) it falls over and is ready for picking. Super easy! You can also do some shallots and fall/winter friendly crops like kale, chard, broccoli; and harvest the greens until it freezes. (Does it freeze in New Orleans?)
Enjoyed this post. My husband and I just moved to Mexico for a year and our seasons will be very different from in the Pacific NW. Looking forward to exploring our new seasons, foods etc. Hope to do some baking once it cools off though.
I just got a random pole for bird feeders on amazon. I then bought a tube style feeder and a Nyger seed feeder and a small tray feeder to all go onto this feeder. I don’t have trees in my yard so it’s in the center. It took a few days, and then a few weeks, and now I can hardly afford to feed these birds! They’re crazy all all over it all the time. I have blue jays, finches, little brown birds (obviously, they’re everywhere I forgot what they are) and beautiful blue birds. I’m in Denver and I think the birds go nuts because nothing is shading it nor providing an issue with squirrels (I have a baffle on the pole about 3.5 feet high and have NO issues with squirrels). I got a bird bath from a neighbor for free and spray it out daily with fresh water, and clean it with 1:10 water bleach once a week. My main issue is mess on the ground from the seeds, so I’m going to buy some seed catchers or something. I originally had weed cloth on the ground and would use that pick the seeds up and throw away but its getting to be too much. Haha!
Bird feeders. Watching the birds is always a pleasure. I would definitely go with black oil seed as nothing sprouts in the earth below the feeder.
Humming birds are strange and surprisingly violent to each other. I don’t know why they go for the hummingbird feeder sugar water when there are flowers to strip of nectar ( they do a number on torch lilies and foxgloves). I take it they prefer crack to cocaine. lol
Suet can definitely attract rats so that might make you think twice about that type of feed.
BAking bagels is one of my goals too!! I’ve come a long way in baking all different kind of breads but bagels are still something that I resist to bake for some unknown reason! LOL
Could you please share a good recipe in case you come up with one that worked for you in the end! I’d be so grateful! hehe
I am very deep in a survival/earthquake/emergency kit situation over here. Send help…or don’t because I’ve watched all the YouTube videos and bought all the catastrophe-ready bandages.
Thanks for the conversation Joy! I felt myself exhale when I read this post. Life in the PNW takes a big slow down when the rain settles in for the fall and winter. I’m looking forward to it because this last season at work has required a lot of me. Even things that were fun like baking became work because friends were paying me for cakes. It’s a huge honor, but a lot of effort.
I’m looking forward to an unplugged, meditative weekend with friends, taking better care of my body by packing my lunch/not eating as much take out and joining a gym, and getting back into a rhythm of making that gives me some life.
I just crossed 1 thing off my Fall โto do โ list.. I made my Hubby his pear jam.,,his fav! I also need to make my little grandson a winter hat.. Iโm thinking one that looks like an ?!!!
And I LOVE making bagels…and my Megan has asked me to make her several rainbow ? potholders…that I need to figure out ??
First on my autumn to-do list: redo the front porch! I’m beginning today with the big undertaking of lead paint removal. Any tips from anyone who’s done this would be welcome and appreciated!
A hat like an owl!!!
My autumn project is to sample all the perfumes made by the French house Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier. I gave up cleaning projects years ago.
I am interested in these Magic Cakes I have been reading about. I really want to make small ones. bunches of small ones. Also, I’ve recently picked a bunch of Starfruit here in Florida with about 50 pounds of it all prepped and sitting in my freezer. I want to make jam and chutney with it and some upside down cake??? The tree is fixing to fruit again! so baking this fall!
Careful where you buy plants. No point in bringing home cheap plants that kill bees.
https://www.wired.com/2014/06/garden-center-neonicotinoids/
Gardening can be such an inspiration. Good luck with your garden!
Can’t wait for more information on your gorgeous paper flowers! That will be my new fall project, along with trying your recipes. Thank you for the inspiration Joy!
Oh, thank you for posting this. I’ve been feeling a bit bored lately in the evenings after work and on weekends, and could use a little project inspiration! We’ve been living in a rental for the past 4 years. I’ve repainted the rooms that needed a makeover, installed a birdfeeder, and slowly added/refinished pieces of furniture until I was happy with the layout of the house. Plus, I’ve decluttered, deep cleaned every corner of the condo, and added a weekly volunteering session to my schedule. And now I’m feeling at a loss for things to do, but here’s my list for the upcoming season: Try new slow-cooker recipes, freshen up the trim paint, try some of the new restaurants in my city, buy houseplants, make handmade Christmas gifts (husband is going to brew + bottle beer, I’m making candles and herbal salves), focus on improving my fitness level
The ONLY bird feeder to buy is a SquirrelBuster. Fill it with black sunflower seeds.
Your lines on the trees make me smile. Living in an apt so no tree but I’m planning to plant a fig tree in my parents’ back garden :) Will get a bird feeder too!
I love this! My autumn (SoCal autumn, to be clear) will consist of getting my blog up and running. It is going to be all about rituals, nourishment and holding ourselves accountable for things in a very realistic, sensible, actual-human-capabilities way. There will also be some yummy recipes and definitely some inspired by you, so be on the lookout for some shoutouts! Cheers!
Check the show The Chew!! Their test kitchen perfected the recipe for bagels. You start it the night before. We finally went to New Orleans and your tips were very useful. Thank you.
My new favorite thing a la paper flowers? FELT Flowers! The felt gives more texture and depth. Annnnd it’s more forgiving for the glue gun than paper.
Happy Crafting!
Just a heads up on bird feeders – they bring in a whole ecosystem. The seeds on the ground bring mice, and mice bring snakes. As for planning your garden, I’d start with what you like to buy at your farmer’s market. If they’re growing it in that climate, you probably can, too. Good luck!
I am so getting this The Home Almanac. I’m so into decluttering this month. I got rid half of the cloths in our closet and threw away things that we thought is sentimental or we’ll use one day kind of things.
Hi Joy! I am on board with making paper flowers. So fun! I had a gathering with girlfriends in the spring and we all made paper flower crowns. The sad part is, all the vibrant colors of the paper flowers have faded :(. Have you found a brand of paper (I used the thick crepe paper) that has not faded?
Best recipe to learn to make bagels is from Peter Reinhart’s Bread Baker’s Apprentice. He practically holds your hand as he takes you through the process. Use King Arthur high gluten flour.
Have fun!!
I have a lot of spring cleaning which never happened and is therefore now…fall cleaning! I also have lots of fall baking books to work through, and may try making a sourdough starter again.
For your bagel quest–I have found Stella Park’s Serious Eats bagel recipe (the plain one) to be excellent, giving a lovely chew and taste for very little hands-on work.
We just moved into a new house and the previous owners have spent forty years covering our property in camellias, azaleas, butterfly attracting plants, and all sorts of plants with which I am unfamiliar. My autumn plan is to not kill the garden and learn how to take care of everything! She made me promise to put up hummingbird feeders like she had, and I have spent hundreds of hours working in the kitchen while watching their antics outside of the window. I highly recommend getting hummingbird feeders. They migrate, so they don’t stick around all year, but when there are in your area — totally fascinating!!
I love this and I’m rooting for you and those plants!
I LOVE the paper flowers. PLEASE post a tutorial. This is definitely something that I have wanted to start but feel I’m not that crafty. You’re inspiring me to pick this up as a hobby – flowers that’ll last and are gorgeous!
I have black cocoa. I’m READY! Chocolate layer cake here we come!!
Spring garden planning! You’re getting way too far ahead of yourself ;) Fall is the best season for growing edible stuff in New Orleans: nice weather and fewer bugs!! There’s a book by Dan Gill called Month by Month Gardening in Louisiana and it is so helpful in breaking down what to grow when in our backwards seasons. (Info like plant your tomatoes in mid February otherwise you will be fighting with the bugs and weeds when you don’t want to be outside and you will have better results if you plant all your brassicas in October/November). So plant some kale now! Harold’s in the bywater is a great resource and can definitely set you up with some suitable plant starts to plant now and enjoy all fall and winter.
Oh my gosh thank you so so much! I just ordered this book and I’ll get to studying! Thank you Jordan!
Also kindly requesting the flower tutorial! From your instagram snaps, you appear to be a paper flower making queen! Would love your tips; come holiday season I wanna cover my house in poinsettias :)
“What the book hasnโt talked me though is things likeโฆ how to effectively throw a giant cookbook at a flying cockroach, or how itโs smart to text a friend that youโre home alone and taking boxes up to the attic because the last thing you want is to be alone with bats or murder or ghosts or whatever else you might come upon in an attic. ” I read that the way I imagine myself saying it and I was ROLLING. I’m a big fan of the seasonal projects to refresh and start anew. Helps things feel like they’re progressing, even if I’m feeling somewhat stagnant.
joy! I am constantly planning my next garden. it’s all about trial and error, and surrendering. I’ve only felt successful when I decide everything might die. my favorite thing is to make a big list of all the things I like to eat. I also voraciously read the Baker Creek Seeds catalog/website (rareseeds.com). my homesteader friend says, in the fall, to put plastic tarp down over your grass to let it die, then till it under for the next season. you could also plant some cover crops (like buckwheat, winter rye, etc) to prep the soil some more. before you plant, I would find the best manure you can get (a good place to look are stalls at local fairgrounds; they usually let you have the manure for free). that seems to be the ticket for exceptional plants. more inspiration: books on edible landscaping (like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Gaias-Garden-Guide-Home-Scale-Permaculture/dp/1603580298). have fun!!
One of the best parts of garden planning is looking through all the seed catalogs in the dead of winter. Check out https://www.rareseeds.com/ for their amazing finds. They have a gorgeous catalog upon request. Almost everything I have from there–I do veggies–has done very well, and I am quite a novice gardener. Another idea is to combine the birdfeeder with native plants that will attract and feed your local birds. I am sure audubon.org has ideas on a bird garden. Literally feeding two birds with one hand on that one!
I made the Water Bagels from King Arthur website last week. They tasted great, but were a little small. I am making them again tomorrow and instead of 16, I will make 12. This was my second attempt at bagels and I will keep trying until I get the right mix. Let us know if you find the perfect one.
Omg how’s the Cherry Bombe cookbook so far????? I’ve had my eye on that one for a while and can’t wait to get my hands on a copy
It has a ton of recipes! I’m thinking of making this Ethiopian chicken stew first. I’ll let you know more when I know more.
We have a few different birdfeeders, but the suet kind has been the most successful for us (something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Suet-Feeder-Tail-Hunter-Green/dp/B0013E1VTG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1506347987&sr=8-4&keywords=suet+bird+feeders.) Deep South protip: keep the suet cakes in your fridge–they are easier to handle that way.
The attic. I do that too! When I bought my first home, I would call a friend (because, 2004 and no texting) to come over and stand at the bottom of my attic stairs while I was up there. Now I just let one know I’m going up and when I come back down. Cuz attics are creepy.
This fall is all about preparing our home and hearts for our baby girl! Sheโs expected to arrive around Thanksgiving :) I plan to make your sweet potato pie a few weeks early so we can all indulge a little before chaos erupts-itโs a Thanksgiving staple in our house. Any recommendations for breakfast casseroles or crock pot meals that serve a crowd would be great! Weโll have a lot of visitors this holiday season!
Use a slinky on your bird feeder pole. It’s fun watching the squirrels try to get up the pole, only to be slunk back down. They have given up trying. Occasionally a silly bird rides up and down, like their own elevator. Whichever you chose, put your feeder near a window where you can watch them frequently.
Invest in a squirrel proof bird feeder! We did twice.. 1st one was $38 but squirrels managed to hang upside down from it’s too n eat a LOT of the expensive fruit & nut bird food! Then purchased a $100 “squirrel proof” feeder & VOILA! ? Magic happened! Squirrels TRIED to get the food, but it is too long & nary a fruit, nut or seed could they get! Feeder is too long for them to hang upside down on it to reach it! Yay!! Success at last! And we can sit at the dinging table n enjoy the cardinals & all other beautiful birds all fall & winter! Yay!!???
Try the Los Bagels Recipes and Lore cookbook for a good bagel recipe. And some interesting variations like jalapeรฑo bagels!
This site might help you decide on a feeder– you can’t go wrong– it’s so fun to see and learn about each visitor: https://ny.audubon.org/conservation/choosing-bird-feeder
You might also consider a hummingbird feeder ( four parts water, one part white sugar):
https://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/bwdsite/learn/hummingbirds/faqs.php
Love your blog! Thank you!
Thank you so much!!
This lifelong northerner always finds it fascinating to read about the sensibilities of southerners when it comes to fall. My husband and I are currently on the road to our little house in NOLA, with suitcases packed with outfits that otherwise would be headed to the attic until spring. We are so excited to extend what we think of a summer weather.
In other news, I discovered black cocoa via the awesome David Lebovitz. It’s now a pantry staple.
For your bagel project: head to King Arthur Flour. I took their in-person 4-day Artisan Bread class in August 2016 and we made them as part of the class. They were fantastic! And fun!
My project for fall is to learn a few Christmas carols on my harp (which is my second retirement project). I want to do a concert under the stars (my Tucson patio) on Christmas Eve. I figure all the neighbors will be indoors and busy and no one will hear me. And I might try a new lebkuchen recipe this fall, just to make sure my good old stand-by is really the best. I’m getting ready for the holiday!
I love this bird feeder that clamps onto a porch railing! It’s easy to fill, drains so it isn’t messy, and because it’s open a lot of birds (or squirrels!) can use it at the same time.
https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=26235&cmpid=10cseYY&ref=6198&subref=AA&cmpid=PLA_G_6198&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpb-00qLA1gIVS5V-Ch1ThAmKEAQYBCABEgLb2vD_BwE
Bagels! I’m so excited to get your highlights. I keep making them but I’m underwhelmed by the results. Aaaaand paper flowers… Can’t wait!
I live in New Orleans as well. With regards to gardening, I have learned some tips to save some $ since I started 2 years ago. Lowes always has plants on clearance. They are usually in the back of the gardening center. If you see bags of soil, compost or mulch in clear plastic bags by the regular stock, grab them! Their half price! Best time to go is right when they open up. Talk to the people who work there. Develop a friendship. Next time you visit, if you’re looking for a particular plant & it’s not on clearance, they’ll help you find one that they can mark down. Walmart has clearance plants as well. Talk to the manager in the garden center. If they have a lot of plants & you’re willing to buy multiple, they will usually price them lower for you. Parkway Partners in New Orleans gives FREE SEEDS!!! They are located Uptown but several local libraries use old card catalog boxes as Seed Depots. I live on the Westbank & go to the Algiers Point Library. https://parkwaypartnersnola.org/ Cosmos are the easiest flowers to grow. Sprinkle the seeds in your garden. Walk across the bed or press them into the soil & your done! They’re perennials, so they will come back every year & spread their seeds! If you live here, you HAVE to get some Hydrangeas! They love and look fabulous in wine barrel planters set atop rolling casters & sitting on your porch! Every good New Orleanean has a window box with a plethora of fresh herbs available. I like the ease of the peat pot Bonnie plants. They are cheaper at Walmart.
Goal 1: survival. I have a new baby, and our family has a busy season ahead of us. Quick and/or slow cooker meals greatly helps survival.
Goal 2: make cut-out cookies. Cookies help with Goal 1. And I’ve been following Bakeat350, so I’m a little obsessed with figuring out pretty cut-out cookies.
Goal 3: use the autumn sprinkles I bought last year. I’m thinking on some sort of spiced cupcake, but I’m open to suggestions.
Ina Gartens’s pumpkin cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting are one of the best things i have ever eaten. I accidentally made them with a whole can of pumpkin (rather than the cup called for) and they were just as good. Hard to mess up! Seriously a must try. Google them, i think they were from her column in a magazine.
Oh awesome recommendation! I love Ina Garten, but for some reason forget to check her recipes when I need ideas. I think these will have to happen! Thank you!
Congratulations on the new baby! I love Bakeat350’s recipe for sugar cookies, and when I make them in the fall, I substitute an equal amount of maple sugar for the granulated sugar, and add a tiny bit of maple extract to the icing. SO good! Also, the joy of cut-out cookies is that (a) you can space the work out over several days; and (b) people are very impressed by even the simplest of decorated cookies. Good luck!
Thank you for the maple cookie idea! Love it. And I totally agree about the joy of cut-out cookies. That’s how my after-Christmas cookies got made last year (couldn’t quite get them finished for Christmas …).
Get a Yankee Flipper if you have squirrels! Very effective and watching squirrels take wild rides is excellent entertainment- but they talk to each other and tell, so you don’t get too many shows:)
Whichever feeder you decide on, go with “no mess” birdseed. These are the seeds with no hulls that will pile up on the ground and kill your grass. And whatever falls to the ground, the ground feeding birds will eat and not attract any less than desirable critters.
My big goal is to start a no-dig garden. It’s best to do it at least the fall before, so it composts over the winter. I’m not much of a gardener, so the no-dig part appeals.
After much experimenting, I have decided I prefer chocolate cake made with oil rather than butter–so much more moist. I am curious to see which you use.
Hi Joy! My Fall projects revolve around holiday baking. Itโs rather a conundrum for me. My husband is diabetic, so Paleo baking has worked beautifully. But, we are great fans of the British Baking Show, and I am wanting to make a Victoria sponge cake with lemon curd filling. Have you made a Victoria sponge?
Plant a pollinator friendly garden! Here’s a Xerces link to recommended plants for your region: https://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/SoutheastPlantList_web.pdf
And some tips: https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/lbenedict/articles/page1469028667593
Sincerely, your friendly bee biologist
Oh this is great, thank you Laura!
Please post about the bay leaf ice cream when done, as it is something I have wanted to make for quite a while too!
Absolutely!