Peppers @ MindSay

            Mr. Larry Todd, my old high school science/Bible/P.E. teacher once said that he loved this time of year because “the nights are crisp and the days are mild.”  Sometimes the days are a little too mild for me, but I have to admit that this is my favorite time of year too.  It’s time to break out the sweatshirts and long sleeves, and I’m going to have to go and raid my old closet at my parents’ house for hats to protect my bald head against the autumn chill.

            It’s the time of year when I like to snuggle under a blanket and read a good book.  For some reason I do more reading in the fall and winter than at any other time of the year.  In addition to my schoolbooks, I’m juggling a Louis L’Amour Western with nonfiction works by Andy Rooney and Bob Newhart, and the poetry of Shel Silverstein.  Angie and I put new flannel sheets on the bed last night, and the only problem once I’d settled in for the night was deciding which volume to drift off to sleep with.

            ’Tis also the season for really good food that I usually only eat in the cooler months.  That extra layer of wintertime fat that keeps bears warm doesn’t have quite the same affect on humans, but it’s sure fun putting it on.  As I write this, there is a pot of chili simmering on the stove. None of that crap out of a can for us; this is homemade, fire-breathing, put-hair-on-your-chest chili.  Nor is it like that slop served at Wendy’s, where you’re lucky to find one little chunk of meat in what amounts to nothing more than a watered-down salad.  I’ve got two pounds of meat in my chili, along with three kinds of beans, corn, onions, tomatoes, and a secret ingredient or two.

            Notably absent from my recipe are chunks of peppers.  In my humble opinion, any kind of pepper other than black or cayenne is to good chili what Harry Reid is to the U.S. Senate...unnecessary.  I wouldn’t befoul my chili by even passing a pepper over the pot.  Trust me, pepper fans, if you ever get to try it, you’ll find it has enough kick that you won’t miss those vile fruits one bit.

            Good chili does need some cornbread to go along with it, and I’ve got some baking in the oven right now.  I think Jiffy corn muffin mix makes the best cornbread.  The sweetness complements the spiciness of the chili quite nicely.

            Homemade vegetable soup is also a fall staple.  My grandmother makes the best vegetable soup I’ve ever tasted.  I’ve tried her recipe numerous times over the years, but my soup never quite measures up to hers.  I guess that little dash of love that goes into Granny’s soup just makes it taste that much better.

            I love the smell of pumpkin in the air.  I’ve been known to carve jack-o’-lanterns for Halloween, and a couple of times I’ve used the pumpkin innards to make a pumpkin pie, but every one I’ve made turned out soupy and ruined the crust.  I doubt I’ll try again this year.  Besides, I’ve still got Little Debbie and Mrs. Smith to satiate my pumpkin desires, and Olive Garden serves a pumpkin cheesecake that is well worth the drive to Raleigh or Greenville.

            I appreciate nature more in the fall.  What’s more pleasing to the eye than driving down a roadway with trees lining both sides and displaying brilliant red, orange, and yellow leaves? Watch out for deer!  They’re some of my favorite animals, but as I’ve said before, they make me paranoid about driving at night.  Still, a field dotted with deer is another lovely autumn sight.  I’m looking forward to our next trip to Sparta.  It will be really beautiful in the mountains.

            The smell of that chili is driving me crazy.  I’ve drooled down on the keyboard three times already.  I’ll be glad when Angie gets home, so we can eat.  A nice hot meal, a little TV Land, and Travis Dog lying at my feet.  It can’t get much better than that...until I answer the call of those flannel sheets.

© 2007 by J.D. Lewis