When the weather starts to cool off I start craving hearty soups. Soups to warm you up from the inside out and keep you toasty warm all day. Now, I'm not going to pretend that this isn't low fat or that it isn't piled high with calories, because, well, one quick look at the ingredient list, and it speaks for itself.... can we say Italian Sausage and Cream? Need I say more? But honestly, this is all good food here, there's potatoes, kale, onions and tomatoes? Some really delicious stuff here. If you've been following me you'll know that my deal is all about balance. I can't suggest you make this soup every day, that would be too much, but once in awhile this soup is amazing! It's a treat to have this decadent soup.

Have I ever told you that I hate throwing away food? I am forever trying to use up that half can of tomato paste, leftover basmati rice, and containers of who know what is lurking in the back of the fridge.

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For me, banana bread is the ultimate comfort food. My dear grandmother, who didn't bake very often, used to make the best banana bread, and even my mother, who also rarely ever baked anything (should I feel deprived?) made an equally awesome banana bread when she turned on the oven. Their banana bread was always dark and flavourful, you know the kind I'm talking about, you know it when you see it and taste it. It's brown and rich and tastes like the yummiest banana bread ever. I think the secret is all in brown banana. Honestly. If your bananas are just spotty they won't give you that deep banana flavour. So let those bananas get really ripe, and I mean an all-brown-all-over kinda ripe. Seriously, try it for yourself!

Although the official first day of fall has already come and gone today genuinely feels like the first day of fall. It's on days like today that I crave heartwarming (and belly warming!) soup. We have pumpkins, lots of pumpkins, so I am excited to be cooking and baking with pumpkins this month. You see, we planted pumpkins in our garden this year, which was our first year ever planting a garden... omg - that is a whole other story for another day, I'll have to write a blog just about that! anyway, now it's time to harvest. If you have never planted pumpkins before I'll tell you that pumpkins stretch their vines far and wide, I was shocked at how far these little pumpkins went! so give them lots and lots of space to grow.