Oh! But for October

It was incredibly hard this morning to get up for work. Sure, it was Monday, but that wasn't really why. Here's why...

It was cloudy....

and the first day of October.

It should be a law that if the first day of October is cloudy with rain likely, then everyone gets to stay home and bake oatmeal raisin cookies, knit a little while watching Martha, drink coffee with honey and cream, read your fall magazines, make a pot of Pumpkin Corn Chowder in your flame orage Le Creuset dutch oven and watch the gray sky softly smile upon you.

(sigh..................)

But it's not a law... and I had to go to work. Crum...

But returning home had my little autumn spirit all a flutter with plans of creating my yummy Pumpkin Corn Chowder.

*now, don't you all go wrinkling up your nose all snooty like and sticking out your tongue and muttering "Yuuuuck!" Just put your tongue back in, smooth out that nose of yours and give me a minute...

This recipe is one I developed and it just simply never fails me. I take it up to the cabin in the woods. I make it in a crock pot. I make it on the stove. I make it on the weekend. I make it when it's cold.

Pumpkin Corn Chowder

1/2 pound bacon - chopped

1 big onion, chopped

1 clove garlic - chopped finely

4 stalks celery, chopped (but not too small!)

1 1lb. bag frozen corn

2 bay leaves

1 T. dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (that's right..nutmeg..and don't leave it out!)

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper (I use mixed colors of peper in my grinder - pink, white, black and green)

1 - 32 oz. carton chicken stock

1 can evaporated milk (not the sweet stuff!)

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin

Brown bacon in dutch oven until a bit crispy over medium-high heat. Drain off fat. Add onion and cook until tender (about 3 minutes). Add garlic, celery, corn, rosemary, bay leaves, nutmeg, salt and pepper (careful with the salt because the bacon and stock have salt in them, too) Cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add stock and pumpkin. Stir gently to combine. Add evaporated milk, stir. Cook over low heat for abut 30 minutes until warm. (Do not cook over high heat or the milk will curdle.)

Now, I wanted you to see what it looks like...

not the MOST photogenic, but OH, SO YUMMY!

Let's celebrate Autumn!!

Enjoy!!