2017 Fall Bucket List

Eee! I'm so excited to be writing this post today. I've missed drafting up seasonal bucket lists. They keep me accountable and save me from being lazy, plus they're just fun to think about!

Diving right in...

Go Apple Picking 

Sammy doesn't have any weekends off this fall, so I'm not sure him and I will be able to get to an orchard together this season which is a bummer. But that just means I'll have to go with some girlfriends or my mom! Sammy's mom has already mentioned wanting to go this month, so maybe we can make a day of it.

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Go to the Drive-In

Sammy and I went and saw Grease at the McHenry drive-in a few weekends ago and it was SO much fun. I'm such a dork about this kind of stuff and had a blast (even though I chipped my tooth while eating popcorn and cried about it, it's fine, guys). A bunch of people came with their vintage cars and it was so cool to see them all parked there.

They're doing a fall throwback series until Halloween and once October hits, it looks like all the movies are horror/Halloween themed, so I'd love to catch one more movie before the season is over.

Carve Pumpkins 

This is one of my and Sammy's fall traditions we do every year. I love going to a farm and picking pumpkins together and then going back to one of our houses and carving them while listening to Halloween music I make him listen to. Maybe this year I won't subject us both to "Monster Mash" and we have a movie on in the background instead. Why have I not thought of this before?...poor guy haha.

I've carved a castle for the last two years, and even though Sammy insists I have to pick something different... I think I really still want to do a castle haha.

Go to "Autumn Drive"

Autumn Drive is an event that happens every fall in McHenry County where participating farms, orchards, local businesses, etc., will sign up to be on a route you can drive through and peruse items they're selling. Sammy and I went last year and I enjoyed it a lot. Some stops are definitely better than others but it's nice to get out and walk on beautiful fall day. This year it's the third weekend in October and I'm hoping my mom will want to go with me!

Make (at least) Two New Pumpkin Recipes

A few days ago, I searched through the New York Times cooking section and saved a few fall-inspired recipes to my virtual recipe box.

I mentioned in my fall favorites post that last year I was surprisingly turned on to pumpkin chili, so I'd love to try my hand at it this season. This version looks hearty and perfect for a chillier day.

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These maple pumpkin muffins sounded really great to me as well. I'm wondering if I can tweak the recipe and make them as scones with a side of clotted cream instead.

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Go to an Oktoberfest with My Dad

I mentioned this to my dad recently and he suggested heading up to Wisconsin to go to one of their Oktoberfests so the hunt is on for a good one!

See the Leaves Change on the East Coast

This is going to be a lifelong fall bucket list item because I can't imagine I would ever tire of seeing the changing of the seasons on the east coast, but it could actually happen this year. My siblings and I are going with my mom to Niagara Falls (on the New York side) over Columbus Day weekend and I'm hoping it looks super seasonal and festive.

Have Halloween Date Night

Two years ago I went a little ham on the idea that I was going to plan this super cute Halloween date night for Sammy and I, and while it turned out a little bit over the top (see photo below of a ridiculous amount of shit that was intended for TWO people...), and the food definitely turned out less than stellar, it's become a tradition for us. We eat some comfort food, watch halloween themed movies, and I usually force Sammy to dress up in some kind of costume so we look somewhat festive when we pass out candy to the five kids that show up (like where are all the kids these days? the last few years we've gotten such a low turnout of trick-or-treaters). As I've mentioned several times, Sammy is working Halloween, so we'll have to do our date night a few days early. I think we'll keep it way more low key than the last two years by staying in pajamas, but I'm already planning a few treats ;)

Donate to a Food Bank for Thanksgiving

The holiday season is always a reminder for me to give back (although I really need to work on doing this throughout the entire year), and I really want to organize something with my family and/or friends to gather a bunch of food to donate to food bank, especially around Thanksgiving.

Bring Something to Thanksgiving Dinner

Every year on the night before Thanksgiving, my siblings and cousins and I have slept over at my grandparent's house to help prep food for dinner the following day, but beyond helping in that respect, I don't cook any dishes by myself entirely, so I'd love to make and bring something this year. 

Sammy has to work this Thanksgiving, so I'll be with my family this year for the entire day instead of splitting the day with his family, so I think it's a good time to try a new recipe out even though I have a fundamental opposition to new recipes (or altering old ones) on Thanksgiving (the food is already so good!! why change anything?!) 

But this jalapeño spoonbread looks too good to pass up and pretty foolproof. 

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So I think that's it! I wish it were even longer though. I bet I can come up with a few more things ;) I'll report back if I do!

xo