AUTUMNAL.

Before gourd season is officially over, I need to address a few things:

I hope everyone is well aware of the term autumnal- and is using it on a daily basis.  For those of you who are still in the dark, please contact Linda Van Buren ASAP. Secondly, autumn is the season of harvest and therefore offers us so many wonderful thing to enjoy; namely horn-shaped wicker baskets, obnoxious ornamental gourds, and colorful (dirty) leaves spread throughout the house. There's nothing like coming home to the site of a baby Pilgrim Thanksgiving set on your dining room table. 

Regardless, autumn is amazing.. and undoubtedly my favorite season. 

As you might imagine, the seasonal food selection is high up there on my Life List. Yesterday, I was perusing the produce section at BiRite when I realized that I had not eaten a pear this autumnal season. How strange. I immediately threw a few into my basket, grabbed my (necessary) chocolate-hazelnut butter and checked out. For once I was going to make it out of BiRite without spending the usual $4,471.

 When I got home, I truly admired how beautiful these little fruits are. They are overweight in all the right places.. I like that. Their skins are smooth with slight imperfections, giving them each a unique character. How sad that I was about to devour all of them.

Pears are part of the rose family, with over 3,000 known varieties. They were originally found as a source of food during the Stone Age in Asia and Southeastern Europe. Some records of cultivation can be traced back to about 5,000 years ago in China. It wasn't until the 18th-century that pears became popular in Europe, especially after being immortalized alongside a partridge in the Christmas carol "The Twelve Day of Christmas." Today pears are grown mainly in China, the US (thanks Oregon), Italy, Spain and France.

Pears are not only delicious- they're extremely nutritious. One medium-sized pear can contain as much potassium and vitamin C as a small glass of orange juice. They are also filled with powerful phytochemicals and antioxidants. Pears have a cooling thermal nature and are good for quenching  thirst and moistening the lungs, which can be useful when you have a cough. Pears can also be used to heal skin injuries (astringent), a loss of voice, or gallbladder inflammation. Depending on your ish, the pear's got it covered.

Autumnal foods in general reflect the qualities of autumn, believe it or not. Their qualities exhibit an abundant yet contracting nature. Awareness can be heightened by consuming more astringent foods, like the pear, and heartier flavors. Sounds good to me..!