It is officially fall.  Fall, with a capital F.  In Tucson, it is nearly impossible to believe, despite the calendar's announcement.  Today, coming back from the park, the truck's sensor said 106 degrees.  Now, the forecast was 103 degrees, but it doesn't really matter if it was 96, 103 or 106, the little neon digital read out just needed to say HOT.

Regardless, it feels like fall to my stomach.  I am seeing recipes in the millions of magazines I get free from my Dad's mileage points, and I am craving winter foods.  This must be seasonal.  It must be related to my increasing waistline.  It can't possibly be related to the weather. Either way, I don't care, I want Stroganoff, and Chicken Pot Pie and Beef Stew.  I am freezing left over red wine to put in stews and I am buying potatoes.

So tonight, I made Andouille sausage, with my own special Sauerkraut (versions of other peoples delicious Sauerkraut with the lack of consistency and precision that only I can bring to the table). Tonight it was great, with chunks of sausage, and onion and apple with quartered potatoes.  Somehow, when you cook the potatoes in the Sauerkraut, they stay firm and are crunchy on the outside.  Yum. 

I just solicited Jennie's pulled pork sandwiches with white sauce, I have a spare box of Hamburger Helper beef stroganoff in the pantry and all the fixings for Jacki's Chicken Artichoke stew.  It's going to be a great week.