Can you believe we are already in the homestretch of fall? Feels like I was at the beach soaking up the sun just yesterday! And suddenly Thanksgiving is only a few days away. How?!

     Thanksgiving coming up means I'm going to want to balance out the heaviest meal of the year with plenty of light meals. This fall-themed salad is the perfect meal in the days leading up to the holiday season. Plus it's a great healthy addition to your Thanksgiving spread if you make a large batch of it!

     My friends and I always get very excited this time of year. It's cooling down, so sweaters come out from hibernation, you can cook/bake without feeling like you're in a sauna, and all of our favorite fall ingredients become prominent again.

     Yesterday my friend Clare texted me to ask if I had any recipes for a sourdough starter. She was tending to her brother's starter and had some extra. So I did some digging and discovered a recipe for San Francisco-style sourdough in one of my many cookbooks! After baking, we (along with our friend Dana) knew we had to have a Sunday brunch with it.

     Buffalo chicken and blue cheese is my weakness. The moment I see anything involving the two on a restaurant menu it's all over - no other option stands a chance to be ordered. In fact, I was vegetarian for 7 years (long, long ago) and the thing that made me stop was how badly I was craving buffalo wings! So when I had my most recent craving for the delicious combo I decided I was perfectly capable of satisfying my desires at home instead of going out to eat. 

     Okay...so I know Thanksgiving is just a few days away. I should be posting something to be served on the big day, right? Well hear me out. For me, Thanksgiving is about tradition. I have the same menu every year and look forward to knowing exactly what to expect on the table (or in my case, on our spiral staircase that we use as a tiered serving table in my tiny Brooklyn apartment). I know tradition isn't for everyone, but when it comes to Thanksgiving it is for me!

     So my favorite part is before and after. Before for the Thanksgiving themed potlucks, work parties, etc when you aren't necessarily making a huge feast. After for, well, the LEFTOVERS! Before and after give me way more wiggle room for creativity. I love it.

     Ever since I was a child, crispy rice squares have been one of my favorite treats. Their crispy yet gooey texture with buttery marshmallow flavor just speaks to me on a hugely comforting level. Whether they were homemade or store bought I could never get enough of them when I was growing up!

     Now that I'm older, I won't discriminate against store bought. After all, there are some pretty good ones out there (I'm looking at you, marshmallow dream bars from Starbucks). But homemade crispy rice squares are just so superior. Not to mention, they're a blank canvas to flavor however you like!