Posts Tagged ‘Autumn’

The weather has become colder, the sun sets earlier, and it is the perfect time of year for creating a cozy atmosphere in which to curl up with a good book. Fortunately, the Chickasha Public Library has lots of books, including many that will help with ideas and activities for maximizing warmth and coziness.

Autumn is an excellent time for cooking and baking. Food that is cooked on the stovetop, such as soups and stews, has the added benefit of warming up the kitchen while it cooks, and is therefore an excellent choice for cold evenings. You can explore some of the many ideas in Soup, Glorious Soup by Annie Bell (641.813 Bell), which has over 100 recipes for all kinds of soup, and 365 Great Soups & Stews by Georgia Downard (641.8 Downard).

Slow cooking is another great option for hot, savory recipes, and some of the books specifically about slow cooker recipes include Adventures in Slow Cooking: 120 Slow-cooker Recipes for People Who Love Food by Sarah DiGregorio (641.5 DiGregorio), Taste of Home Instant Pot Cookbook (641.5 Taste), and Stock the Crock: 100 Must-Have Slow-Cooker Recipes, 200 Variations for Every Appetite by Phyllis Good (641.5 Good).

Of course, no meal is complete without a dessert, and baking is another way to enhance both the warmth of your house and the deliciousness of your mealtimes. The Cake Bible and The Pie and Pastry Bible, both by Rose Levy Beranbaum (641.8 Beranbaum and 641.865 Beranbaum), provide many options for some perennial dessert favorites. If you are feeling creative with your sweet tooth, Baker’s Royale: 75 Twists on All Your Favorite Sweets by Naomi Robinson (641.86 Robinson) has some new ideas. If you happen to have a pecan tree, Pecans by Kathleen Purvis (641.6 Purvis) can help you decide how to cook with all the pecans that are currently falling on the ground.

It’s also important to have lots of fluffy blankets and craft projects to enhance the atmosphere. Knitting and craft projects are fun ways to explore creative hobbies, as well as providing hours of entertainment for any family cats. If you like quilts, Quilting for Dummies by Cheryl Fall (746.46 Fall) and Country Quilts by Linda Seward (746.9 Seward) can help you make some of your own. You can also learn to knit blankets, scarves, gloves, and hats with Beautiful Knitting Patterns by Gisela Klopper (746.43 Klopper), Knitting School: A Complete Course (746.432 Kni), The Mitten Handbook: Knitting Recipes to Make Your Own by Mary Scott Huff (746.43 Huff), and Big Book of Loom Knitting by Kathy Norris (746.43 Norris). Other adorable knitting possibilities can be found in Mini Knitted Toys: Over 30 Cute and Easy Knitting Patterns by Sachiya Ishii (746.43 Ishii) and Animal Knits: 26 Fun Handknits for Children and Toddlers by Zoë Mellor (746 Mellor).

Staying indoors can also provide time for home repair projects. Browsing through the 643s can help you find specific instructions for repair, new ideas to add to your living space, or different ways to remodel and renovate and existing space.  Some of these include The Book of Home How-To: Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair & Improvement (643 Book) and How to Fix Anything: Essential Home Repairs Anyone Can Do (643 How). Other books focus on specific spaces, such as kitchens and bathrooms, or addressing ways to fix a particular problem. For outside of your house, Fallscaping by Nancy Ondra (635.9 Ondra) provides ideas to create a seasonal garden that will provide a beautiful view while you curl up with a blanket, savor the smell of soup cooking on the stove, and read some books from the library.