Fußabdruck: Point is, I just get more and more excited for autumn...

Especially now that it is Fall Break (a four-day weekend!!). The fact that it is after a crazy midterm week makes it even more appealing. Tonight I was reminded of how busy I was over Fall Break last year, and I am grateful I am simply resting right now. So what have I done so far? Basically, food.

For some reason I feel my camera doesn't focus well a lot of the times anymore, so the pictures are not that great, sorry.

One reason that food can take up so much of my time and thoughts is because I bike (or walk or bus) to do my grocery shopping. In case you didn't know, that is the hip way to do it. What could be cooler than tying a cauliflower to the back of your seat and zipping through the neighborhood?

Autumn is for spicy cooking!! Actually, I like spices and herbs all year round, and now I am especially addicted to buying them in bulk (bulk sections are the joy of my life). Note the Curry, Garam Masala, and Edelsüsspaprika from Naschmarkt. Also shown are some sage and ginger root powder. You need to smell this picture! The smell of ginger is especially strong. Love it.

Pile the vegetable high. (Notice that the cauliflower is no longer attached to the bike seat).

I cooked the cauliflower and potatoes for a bit too long... so it doesn't look very pretty. But I think my favorite type of dish is just a bowl of grain and vegetables all mixed together. I like my meal in one big bowl.

I couldn't resist lighting this candle. Lemongrass. My sister placed the candle there when she helped me move in in August, but it has never been lit until now. Unfortunately I am getting a stuffy nose... also appropriate for the season?

I visited the new building on campus – brand new for the semester. You can still smell the fresh wood (why do I keep talking about smell when I obviously can't smell with my stuffy nose?). Of course I do not have a class there. (I am a humanities major and always have classes in the oldest buildings on campus!) When you climb to the third floor, the view to the east is terrific, as you can see Mt. Rainier on a clear day. Not today though.