Something spooky
Days are shorter, temperatures are cooler, and Halloween is this week. Spooky indeed!
Good morning! Happy Halloween weekđ. If you want to start the morning with a piece of candy or two (or three) to get in the spirit, youâll find no judgement here!
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THE WEATHER THIS WEEK
Hurricane Melissa has been in the news the past several days as it crawled through the Caribbean. Just this morning, with sustained winds of 160 mph, it intensified into a Category 5 hurricane. The storm is currently located about 130 miles southwest of Kingston, Jamaicaâs capital city, and is expected to make landfall in Jamaica early tomorrow. The National Hurricane Center is warning of âcatastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding and numerous landslidesâ in Jamaica, along with destructive winds and storm surge. Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and eastern Cuba may also see catastrophic impacts from this storm. Just a horrible situation unfolding with Melissa - the New York Times is continuously updating this article with the latest if you want to stay up to date.
Looking ahead to the late week forecast across the U.S (because Halloween!), heavy rain will be possible over parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast Thursday into Friday. Precipitation is also looking likely later this week into the weekend for the Pacific Northwest as a Pacific storm system approaches. The Southwest U.S is looking at mostly dry and warm conditions, while the Southeast U.S will trend a bit cooler. Just a reminder that having to throw a raincoat/puffer coat on over your Halloween costume wonât ruin the outfit - it will just make you a ~weather-aware queen~.
FROM MY KITCHEN
You know whatâs spooky? Halloween. You know what else is spooky? The impending darkness and cold that is known as winter.
The sun is now setting before 7 PM where I live, and the upcoming end of daylight saving time this weekend means weâre only a few days away from pre-6 PM sunsets. Iâll say it again - spoooooky!
With the sun setting so early, itâs becoming harder and harder to deny the fact that winter is coming. The opportunities to carelessly spend hours outside at a time - at least without hats/mittens/boots/a million other layers - are winding down for those of us in cold climates. But the opportunities do still exist! There are still football games to tailgate, bonfires to sit around, fall color hikes to take, and Halloween shenanigans to get into.
Good food is a necessity for those late-season outdoor events. I went tailgating last weekend - the best part was, of course, bopping around with fun people. But the good food was a close second! We followed the time-honored American football tradition of filling our bellies with as many snacks and drinks as possible. Apple cider was sipped. Pumpkin cookies were shared. An entire wagon of food was wheeled through crowds of undergrads who may or may not have overindulged in alcoholic beverages.
So, if youâre also feeling the spook of winter inching closer and closer - donât be afraid! Hot drinks, spicy foods, and ooey, gooey, warm desserts will always be there to warm us back up.
RECIPE INSPIRATION
The following recipes would be extra delicious when enjoyed outside this fall!
Thanks for making it to the end of the Frost Bites Newsletter! Iâll be back in your inbox next Monday with the weather forecast and recipe suggestions. In the meantime - get outside, eat good food, and remember all weather is ice cream weather.