Fall events, entertainment and fun

For those who read my column last week, you already know how I feel about fall. For those who didn't, just know that the upcoming season is like the perfect storm of awesomeness for me. I'll be baking pies, attending football games, wearing sweaters and sipping hot chocolate. Or, at least that's what I hope I'll be doing--I hear we're going to have another legitimate fall, filled with warm days. But that's OK, because that's what AC is for!

Of course, this will be my first fall covering Manchester. At this time last year I was a sports writer for Saline and Milan and fall meant being really busy all of the time at all the various athletic fields. Now fall means being really busy all of the time in my office or in Manchester's business district. I'm pretty stoked for Oktoberfest. My family has German heritage, so I'm looking forward to seeing Manchester's spin on the famous festival. I also spoke with a German foreign-exchange student on Monday about her plans for the festival. She is an intern at the Community Resource Center and is helping to add more German things, such as baked pretzels, history, and music.

I'm also looking forward to the rubber duckies. On pagination day at the office I spent the entire day with "Rubber duckie, you're the one..." stuck in my head, from Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street. It was so stuck that it ended up being the headline. In truth, I never had a rubber ducky toy as a child. I was simple enough that I could entertain myself with bubbles alone. Or a string... a string was plenty. But I appreciate the cultural significance. Sesame Street and Jim Henson were huge when I was a toddler. These ubiquitous little ducks have even been adapted to fit each holiday and season. So seeing all of those ducks flood down the river is going to make me "squee!!!" with joy and delight, to be sure.

Speaking of nostalgic things, the first U of M football game is this Saturday, and my mom seems to have lost our tickets. It's very, very disappointing and she thinks they were accidentally thrown away... but the reason I bring this up is because it means I will be watching from home instead of from the stadium. This makes me sad, yes, but now I will have an opportunity to cook my first batch of caramel popcorn with a side of mulled cider. This was a tradition of my father's. We would whip up a batch during halftime and be giddy for the next two quarters. It's delicious and warm and gooey... as opposed to the cooled, hardened kind. Bleh! I'm up for sharing, so here are the recipes I'll be using that day!

Caramel Popcorn
1 bag popcorn
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 stick of butter
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. corn syrup

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour over popped popcorn, stir, and serve!

Mulled Apple Cider
3 cups apple cider
2 cups dry red wine
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. black peppercorns
1 orange, sliced crosswise
1 medium apple, sliced crosswise

Combine all ingredients in a medium pot. Gently simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Serve warm in mugs. Makes 6!