While most foods can be enjoyed any time of year, we typically associate the foods we eat with a particular season. This can be for a variety of reasons, such as ice cream and lemonade being a summer favorite because they’re so refreshing on a hot day, or berries and oranges being a summer favorite because that’s when they’re at their freshest. It is this crop seasonality that makes pumpkins and apples such a fall favorite, but it is something else entirely that makes me love chocolate covered raisins best when the leaves start to change! It is nostalgia.
As one of those lucky people raised in New England, I saw firsthand every year exactly what the most beautiful fall in the world looked like. I love New England in any season – even when winter snows have me digging out for days! – but during the fall it is simply breathtaking. What does that have to do with chocolate covered raisins, you might be wondering' It’s quite simple. Once the fall air begins blowing through, many of my fellow Massachusettsians and I take to the outdoors for just about anything we can. And when we need a satisfying snack, chocolate covered raisins are a smart selection. They’re filling, easy to tote along, and a favorite of kids and adults. They also bring a good balance of nutrients and nummy-ness!
Where exactly do I take chocolate covered raisins along with me' I’m glad you asked! This way I get to share a couple of ideas and get excited for fall all at once…
Afternoon Walks – I’m one of those people who feels every step I take on a hot summer day. The humidity makes me feel as though I’m trying to run underwater. But on a cool fall afternoon, I can walk away hours without a worry in the world. Until, that is, I realize I’m hungry and far from home! If I’m close to a café, I can always recharge with a coffee, but sometimes my walks take me beyond town. For times like this I count on the chocolate covered raisins and water bottle in my backpack.
Waiting in Line for Hayrides and Haunted Houses – To say I love hayrides and haunted houses isn’t enough. I adore them; I plan all other fall activities around them; I make note of their hours and days of operation in my phone so I never forget one or arrive too early or too late! The hayride and haunted house season is a short one, and if you don’t make time to go, they’ll be closing up until next year before you know it. And since the season is so short, and the fun to be had so large, most draw quite a crowd, with more popular attractions bringing long lines and extended waits of an hour or more. What to do when you’re in the middle of the line and hunger strikes' Reach into your pocket and grab some chocolate covered raisins. Just keep a tight grip on the bag or some ghoul may scare you and send them flying!
As a child I favored milk chocolate covered raisins, but as an adult have become just as much a fan of the dark chocolate variety. I’ve learned that valuable lesson most adults do: it’s hard to go wrong with chocolate! Which chocolate covered raisins do you prefer, and where do you enjoy eating them most often'