Liam O'Malley

I love Southern Tier's Pumking, I've saved some of that for the big day - but it's so sweet, it will probably be reserved for dessert. I also have a handful of The Bruery's Autumn Maple - which is brewed with sweet potatoes, cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins. That will probably go along with the dinner.

Cooking is definitely therapeutic for me, but I agree with what others have said in that it really depends on what your interests/hobbies are. I can see how some might view it as a chore. I will admit too, on occasion, there are times when I have not begun cooking in which the effort to start doing so seems very onerous... but nearly without fail, once I actually get over that and start going to work, something magic happens while I've got my knife in my hands.

This year was my first year I really got going with edible gardening. I live in townhouse that is 3/4 surrounded by wooded areas, so I did all of my gardening in containers on my 14' high deck (I have absolutely no interest in going to war with the multitude of wildlife around my house). I grew, successfully, many different tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and beans. I grew basil, oregano, thyme, mint, chives, parsley, sage. I also grew, in the spring, some lettuce and radicchio. I don't know that I'll be able to keep anything going outdoors as I live in Virginia and our winters get pretty nasty. I will try to move most (if not all) of the herbs inside - I've got a couple grow lights in my kitchen. But as for veggies, I just don't think I could do it. I do have one huge pot that is kind of an experiment - it's got asparagus growing in it. Most places I've researched will say asparagus and containers are a no-go, but I figured what the hell. The plant itself actually flourished quite a bit this season, so the question will be how it comes back next year and what I do with it in the meantime. I can't decide whether I want to move it inside but try to keep it alive/growing, or let it go dormant.