It's not officially fall until...

1) I make the change from the in nail polish hues - like last year.
2) I see pumpkins at the farmer's market.
3) I make my first pot of chili.

With a forecast that this past Sunday was going to be rainy and cool (at least cool compared to the 90+ days in a row of 90+ degree heat), I knew chili was in my future.

I broke out my favorite chili recipe - graciously given by my FAVORITE Raleigh restaurant for chili - Mitch's Tavern... which is a NC State staple. Their black bean and sausage chili is to-die-for. I make a few tweaks in my version, but it's pretty close. Make sure you top it with a dollop of sour cream, fresh cilantro and some chopped green onions.

{Not Mitch's, but pic @via}

And if you're eating chili, you need to have some cornbread. I've had some nasty cornbread before - not necessarily bad tasting, but just really dry... to the point you can't eat it without it crumbling to pieces.

Luckily, Serious Eats posted an amazing recipe earlier this month for Malcolm's Sweet Award-Winning Cornbread. How could I argue with an award-winning cornbread.

{pic @via}

As it turned out, I couldn't. It was perhaps the best cornbread I've ever had.

It was the perfect meal to have simmering on the stove all day while watching some NFL football. And really, isn't that what a Sunday in autumn is all about?