As I write this, my two rescue dogs lazily glance at me from their respective pillows on my living room couch. “Stanley” is a mix of at least four different breeds (mostly Schnauzer is our best guess) and “Henry” is a Chihuahua/Maltese hybrid of some sort and to list his shortcomings would take a whole separate article – let’s just say he’s bitten everyone from a FedEx worker to our wedding photographer and no matter how many times we brush his teeth, his breath is so bad I often have to banish him to the end of our king-sized bed. But here’s the thing: my two mutts are the most loveable and quirky animals I’ve ever met and you can see the gratitude in their eyes. My husband and I are well aware that if we hadn’t adopted them, they wouldn’t be here today. And now that my daughter is two, I am so happy that our furry family members (and their adoption stories) will help to teach her about charity, compassion and all those other wonderful character qualities.

With leaves falling from the trees, temperatures dropping and holiday decorations strung up, autumn is quickly on its way out, and so are Jersey City’s wonderful farmers markets. The abundance of berries, zucchini and tomatoes that we cherish in the summer and early fall are hard to come by as the winter months close in, but three of the markets in Jersey City are still open for just a few more weeks. Savor the last of the season and try a few new recipes!