It’s been a rough week for New Englanders. After the humiliating loss by and dismissal of the Red Sox longtime manager, the past few days have had we Bostonians and our neighbors keeping our heads down and mumbling obscenities. But there’s one thing that’s always sure to turn our frowns upside-down: Classic, crisp fall days and the delicious, autumn foods and flavors that come with them.

Some people are magnetically drawn to the savory-salty delight of a wide open potato chip bag, happily crunching away like squirrels that stockpile nuts for the winter months. For others, their weakness can be found directly in the tooth – the sweet tooth, that is – with today’s manufacturers rolling out a never ending array of seductive and seemingly not-too-sinful treats jam packed with ingredients that almost seem healthy. When Mylar-wrapped goodies boast such good-for-you terms as ‘natural’, ‘low fat’ and ‘part of a heart healthy diet’, it's not entirely surprising that we gamely chomp down.