"Summertiiiiiiiiiiiiime, and the living is...."
HOT!
Even the most die-hard summer lover grows tired of the constant heat--even if it's "dry heat." :-D
So those first days hinting of the change of seasons are a welcome relief. Cooler nights, shorter days, more hours to enjoy the stars.
It's still early. The middle of September. But the northern US is already seeing the first leaves begin to change. Fall is just around the corner, and I'm starting to think of all the things to do that are unique to this time of year.
Here's my fall bucket list:
1. The Great Pumpkin Hunt!
I don't know about you, but as soon as those big orange squash hit the bins outside my local grocery stores, I'm on the hunt for THE perfect Halloween Pumpkin.
Understand, my family has been carving Jack-o-lanterns for a long time. My kids, as adults, still insist on our annual pumpkin display.
For that, you need pumpkins with character, pumpkins that get the creative juices flowing, pumpkins that SPEAK to me, just waiting for their personality to be revealed with a few pumpkin carving tools.
I mean, that AND the roasted pumpkin seeds!
Here's a blast from the past--one of our Halloween displays:
2. Farmer's Markets and Fruit Stands
Fall is RIPE (pun intended) with good things to eat at local farmer's markets and fruit stands. Tomatoes and peaches and apples and a dozen kinds of winter squash.
At least one trip to Utah's Famous Fruit Way is almost certainly in the offing for my family. I have my favorite stand for peaches to bottle, another for spaghetti squash, still another for new-picked apples and the last of the season's watermelons.
All farm fresh and super tasty!
3. Pressing Leaves
For me, one of the first things I think of when I hear the word "Autumn" is those gorgeous leaves. We don't live in New Hampshire where people from all over the world travel to see the fall leaves. But Utah does a pretty good job of it. We have red maples leaves, golden-yellow aspen leaves, brown and gold scrub oak leaves, and everything in between.
I have a giant old dictionary that I use for pressing the leaves I gather on my weekly hikes. A few weeks between those musty old pages and I have perfectly pressed leaves.
Sometimes I decorate with them. Last fall I used a bunch of antique and vintage glass bottles I have, set them up on a shelf, and filled the tops with those pressed leaves. I've done framed projects similar to that pictured above. I've used them to decorate my Thanksgiving table.
What do you do with your pressed leaves?
4. First Cup of Hot Mulled Cider on a Crisp Autumn Morning
I love hot cider. Add a cinnamon stick and a couple of whole clove kernels and it's the perfect way to start that inevitable autumn morning when temperatures drop enough to leave everything rimed with frost.
Add to that the coziness of a chunky sweater and you've got the perfect fall morning.
If you don't have a chunky sweater, you should get one. If you can, make one! I found this fun pattern for a granny square sweater on Etsy. I'll get it made. Maybe not THIS fall, but eventually!
5. Bake-A-Rama!
I don't know about you, but I dread turning the oven on during the summertime. By mid-September it's usually cool enough to start baking again!
Cookies and bread and pies and cakes. You name it, I've probably baked it.
This week I've been experimenting with the perfect balance of chips and bake time in my cinnamon drop bread.
I was able to get my hands on a whole case of the good cinnamon chips--the ones the local bakeries use in those cinnamon drop loaves that are so yummy! With my four boys, we usually fly through four loaves at a time.
By the way, the VERY BEST Cinnamon Chips for Cinnamon Drop bread can be found here:
6. Make an EPIC Leaf Pile!
My kids (and my dog) love a giant leaf pile. Who doesn't?
At my house, we like to load up the truck with kids and rakes and head to a nearby park that has tons of very old, very leafy trees. We spend a half hour or so raking up enough leaves to cover the Titanic! Then we jump in, spread them from heck to breakfast, and start all over again.
Our dog loves it, too. She'll jump right in with the boys and bark herself hoarse.
When we've had enough, we brush off, load back into the truck, head home for warm showers and some of that Cinnamon Drop Bread.
What's on YOUR Fall Bucket List?