"Falling in Love With Fall"

" Falling In Love With Fall"

"Autumn leaves don't fall, they fly! They take their time and wander on this their only chance to soar."---Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing

I know it's still August in Texas, but I do this every year, try to force my will on the heat and humidity that is like a wet blanket draped over literally everything. I want the high pressure dome to move west or east or over Russia, anywhere but here. I want to feel the crisp air that begins at the edge of the pasture behind our house and rushes to greet me as I step out onto the back porch, steaming coffee in hand.  Have you ever noticed that Fall mornings possess their own quiet? I love that about Fall!  No cicadas, crickets, neighbor's lawnmowers.  Just a quietening of the hemisphere that says we should all be getting ready to rest.  We need these restful days between the frenzy of summer and the bustling about of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. I love those family times and all that goes with them but Fall is MY time. The days start to get shorter and meals at our house are simpler. A warm bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup and a big hunk of crusty French bread slathered with butter is God's way of saying, "I love you and I know you don't want me to wash your feet or anoint your head with oil so here, take this and bask in the love."  Yeah, He talks to me like that! My time for reading lengthens (always a blessing) and I cease with the quick showers and go for a warm soak in the tub and lie on the sofa in my favorite gown covered by a quilt Bodie's mother made for me.  Ohh, I could just extoll the virtues of Fall from now until the cows come home but the real reason for me writing this is because I want to share a recipe with y'all.

It is no great secret that I literally live for coffee!  Bodie and my kids believe with all their little hearts that I live for them and it thrills me that they think so but coffee is the great love of my existence and without it, I guarantee they would question whether I could love anything!  

During most of the year I drink Peet's coffee exclusively and even during recent shortages, I have never run out.  Not even close!  But let the middle of August arrive and I'm calling Central Market to see when Pumpkin Spice coffee goes on the shelf.  Not yet they tell me, but soon.  In this year's pandemic shortages, I'm a little nervous about this.  Pumpkin Spice coffee is essential to MY Time.  MY time would not be the same without it!  So if it never shows up in the coffee bins at my grocer's I have a Plan B--Homemade Pumpkin Spice flavored coffee creamer.   Made it this morning.  Choose which is right for you.

   Homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

2 c. half & half

1 14 oz. can Eagle Brand milk

3/4 c. pumpkin puree (Not pumpkin pie filling)

1/4 to 1/3 c. maple syrup

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Mix all ingredients together until well combined.  Pour into clean jar or bottle and refrigerate.  It gets better if you let it sit overnight.  Shake well before pouring into your coffee.

**You can make a healthier version by using almond milk or lactose free milk instead of  half & half.  You can use S-F maple syrup and I subbed about 1/2 cup milk plus a sugar substitute for the Eagle Brand Milk.

I hope you will enjoy this and think fondly of someone you love.  Or better still, share a cup of coffee with someone you love and reminisce about your shared life experiences.

And a final quote that speaks to me.  "How beautifully leaves grow old.  How full of light and color are their last days."