This morning we awoke to cooler temperatures and the perfect, Sleep in a little longer and snuggle weather.
And man, if that is the earliest sign of the next season we get... I sure am ready. I recently decided that fall was my favorite season. I so appreciate living somewhere that can enjoy all four seasons, but there is just something... crisp and extra special about fall.
1) At least for us Coloradoans, the weather provides the opportunity to switch between all clothing in your wardrobe. Yesterday, it was 85 degrees with barely a breeze... just hot and stuffy: the perfect opportunity to get more use of those cute shorts and tank tops. Today is topping out at 65 degrees and partly cloudy: time to bust out the hoody for the early morning, wear a long skirt or capris... and by nightfall it will be time for long sleeves! In a couple more weeks, we will add coats and scarves and boots into the mix, but there will still be some shorts days until early November. I have a new found obsession with long skirts ever since I made my own a few weeks ago... it is almost all I have been wearing!
2) Vegetable Harvest!!! Our vegetable garden was fairly successful for how little effort I could put into it in the last few weeks. We have crazy amounts of Kale, have gotten creative in how to eat a 5 lb zucchini between the two of us, and are looking forward to the continuing harvest in the next couple months. When our garden isn't feeding us quite how we like, we go raid our friends: every time she sees us she says, "please... come over and take some tomatoes... or tomatillos, or... herbs... or, squash..."
3) Warm beverages, hot cereal. Its been too too hot for these things! Sure maybe a cup of coffee in the morning, but in the heat of summer, I usually brew coffee for tomorrow! Pop it in the fridge and drink it the next day cold. With the cooler air, sipping on a warm cup of anything is comforting, relaxing and delicious. And nothing says good morning to me on a chilly morning like a bowl of hot cereal: oatmeal, quinoa, rice... it doesn't matter.
4) Pumpkin, Apple and/or squash on everything. Yep, I am that kind of girl. Put pumpkin on something, and I will at least try it... but probably really love it. I like pumpkin bread, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin... everything. And then there is carving time at the end of october. We are even growing our own pumpkins this year! We only have two so far and neither of the plant is doing great.... but this year's garden was kind of an experiment that in the heat of summer and extreme work schedules was sort of abandoned... so I will be happy with anything I can get out of it.
5) And speaking of pumpkin on everything... Fall craft beers are the best seasonal beers. From the breweries that switch gears to browns and darker beers, to octoberfests, to pumpkin ales... I love them all. Sure I will sing praises of a winter oatmeal stout as well, but there is something extra special about octoberfest and pumpkin ale. They are the perfect middle of the spectrum beers for the middle of the spectrum season. Here are some I have been enjoying:
New Belgium Pumpkick Ale: Pumpkin and a hint of cranberry... be still my heart.
Bristol Brewery Red Baron Octoberfest
Bristol Brewery Venetucci Pumpkin Ale (this one is EXTREMELY hard to get a hold of, and only available for purchase for about 6 seconds in Colorado Springs every year, but somehow I always strike lucky and am able to score a bottle or two)
Sam Adams Fall Variety pack. Figured I should list an option available in more than just Colorado. From the brown, to the ruby mild, to their octoberfest... this one is a crowd pleaser.
I could go on... but with no fall leaves pictures, no first frost, no fuzzy sweaters... its still time to enjoy the last of summer. My ode to fall will continue with recipes, fuzzy sweaters, maxi skirts, and the complete embrace of what comes next: in the seasons and in life.
What are your favorite things about fall?
