Savoring September

 

Now that the last summer holiday is passed, let's savor September. 

I have been thinking long and hard about my dissatisfaction these last few weeks.  Now I am not terribly dissatisfied, nor disappointed in life, etc.  I am not despondent.  Not at all!  I am too busy these days for the most part to be too focused on any such emotions, but I've noticed a creeping feeling of being less than satisfied with how I spend a lot of my downtime.

As well, now that I'm seeing something of a light at the end of a still quite long tunnel, I want to do a few more things with Caleb.  He's older, more able to absorb things like his natural surroundings and seasonal tastes and I'd really like to share those things with him.

You know I often focus on foods that I enjoy seasonally.  Here are a few things I'm looking forward to enjoying this month:

Wallpaper:  One of the things I love to do each season is change up my wallpaper on my computer, phone, blog...It costs absolutely nothing, takes just a moment to switch up and each time I look at the screens I am so happy that it's autumn!

Pinterest:  I'm going to start a board on my Pinterest page of nothing but lovely autumn images.  Cozy reading corners, foggy lakes, misty rain on autumn leaves.  We might be weeks away from autumn color here but there's no reason I can't enjoy it just the same.  

Get spicy.  I shared in my weekly planner that I think I crave the deep richness of spices because so many of them are autoimmune boosters.  Cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg are so rich in flavor and intensity.  They are called the 'warming spices' which is also fitting since they are especially welcome in months that traditionally cooler.  

Well September might not be the cooler month of our year, not in Georgia, but my nose and body are seasonally charged just the same.  So, I always look forward to making a variety of spice cakes throughout the autumn months.

Applesauce cake, carrot cake, a deep rich plum cake, Armenian Nutmeg cake, Spiced Apple Cake (that one's a must!)...These all come to mind each year when September arrives.   Some of the cakes are frosted, some are glazed, some are served as is from the pan.  

Apples.  While we do live on a budget, I find each year that the supermarket often stocks new to me varieties of apples that I am intrigued by.  I buy one or two of those whose names speak to me most loudly and we have a taste test of them.  Last year's clear winner was Cosmic Crisp and those were so well priced we could enjoy them often.  

What shall this year's favorite be?  I've no clue, but I'm going to be keeping my eyes open so that we can try a few different varieties.

One of my all-time favorite varieties has proven to be the most elusive, the old fashioned Winesap...I keep looking every year and now and then I stumble on one and I'm reminded of childhood trips to the mountains and coming home with bags of apples.

Fall Decor Outdoors.  I don't do hay bales and pumpkins come autumn.  I am always a flowery girl.

We have plenty of time yet before frost to plant things like mums, flowering kale (which will do well in all but really heavy frosts), snapdragons, coleus.  

The flowers I've been enjoying all summer have about finished up.  I'd like to keep my flower pots going through frost.  I'm going to be sure to pick up mums and will continue to plant cuttings of coleus.  I've ordered some snapdragon seeds just in case I can't find any at the store garden center.  

Planting fall crops:  I feel sure I can get garlic, radishes (did you know that you can get milder varieties if you don't like the bite-y sorts?  I had no clue!), collards, carrots and a handful of other crops planted in my garden beds to extend the gardening season.  I'm going to give it a good try anyway...We'll see how I do.

Start a new series of a Tv Show.  These days the tv is solely John's property but I can access some things on my computer quite easily.  I thought I'd dig up some "Great British Bake-Off" shows or start the BBC serial "Pride and Prejudice" as a treat to myself.  In the past one episode a week was quite all right with me.  I think I want to extend out whatever I choose to view by doing it in weekly lots.

Make seasonal comfort foods.  We're back at apples for a little bit.  It's about this time of year that I make apple pies.  And apple butter.   And apple roasted chicken...

Well, it's not all apples.  I also enjoy Cranberry Short Ribs (or Chuck roast if the short ribs are too too dear).  Stew.  Turkey and dressing even if it isn't Thanksgiving.  Chili.  All those lovely slow simmering, comforting things.  You get the idea.

Coffee.  While I might well keep using the lovely new Yeti cup on weekday mornings that are hectic, I'm going to dig out the lovely big Autumn inspired mug I bought myself last fall.  It has leaves and acorns and pumpkins and apples and such dancing all around it.

I can't recall if I bought a special blend of coffee last year for autumn or not.  That too is usually reserved for weekend sipping, but if I don't have it stashed in the freezer, I'll just go find myself a lovely new flavor.  I want something with cinnamon, I think.  If I can't find anything in the store I'll make up my own little spice blend to mix with my creamer and put in my coffee.

Cookie Day.  Each year in September, I make up a big batch of my special recipe Oatmeal cookies.  I seldom make them any other time of the year, usually just in September.  

Music:  Right now, as I'm typing, I am listening to one of Jake Westbrook's lovely Vintage Autumn music compilations.  There are other channels as well.  Just go to YouTube and type in Vintage Autumn music.  

These channels will be on repeat for me until Thanksgiving.  Then I switch up to Christmas music.  For now, I'll listen to "Autumn In New York" by Billie Holliday.

Books:  A few books I have are set up in seasonal order.  Some of Glady's Taber's for instance, one of Tracey McBride's, and one of my favorite cookbooks for reading (I've only ever made one recipe from that book, and it was an autumn one).  This year I'm going to actively do something I tend to do only at Christmas.  I'm going to gather all the books set in Autumn and read them one by one.  I think it will be lovely to follow all my favorite authors through their autumn stories.

These are all the things I plan to do in September to savor this month and quite probably October and November, too...What about you?  What are some of the things you do to savor autumn?