Dear friends,
Does it feel like fall has arrived in your part of the world? Here in Colorado, the cooler evenings and subtle shifts of light signal that summer is giving way to autumn. After a long, hot dry spell, I’m ready for flannel shirts, cozy meals, and heck, even raking leaves!
As we transition to a new season during this unusual year,
these are 7 happy things I?ve discovered that might brighten your world.
1. Real Pumpkin Spice Latte
Make your own rich, creamy version of this coffeeshop favorite, with no artificially flavored syrups in sight! The easy homemade PSL recipe blends coffee, milk, spices and real pumpkin puree topped off with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate. This recipe was originally published in my pumpkiny cookbook, Pumpkin It Up!
2. Save Seeds Now, Save Money Later
Saving seeds will not only stretch your gardening dollars, it’s a great way to increase yields by choosing seeds from your hardiest and best producers. You’ll also insure your access to seeds that perform well in your climate and soil.
Seed saving is super easy, and Seed Savers has detailed directions. Spend a little time saving seeds this fall, and you’ll be way ahead next spring.
3. Instagram Escape – @The_PastaQueen
Click on one of by Nadia Caterina Munno’s lively, highly entertaining 60-second Instagram videos and you’ll understand why she has over a million TikTok followers. Nadia’s family has been making pasta professionally for five generations, and she shares great recipes and tips about Italian culture, frequently accompanied by her brother Agostino hamming it up in the background. For more in-depth demos, Nadia shares longer videos every Tuesday on YouTube.
4. Inspiring Read – The Soul of America by Jon Meacham
No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham provides a centered approach away from partisan politics and extremism and back to considering the true heart of our democracy. Weaving fascinating history and powerful examples of the battles and challenges we have overcome before, The Soul of America challenged me to consider how I might meet the issues facing our nation today to try and make a positive difference.
5. Art with Heart
Artist Kajal Singh of Haryana, India creates stunning textural works with a modern take on the age-old art of paper quilling. Her colorful artworks, like the geometric heart above, are for sale on her online shop and posted on her Instagram.
6. The Joys of Doing It Yourself
Thank goodness for the online resources that help us perform DIY projects with confidence. For home and vehicle repairs, DoItYourself.com is an amazing source of tutorials, videos and forums.
IFixIt.com offers detailed instructions, videos and tools for fixing things that seem beyond the realm of DIY like electronics and cameras. The savings are real; a new battery for a later model iPhone runs just $29.99.
7. Quote of the Month
“All great artists draw from the same resource: the human heart, which tells us that we are all more alike than we are unalike.” – Maya Angelou
How About You?
Are you ready for the cooler days of autumn? What are you looking forward to this month? I always enjoy hearing your thoughts and ideas, and hope you are staying healthy and well.
Best always,
P.S. If you’re on Pinterest, here’s a handy pin to save this post:
Grateful thanks to Jenny Downing for use of the lovely autumn leaves image above, to Martin Cooper for the viola seeds image, to Kajal Singh for use of her beautiful artwork image, to Gabeandchry for the DIY image, and to Theo Crazzolara for the bleeding hearts photo.
Eliza Cross is an author and food blogger who enjoys helping busy people with easy recipes and tips for gardening, holidays, and home. She is the founder of BENSA Bacon Lovers Society and Happy Simple Living, and the award-winning author of 17 cookbooks.
