It's time! It's time! This is my "Ode to Fall". It's officially been Fall for a couple of weeks, but I can feel it in my bones now that it's the first of October! I love all the seasons for the new-ness they bring...summer gets me just as excited, but I cherish Fall. It brings with it so many wonderful feelings.
It's the grateful season that brings the best holidays....it's the drop in temperature, the colored leaves, the smell of pumpkin spice & apple cinnamon, the pumpkin patch...
It's the soups & stews, the baking, the reading, the football, the knitting, the snuggling with blankets with a cup of tea...
It's the boots, the scarves, the nail colors, the sweaters...the layers.
-above sets of photos taken from Pinterest.
Being a California girl, born and raised, we don't get the distinct seasons that other parts of the country sees, but I love it just the same. I've been to Central Park and upper state NY in the height of Fall...it's absolutely beautiful.
One of my favorite parts of Fall is I get to take Stella for more walks...she can breathe so much better in the cooler weather. She even has a very fashionable reversible puffer coat...Martha Stewart featured this jacket on her French Bulldogs and Stella couldn't be outdone by Francesca & Sharkey...
She only wears this when it's very cold out as my husband gets embarrassed to have a dog that "wears" anything. She's small though and gets cold, and there's times when she needs it. So when she does....she's fashionable!
Oh, and it's the time of year I just get to entertain myself....at Stella's expense;) Halloween!!!!
That's my Ode to Fall....I'm so excited! I wanted to share a Homemade Pumpkin Spice recipe with you...I used to get these all the time at Starbucks until I learned how unhealthy they are!! Take a look at this....
-Starbucks photo taken from Food Babe.
Make it yourself! Fall still brings the quintessential Pumpkin Spice Latte...it just doesn't have to mean putting all that crap in your body;) Here's how...
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte: *dairy-free, soy-free
- 1 cup hot black coffee
- 3/4 cup canned coconut milk (look for BPA-free cans;)
- 2 - 3 Tablespoons raw pumpkin puree (depending on how much pumpkin flavor you want)
- 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (I use Grade B)
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ghee (optional...makes it creamier)
Blend it all together in a blender or with an immersion blender, and sprinkle cinnamon on top! "Fall"...in your cup!! Makes 1 serving (large cup) or 2 servings (small cups).
Great topped with Whipped Coconut Cream!
Enjoy...be healthy! Happy Fall! Pumpkins made their way onto my dining room table today....at least I waited until October;) Good ol' California...it's 90 degrees here this afternoon!! This morning when it was 48 degrees it felt more like Fall....oh well, I know it's coming. :)
-photos taken by me, unless otherwise noted.