Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. I’m not sure if that’s because my birthday is on the first day of Fall, or maybe because I just love the change of weather, the smells in the air, pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks, or maybe all of the above. But something that also seems to happen around this time of year is that I get really reflective and start “nesting.” I am cooking more than usual. I start to crave creativeness and search for creative outlets. I am more in tune with my surroundings and begin to make my surroundings more beautiful and comfortable. Additionally, I crave family time more than usual.

One thing that I’ve really enjoyed all my life is cooking, baking, canning, making chocolates, etc. because it means that I’m with family while doing it, or sharing the meal afterwards. Lots of really fond memories in my childhood were around these moments. Unfortunately, living out of state and the addition of the pandemic has definitely made it harder to have that family time, however, as they always say, “The family that cooks together stays together!” Or something along those lines. We find the time to cook with each other over Zoom, send pictures over a group text, or just share the wonderful recipes that we’ve tried lately.

If you’ve read any of the newsletters you know that my mom has been really into fermentation. Sourdough, Kombucha, peppers, tomatoes, you name it, and she’s fermented it. My older sister has also been trying out Sourdough bread and they get together weekly on a video call to bake together. I too tried my hand at fermenting and made some Kimchi and Lemoncello. It’s been so much fun to share these experiences with my sister and mom, especially since none of us live close together.

We also all really enjoy gardening. Mom sent my sister in Chicago some seeds and a great starter kit to get her growing veggies and in her back yard. Sadly, I live in Tucson, AZ and don’t have the yard to garden successfully. But I enjoy seeing all the great harvests that they get. Unlike this year, I’m normally home around this time for Labor day and enjoy getting a box of tomatoes, green chile, squash, cucumbers, and anything else that mom has grown that year. It feels so wonderful to have fresh and home grown food especially from someone who loves you.

What’s something that you do with your family around this time of year? What do you do to stay close even when they feel so far away? Post in the comments, I’d love to see what you do!

BONUS! I’ve included a recipe from Friendship Bread Kitchen that I really enjoy called Amish Friendship Bread. This is a really great recipe because it’s fermented, is a dessert, is versatile, and you can share it with your friends and family! Happy baking and happy Fall! https://www.friendshipbreadkitchen.com/amish-friendship-bread-starter/