Bye summer, it’s warm soup/bread/casserole weather!!! It’s smelling less and less like summer and more and more like cinnamon and soup, and wherever I go, I want to hear leaves rustling, watch all the Thanksgiving Friends re-runs, and listen to the soundtrack of When Harry Met Sally a million times. It’s fall everyone. I’m here for it. Summer is over and I’m not even that sad about it. The promise of a cold breeze and jeans has me over the moon.

Our kitten Brie has been the sweetest companion during long work days as Frank starts working longer hours during the football season. She is all about the snugs and the warms and is a living teddy bear, I love her so much.

The past few weekends have consisted of cooking, baking, and staying out of the summer heat with the exception of our early morning walks. We’re settling down into a sweet routine after the wedding and loving the slow days, even when they’re filled with lots of work! I love our mornings with our iced coffee walking through the neighborhood and talking about our ideas and dreams. I love them almost as much as I love when Frank gets home from work and we eat and chat and watch the sunset behind us as we watch movies and hangout with Squirrel and Brie. The best days.

Aforementioned dinners and movies. Ratatouille!

My friend Rachel gets married THIS FRIDAY and I’ve been entrusted with maid of honor AND cake baker responsibilities. I’ve had the best time testing cake recipes for their bride and groom cutting cake. They wanted simple vanilla cake and buttercream but gluten-free and dairy-free with leaves and green things on top. I am on it. Hoping I can pull it together after her bachelorette party on Wednesday night. Will report back. Cannot promise anything.

Garden Update: I have a confession. I have horribly neglected the garden and it is overgrown and lush and sad and bugs are eating all the tomatoes! But good news, the wild flowers are coming through and they look great on our kitchen table. For this next season, we are going to plant so many flowers so that we can go a couple weeks and not feel like we’ve killed pretty veggies and then harvest our lazy flowers for joy-filled tabletops afterwards. It’s a plan.

Now for the recipe.

I made these popsicles for my sweet friend Hannah for her going away party because she’s moving to England! It was a Harry Potter themed pool party and I wanted to bring some fall vibes to the August heat so I made these chai apple cider popsicles. They are a summer and pool approved version of a hot apple cider. I packed them a big yeti and drove myself to Atlanta last Saturday to celebrate. Except I got lost for 4.5 hours, my phone broke, and they melted in the front seat as I navigated back to Athens with the help of the Hardee’s fry cook and Frank on the other end of the land line.

Not my proudest moment, but I was most sad because I couldn’t give Hannah her popsicles and a big hug! So here’s a version of my hug, the recipe, so that you all can make them at home and keep them safe and not get lost in Atlanta traffic. I will now be carrying a physical map with me wherever I go, forever and ever.

chai apple cider popsicles

serves 12

Ingredients

8 cups apple cider

1 inch peeled ginger

3 cinnamon sticks

14-16 whole cloves

12 cardamom pods or 1 tsp ground cardamom

8 peppercorns

1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a large pot.

2. Bring to boil then simmer for 20-30 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and once cooled (1 hour), add to a popsicle mold of your choice!

4. I used this mold, but you can get innovative and pour into paper cups and place in bamboo popsicle sticks, too.

5. Share them and eat them and enjoy!