Fall has set in. The shift to fall is always a significant change for me. Summer is lush, green, full, busy- it’s a season of indulgence.  A season with awesome food, traveling, soaking in sun, going to bed tired and waking up lazily the next day.  Fall is pruning back, falling leaves and walks in the woods, hot drinks, crisp and still.  I  cleaned out our house getting ready for some some much needed renovations.  Clearing away, making space. It feels like the perfect season to clear out what we don’t need or use anymore.  I’m longing for more simplicity and less stuff.  We even had the opportunity to stay at a farmhouse for a week while our floors were being redone, and it was peaceful, there was no cable or distractions.  We spent time outdoors and cancelled actives because the commute was too long.  It was slower, I was present.  I need more of this.

 

We are back home. The renovations are finished and I didn’t put anything back on the walls and shelves yet. I’m living with the clean empty space for a while and I’ll decide what’s important and inspiring enough to put back and what’s not needed anymore.  It’s been a good “more of this, less of that” lesson and I’m still listening and learning.

I made this apple crisp on a sunny fall morning and it’s so easy and fits my simple, paring back frame of mind.  This recipe is from Shauna Niequist’s book “Bread and Wine”.  Usually made with blueberries or berries, but I made it with apples and added cinnamon and used coconut oil and it’s really good!! Eaten warm with greek yogurt and a hot drink, it’s a real treat!!

Ingredients

2-3 apples, peeled and cut in slices

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cups of raw pecans, chopped

1/2 cup of almond meal

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup olive oil or melted coconut oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Mix together the all the ingredients except the apples.  Arrange the slices apples in the bottom of a 8X8 pan or round dish and layer the crisp topping over it.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until the topping is crisp and golden.  Enjoy warm and topped with greek yogurt!