Okay, September ends tomorrow, but I kind of feel like I could sleep until then, right now. How boring is it to say I’m tired? Very boring, but here we are. It’s been a hectic week and it’s not going to get less hectic for a few days, but my son gets back from his camping trip this afternoon and I am very excited to see what I assume will be a dehydrated, starving, smelly shell of his former self.
Have I mentioned that they had no potable water available? Oh, right. I have, several times.
Anyway, we have not had any emergency calls from the school so I assume everyone is fine. Please, no giardiasis.
Suzanne (HI SUZANNE) mentioned that September feels like a free-fall of a month; it just starts and then suddenly it ends. To be honest, most months feel like that now for me but September maybe more so. You guys, October is SATURDAY.
It feels very September-ish around here, in the very best way. For the most part, we have had glorious September weather: sunny afternoons, crisp mornings. Even in the warmest part of the day, I can feel the crisp in the air, and the mornings have been very frosty indeed. It makes getting dressed slightly challenging, but that is what layers are for.
The leaves are changing, the sky is blue, and MCINTOSH APPLES ARE BACK IN THE GROCERY STORE, GREATEST APPLE EVER! In the meantime, here are a few of my Favourite Things!
Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Wake Me Up When September Ends Edition
Drying Out
I love growing herbs but I don’t cook with fresh herbs as much as I could. Many years ago my husband surprised me with an Excalibur dehydrator, and let me tell you, fall is its time to shine. I have been drying all my herbs from the garden in it, and it makes me feel like a very high-tech Ma Ingalls. You know, if Ma Ingalls had access to herbs. I know that, technically, I could dry herbs by just hanging them upside down, but that would cut into the fun of using a gadget!
I’ve dried oregano, basil, chives, and parsley; the first two won’t last the whole year, but the latter two probably will.
A-Z: All the Zucchini
One of my students mentioned that she’d had trouble with her zucchini plants this year, and I knew exactly what she meant. I too have had trouble with tiny zucchinis suddenly rotting on the vine, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t had lots of delicious, perfect zucchinis as well. I probably have harvested 3-5 zucchinis a week for the past several weeks.
Mostly I’m grating them and freezing them in one-cup increments for my favourite chocolate zucchini bread and “zunana” muffin recipes, but I’ve also been adding them to stir-fries and salads. Speaking of the dehydrator, I might just make some zucchini chips as well.
Some of you might not know that between 2013 and 2017, I wrote a weekly food blog at YMC, which means I have a lot of recipes online. I have organized them all here, in my Soul, Food section, and there are a lot of zucchini recipes.
Long Cool Woman in a Long Cool Top
I am going to say this in the most value-neutral way that I can: over the past year and a half, my body and physical appearance has changed. Some of those changes are a result of incorporating strength training into my fitness regime, and some are a result of aging in general and perimenopause in particular. Specific to the latter, my waist has widened and my stomach is much softer and rounder than it was eighteen months ago.
All of which is to say I am really embracing the long top. I mean, I haven’t been a crop top girl since the 90s, but I am finding lately that my softer, rounder stomach and I really, really appreciate a longer top with a lot of coverage. My waistline is what it is, but I feel a bit cuter and more comfortable wearing a non-body-skimming top.
When I Curated My Closet a little while ago, I came across this gem that I literally forgot I had. I hadn’t worn it since the summer before the pandemic, which is three solid years ago.
I like it but it really is long-sleeve weather now, so I’m pairing the long tees with skinny jeans and pants, and I do like the ease of the look.
Shake Your Booties
Along with long-sleeve tops, it’s time to break out the boots and socks! It’s not cool enough for tall boots, so it’s all about the little booty. They are booty-licious.
I like these two little ankle boots; one pair is a bit taller than the other, but both are very comfortable. The boots in the first photo are actually Sorels; they aren’t warm like winter Sorels but they are totally waterproof. With all my boots, I prefer a side zip so I don’t have to spend five minutes lacing things up. They are great for walking, and cute TO BOOT.
My What A Guy, Gaston
I feel badly that I haven’t brought up Gaston, my kitchen gnome before now! Shame on me! Gaston came into my life at the same time as Salvadore, but he has not had nearly as much attention. Here he is, quietly bringing joy into my kitchen, never seeking the spotlight.
Isn’t he cute? I like to think of him as bringing good juju into the kitchen, and if the amount of food that my family eats in great appreciation is any indication, he is doing a great job.
I feel like I am well on my way to life as a Crazy Gnome Lady. A dedicated gnome garden is not far off.
Roasted Tomatoes and Focaccia
I do love eating roasted tomatoes and focaccia, but even more than that, I loved this piece by the incomparable Laura Bray (HI LAURA). I don’t know how she reads my actual soul, but she does. This is such a beautiful post about the beginnings of an empty nest, and reconnecting with your partner in a new way. It reminded me so much of a woman I knew back when my youngest was in kindergarten; this woman was his friend’s grandmother, and she was a vibrant and wonderful person who cared for her grandchildren before and after school. She spoke to me about marriage and keeping connected, because one day it will be just the two of you, and you’ll look across the table and say “Oh! Hello.” I have thought about that many times in the ensuing years.
Happy End of September, friends! Another month flying off the calendar. I hope you have enjoyed many of your own favourite things, and if you care to share, I’d love to hear about them! xo
The weather has taken a turn here, too. Warm days (70s) and chilly mornings (40s/50s).
I have a friend with a daughter (an only child) a few years older than Noah and when the daughter was leaving for college, my friend told me she thought she and her husband had been so focused on the daughter, they’d lost touch with each other and she wasn’t sure how they would re-connect as empty nesters. I’ve meant to ask her about it since then, as the daughter graduated from college two years ago and the couple is still together.
It’s very interesting! I can really see how some could struggle – although if you lose touch with your partner, I suppose you can regain it as well.
Ha ha, I love how you put that- yes, my stomach is also “softer and rounder.” I can think of other words for it, but I’ll use yours. I love your long tops- especially that first one. And, I know you’re not fishing for compliments here, but you look GREAT. Perimenopause is agreeing with you.
I’m very impressed with your herb drying and zucchini freezing. Yes- make zucchini chips! That sounds yummy.
Stay away from me with that talk of empty nests! I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that my son has left- I refuse to think about the day my daughter will leave as well. Luckily we’ve got almost five more years, but I know how fast those years go.
Well thank you so much, Jenny! My soft, round stomach and I are becoming friends š
I love your boots. They’re gorgeous. I do not like to spend five minutes lacing boots, but I also do not love the look of a zipper on boots, so I spend too much time of my life lacing things up. It is what I do for vanity.
Freezing zucchini so you can have muffins in the winter is such a wonderful thing to do. There’s something so comforting about the smell of freshly baking zucchini bread in your house when it’s negative twenty outside.
Thank you! I don’t mind the zipper look and it saves me the lacing.
I just love having zucchini on hand. I feel like Ma Ingalls, “putting up” for the winter!
I’m sure it smells wonderful in your kitchen with your herbs drying.
I love this time of year. It has gotten cooler here, and I am ready for sweaters and boots.
You’re adorable. Xoxo
The chives are…less pleasant when they are drying than the other ones! I love the smell of basil drying though. And drying fruit is also wonderful!
HI NICOLE! š I am Very Interested in your chocolate zucchini bread recipe, and am headed over to look at that after I finish commenting. Zucchini seems like it can be kind of a finicky plant? I tried growing it a couple of times and once it was so prolific we couldn’t eat all the zucchini it produced and then the next year I got maybe one or two twisted little zucchinilets? My mom has the same issue. Anyway, I am glad you are getting SOME zucchini because it is a wonderful fruit.
HELLO GASTON! He is darling. What will Salvadore do in the winter months? Does he vacation in among the cilantro plants (which I am recklessly and enviously assuming still populate your… basement, I think?)?
My current favorite thing about fall is Sunday afternoons. It is one of our only Free Days, and my husband and I have been hunkering down on the couch with a couple of beers and watching football together which feels so wonderful and relaxing. My daughter will hang out in the living room with us, watching something on her iPad, or maybe she will go play outside, checking in at intervals. It’s so pleasant and I am soaking it up.
I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED! Salvadore has been bathed and is indoors now – I have cilantro to plant so he will be bringing his gnome-y goodness into the house!
Regarding the chocolate zucchini bread! That recipe is a veganized one, but the original – which I make for the boys often – calls for four eggs, so if you make it just omit the ground flax and water. If I’m making it for the boys I use butter instead of coconut oil, and just regular milk instead of the non-dairy one. I think that the original version works a little better than the vegan version, because the flax eggs can make it a bit dense. It’s a big favourite around here!
Yay! Cooler weather is welcome here in our part of the world, too! We are going for a weekend away at the beach and I’m excited to be out and about without feeling too hot.
I love your booties — and yes, zippers are nice for ease. I don’t normally start wearing them until December and try to wear them as often as I can during the couple of months that it’s cool enough for them here.
I’m so envious of your zucchini harvest. I will try again next year — this time, I will grow them in containers again. I would love to have more than 1 or 2 zucchinis harvested, and with the dozen zucchini plants I had this year, you’d think that I would’ve been overrun with them! Maybe Salvatore helped…I may need to get myself a Salvatore!
I can so relate about the soft and rounder belly. Sigh…will I ever win the battle? I want to be able to wear some of my cute outfits again! LOL
You DO need a Salvadore!!! We all need a little gnome-y help in the garden.
Your boots are like my sandals – I only wear mine for a couple of months before it gets too cold!
Gaston is so cute and I chuckled at your future self turning into a Crazy Gnome Lady. There are worse things.
My soft belly annoys me, mainly because I think it was less soft after I delivered a 6th baby (not the DAY after I delivered Curly of course, but before she was a year). I workout a lot more than I did back then and yet, my I carry a little more weight in places than I’d care to. Thus, I, too, love long tops. You look wonderful. I love your boots.
I do think you are a 2.0 version of Ma Ingalls. I’m in awe of all of your growing and drying and freezing.
I’d say my favorite thing about the fall is tailgates/visiting my 3 kids at their various colleges. Tank’s school doesn’t have football. We have two tailgates happening on back to back weekends Oct 8th/15th. I baked some Rocky Road Fudge Bars this morning that I will freeze for the big days. I must pace myself, because there will be much more to cook/bake/prepare that cannot be done in advance. Plus Tank is home all week that week and two of his friends are coming in town to go to the Notre Dame game with us. Hoping for no rain for both of these weekends.
Oooh Rocky Road Fudge bars. Are those gluten free? I hope you can enjoy them as well. Have fun at your tailgates!
Gaston is ADORABLE. How have we not heard about him yet?
I hear you on the exhaustion. A week of solo parenting is almost behind me and I am absolutely tuckered. I may have intuitively eaten 1/2 a LARGE chocolate bar because my soul really, really needed some comfort food after a long day.
That Laura Bray article is just lovely!
I seriously just want to come over for dinner each night; it sounds like you do such a wonderful job of incorporating so much flavour into your dishes and they are clearly made with love. Every time I read about all your time spent in the kitchen, it makes my mouth water and my stomach happy š
I KNOW. How have I not told you about Gaston?
Oh, Elisabeth, solo parenting is so hard! I hope you can get some rest (and maybe more chocolate?)
Thank you so much for your kind words about dinner. That really lifted me up. Thank you! xoxo
I love your boots! I’m all about the side zippers too, who has time for all that lacing? Well, me since I can’t get the Docs with the zippers anymore, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME, SHOE MAKERS.
I always find September starts, then the middle lasts a weirdly long time and then I’m still surprised when it’s over. September has been distressingly gray and rainy here, but today is beautiful and the weekend is supposed to be too.
I need to scythe down my insane herb garden and hang them all upside down, hopefully before frost hits.
I have wanted Docs my whole life and for some reason I have never had any. How is this possible? It’s not like I’m all that stringent with my shopping. But…if I can’t get zippers then I probably should pass because LAZY.
Gaston is adorable. My kids would love him! I should get something like that for our kitchen!
I am enjoying the fact that Sept doesn’t feel like a free fall for us yet since I don’t have kids in school. This is the last year of life feeling very similar month-over-month (for the most part) since our childcare plans are the same. But that all changes next Sept when Paul starts K!
It’s good to have friends who are in a later stage of parenting to give you advice and tell you what to expect in the years to come. Since I became a mom later in life, I have lots of people ahead of me on the parenting adventure and have really benefitted from their wisdom! And luckily my husband’s friends mostly had kids around the same time as us so I have a cohort of friends in the same stage of life, plus my little sister’s first baby is just a bit younger than my youngest. So it’s really the perfect set up – people in the trenches with you and people ahead of you who can tell you what to expect.
We’ve been loving honeycrisp apples which are our personal favorite, although I love Mcintosh apples – I think that is the kind of tree we had in my yard when I was growing up. I love to tell anyone who will listen that honeycrisp apples were developed in Minnesota at the U of M!
And lastly, you are so adorable! My stomach region has never been great, even at my lowest weights, so I’ve learned to dress to de-emphasize that part of my body! You look so stylish and cute in those long tops!
There are so many different kinds of apples now! I guess I’m old school, because I love those tart Macs!
I am happy to show you the stages to come. I think parenting and kids just get better and better, and so you have so much to look forward to!
Thanks for the sweet compliment. I’m finding longer tops so comfy and flattering these days.
I like Gaston. He is obviously the secret to your successful cooking and baking and ice cream making. I’ve yet to wear boots or shoes, still hanging out in my Birks for as long as I can. That being said, I like your outfits. They remind me of how much I like wearing winter colors and long sleeves. Bring on Autumn, I’m ready.
I think maybe you might enjoy a kitchen gnome as well? The seasons are definitely changing so it’s time to break out the different clothes!
Gaston is so cute! I love that all your recipes are in one place, Iām going to refer to it and make many things!
Thanks Anna!
Gaston is adorable! I’m definitely a crazy gnome lady! I get them all out in Gnomevember!
GNOMEVEMBER!!! I love it!
There is nothing good about a hurricane, but I will say that it brought with it some cooler weather. It’s been nice to go outside in the middle of the day and not want to die from the heat!
Oh Gaston! I love him so. I can’t wait for you to have a gnome garden someday!
Me too, Stephany, me too! I’m glad you at least got cooler weather out of it – but how terrifying!
Thanks for mentioning my blog post. You are the best. Are we somehow, strangely connected. I just texted my sister the other day as I was processing our tomatoes and squash and told her I felt like Ma Ingalls. Great (Weird?) minds must think alike.
I think we are connected! xo
Macintosh apples! Kitchen gnomes! Long and loose tops (I go for loose, not as much long, since I am… not a very long person. ;>)! All good things. š
Thanks Anne!
I am very jealous (in a good way) of your bountiful harvest from your garden. I pretty much had ZERO success this year, not even one lousy zucchini. I am hoping next year will be much better.
I don’t think I’ve seen MacIntosh apples at our stores yet, but I’ll keep my eyes out!
Gaston is delightful. That’s all.
Oh darn, I’m sorry your garden was a bust this year! Hopefully it will be better next year.