Fall, in love

Well, summer is gone and we are officially into the throngs of what promises to be a lovely autumn. The leaves are turning their new hues, it’s time to take out the cardigans (yes!) and the drama of Philadelphia’s sunsets has increased tenfold. Let not the close of summer keep us from enjoying excursions, weekending now and then and even going to the beach – my parents went to the Jersey shore last weekend. If you are in the Northeast, this is prime winery time, or at least ripe for taking a drive, walk or bike ride out in the crisp air. Go do it! Everything will be so much better. Last night I took an hour long detour on my way out to dinner just so I could spend time biking in the cool air. Yes, autumn rules. Going out doors is nice. Watch the sunset, forget about your clock, have that cathartic Caspar David Friedrich moment.



When I went up to Hunter New York I sat and watched a sunset with my friends for what felt like an eternity. This was THE moment of my summer, and many things came into perspective just allowing myself to clear my mind and put my focus on the light shifting over the mountains. Yes, it is very corny. I don’t care – sunsets are beautiful. My sister visited some friends in Olympia, Washington in August and came back with her own sunset moment. Apparently, right in the middle of a nice social evening, her friend suddenly shouted out “Quick! We have to go to the coast now or we’ll miss the sunset!” of course this excursion was not a pre-planned part of the day, but nevertheless everyone piled into their cars and zoomed out towards the ocean, with the pure, simple motive of watching the sunset. My sister was very moved by this sudden burst of passion for such a seemingly un-extraordinary event; it was with this moment that it became apparent to my sister that life for her friend in Olympia was precisely about enjoying these moments – the beauty observed in the every-day things is what makes every day enjoyable. It’s classic but true, the west coast just seems more in to standing back and taking in the scenery.

Here is My west coast sunset, seen at Black's Beach in San Diego last March:


And in Hunter, NY:


There is no reason for us not to pursue those instants of secret beauty, to follow and take pleasure in every moment of delight that the simple fact of the world turning offers us. This is life lived to it’s fullest, to take pleasure in the wealth of gorgeous detail all around us. While my weekend in the country was wonderful, I’m finding endless wonders right here at home as well.

Of course taking that trip to Hunter was even better for the friends I was with. I love making things and baking for friends anyway (as I write this I am baking something for my roommate’s gallery reception), so of course I whipped up a little something that we all enjoyed with our breakfast the first morning. This recipe will now always be associated with memories of late summer in the woods, and of all the lovely things I saw there.

Peach Mountain Bread

1-2 Peaches (alas, peach season is over, but maybe you can scrounge up some stragglers)
1/4 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup honey
2 Cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 egg
1 Cup milk
2 TBS melted butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a loaf pan.
Slice the peach or peaches into thin wedges, approx. 1/4 – 3/8 inch wide along the peel. Set aside.
In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a small bowl, whisk the honey, egg, milk and butter until fully mixed. Add the wet to the dry and add the walnuts, stir until “just mixed”.
Pour batter into the loaf pan. Working somewhat quickly, layer the peaches in rows of about four slices so that the corners overlap (see photo – get it? The peaches look like mountains. Cute.). Cover the entire top of the loaf – this is why you might need more than one peach.
Bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for about 10 minutes, and remove from pan to cool on a rack or ceramic plate. Yum!