Hello Beautiful Souls,

The fall season has the best foods out of the entire year for me, especially fall treats! They are my absolute favorite. It’s all about those comfort foods. As the weather cools down, a bowl of butternut squash soup, rosemary bread, and a glass of mulled wine, fills the belly and warms the soul. Well, the weather doesn’t really cool down much in California, but sometimes we’ll get some rain in late October. I can hope at least and live vicariously through the East coast weather. Lol

So, today I thought I’d share a couple of recipes with you all. My spiced apple coffee is a lovely treat on a crisp fall evening. Pull out a good book, like The Hobbit, an old favorite of mine, and curl up with a soft blanket by a fire while sipping on this treat. Being warm and cozy is relaxing, comforting and soothing. I have cats, so I know there will also be a purring fur baby on my lap, taking advantage of the cozy time. This would be a perfect drink to take to a book club meeting. Have you ever started a book club? If you’re intimidated to start your own club, you can check in with your local bookstore. They typically will either host a book club or will know of some local groups that meet up.

  • There is a special kind of magic during this time of year. The colors in nature are changing and the nights get longer. The veil between the worlds is starting to thin and Samhain/Halloween is just around the corner. The spirit of the spooky season permeates our minds with frightful tales of the strange and unusual and scary movies. I absolutely love reading ghost stories, tales that send a shiver down your spine and suspend disbelief. A short story Dean Koontz wrote called The Black Pumpkin is one of my favorites to re-read. Watching classic Halloween movies like the Halloween series or Friday the 13th is always a fun time, more so with friends.

Life can be very hectic and busy. It would be fun to set some time aside to plan a themed movie night with your friends. Pick a movie and make foods that will go along with it. You can get really creative with the foods and still keep it simple to prepare. Have your guests bring a dish, it’ll be fun to see what they came up with.

What better way to spend a movie night than with some yummy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and a cold glass of milk? I love almond milk with these cookies. I have tried so many pumpkin dishes and desserts. I’m definitely a pumpkin foodie. I’ve tried everything pumpkin and pumpkin spice and loved most of it. It’s fun to see all the different recipes that you can find this time of year. Pumpkin filled ravioli with pumpkin sauce is amazing, and here is a recipe link for that. https://biancazapatka.com/en/pumpkin-ravioli-vegan/

Here is the link to the recipe. https://www.asaucykitchen.com/vegan-chocolate-chip-pumpkin-cookies

These cookies are perfect for sharing. It would be lovely to share some with your neighbor or take a batch to work. An unexpected treat can brighten someone’s day. We all could use a few more smiles in our life. The great thing about making cookies is that it doesn’t take very long to make a batch. It is so important to find joy in the little things you do on a daily basis. Having a grateful heart will perpetuate and sustain your feelings of happiness and contentment. If you are unhappy with your life, it has little to do with outside circumstances, like your career, or with the people around you. It has everything to do with how you feel about yourself, how you are viewing things and if you are placing blame on circumstances or anyone you know. Get out of the victim mentality and take responsibility for your life. Get into some deep self-reflection. It can be really intimidating and challenging. Just try to remain as objective as possible, so you may find the core issues you need to work on and heal. This is what is known as Shadow work, and it is something a lot of people avoid doing, but when you face these things about yourself, it is so empowering to know you’ve worked through it and it no longer weighs you down.

 

Do you have a favorite dessert this time of year? What is your favorite movie to watch this time of year? Do you have a favorite scary story? Do you love pumpkin as much as I do, or do you skip it?

I hope you enjoy these recipes, and I’d love to hear from you if you try them. Be well on your journey.

Love and Light,

Shara