Orange sweaters and skinny jeans!

I think this will be my fall wardrobe.  Short sleeved sweaters and orange.  Those are my only two criteria.  From there on out I don't really care. 

Thankful Thursday

Can you see those happy colors up on the mountain there?!  It is happenin' people!  I am happy that it is fall!  I am grateful for the weather change.  I am not a hot weather sort of person.  The season changes really make me wonder at the world.  And wonder at an awesome God who created it for us and with us in mind!  We are supposed to have beauty in our lives!  I can't deny it when I see those oranges and reds and golden yellows. 

OH and the smells of fall!  The damp leaf smell and fires burning.  Ginger and clove.  Oh yes I love the smells of this time of year.  Plus I love pumpkin- like a lot.  The color, smell and taste of pumpkin.  This is the only time of year I eat pumpkin flavored things.  It makes it more special for me. 

Fall is motivating for me too.  I am not sure why that is but I feel crazy motivated to do a million and one things!  So many projects- so little time!  My creativity gland swells 12x during this crisp season.  I feel unstoppable!  I wish I could bottle up this feeling and make it last all year. 

Well I am off to burn the autumn candle at both ends.  I don't mind as long as it smells like spiced apples!

    

Easy Spiced Cider

I love fall!  The sounds, the sights, the smells (I will say this about the Christmas season as well!) and of course the tastes!  Pumpkin spice and all things nice.  One thing that screams autumn to me is apple cider.  I have a crazy easy and crazy fast spiced apple cider recipe for you.  It is slightly adapted from this recipe

Spiced Cider

1 12oz can of frozen apple juice concentrate- 

mixed with water according to directions

1/2 c. red hots candy

1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredients in a medium pot and simmer until red hots are dissolved.  Bingo bango.

Easy and fast and bueno!  I think I like the more complicated recipe a bit better but I can't complain considering it cost me two dollars and about 15 minutes of my time.  It gets super red so it would be fun for Halloween night after the festivities to warm up.  OH and it is pretty sweet so you can really omit the brown sugar but it is nice when you sip it.  Plus I feel like the brown sugar gives it a little more depth of flavor.  I found the red hots candy in the baking section in the bulk goods at WINCO.  It was the twonkie brand and they were called cinnamon imperials.  

Lazy Days

The past few days have been filled with this:

And lots of this:

Those bad boys are baked pumpkin donut holes but really they are more like mini muffins.  I think that next time I make them I am going to make a glaze to coat them in!  Yummy!!  I can't seem to get enough of pumpkin everything.