Finally Fall

It’s finally fall, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from where I am. In Portland, September hits, and while it is still warm the evenings and mornings get cool and foggy, the sun changes position, the leaves hang on to the branches with crispy edges and their sound crackles in the breeze. In my new home, NYC, the humidity cakes your skin, the only leaves you see are the ones that have some how traveled a million miles in the wind and are broken apart in bits and pieces and scattered about gutters in the streets and it is still too hot for pumpkin spice lattes. But fall is here. We ended the summer with a peach pie in Central Park. We started September with a football game and some hard cider. Friends have filled the space between reading assignments and papers and I am left with very little time to fill my head with extra thoughts and ideas. There is no room for any extra. Not right now.

In the midst of tornados (like the one that touched down in Queens yesterday) I have made it a goal to find a different coffee shop everyday. The problem with this is that when I come across a new favorite I find myself returning to the same places over and over. And then there is my own little coffee press that I got in the mail last week—where I can enjoy cups of Portland from my favorite spot on the East Side whenever I want. And this weekend, in a city that never sleeps, I have found myself blending the cups together…a cup of Portland (brewed by me) in the morning and a cup of NYC (brewed by a New Yorker) in the afternoon. Dehydrated? Probably– but worth it. How else am I supposed to stay alert while reading Hobbes? How else am I supposed to remember the words of Rousseau? The Answer–brew up a cup to feed your addiction, fill your soul and stimulate your mind. Because no one wants to fall asleep in NYC–there is too much one would miss out on without a cup.

Apple Pie: It’s that time again!

-Preheat your oven to 450 degrees

-6 Apples (from the farmers market) peeled and sliced (use a sharp knife and don’t cut your finger)

–Make the dough by hand or go buy pre-made dough at the store (Trader Joe’s pie crust is my favorite)

–Place half the dough/pie crust in a un-greased glass pie plate

–      Mix ¾ cup of flour, ¾ cup of brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon (as much as you like for taste) together in a large bowl.

–      Pour the apples into the flour/sugar mixture to coat the apples

–Place the apple/sugar mixture into your pie plate with the pie crust

–Use remaining dough/pie crust to cover the top (with a design of your choice)

–Bake at 450 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown

–Enjoy with friends (in a park, on a subway, or in a small apartment)

This cup is for Hobbes–if you were here I would offer you a cup in exchange for all the answers to all my questions.