A Chilly Morning Walk and Some Apple Picking

Hey everyone, happy Monday! I’m still shaking off the weekend grogginess as I type this, but I wanted to pop in and share a little about my Saturday morning with Ren. Fall is definitely starting to creep in here—the air has that crisp edge to it, and I’m already pulling out my scarves and layering up. I’m not complaining, though. This is my favorite time of year.

We woke up early on Saturday, mostly because I forgot to turn off my weekday alarm (classic me). Instead of rolling over and going back to sleep, Ren suggested we get out of the house and enjoy the cool morning. I grumbled a bit—I’m not exactly a morning person—but I’m so glad we did. We bundled up in sweaters and headed out for a walk around the neighborhood. The leaves are just starting to turn, and there’s something so peaceful about crunching through them on the sidewalk while the rest of the world is still quiet. We stopped by our usual coffee spot, Brew Haven, and grabbed lattes to-go. I went for a pumpkin spice because, yes, I’m basic, and I’m not even sorry about it.

After our walk, we decided to keep the fall vibes going and drove out to a little orchard about 30 minutes outside the city. It’s this family-owned place called Harper’s Grove that we’ve been to a couple times before. They’ve got rows and rows of apple trees, and you can pick your own for a pretty reasonable price. We spent maybe an hour wandering through, filling a basket with Honeycrisps and a few Granny Smiths for baking. I’m terrible at picking apples, by the way—I always go for the ones that look perfect on the outside but end up being all mushy when you bite in. Ren just laughs at me and picks twice as many to make up for my bad choices.

There’s something so satisfying about coming home with a haul like that, though. The house smelled amazing as we washed and sorted everything on the kitchen counter. I’ve got big plans to make an apple crisp this week if I can get my act together. My baking track record is… questionable, but I’m feeling optimistic. I might even FaceTime my grandma for her recipe—she’s got this trick with adding a little extra cinnamon and a splash of something I can’t remember. I’ll keep you posted on whether it’s a triumph or a disaster.

Oh, and while we were at the orchard, I couldn’t help but notice how early the frost warnings are coming in this year. The owner was chatting with us at the checkout and mentioned they’re expecting the first hard freeze by the end of the month, way sooner than usual in these parts. I guess that’s why the trees looked so heavy with fruit already—they’re rushing to ripen before the cold hits. I’m not ready for winter yet, but I’ll take all the cozy fall days I can get in the meantime.

The rest of the day was pretty low-key. We got back around noon, unloaded the apples, and spent the afternoon bingeing a few episodes of that new Netflix thriller everyone’s talking about. I won’t spoil anything, but let’s just say I’m hooked. Ren kept hiding behind a pillow during the jump scares, which was honestly the best part. We ordered pizza for dinner—nothing fancy, just Domino’s with extra pepperoni—because I was too wiped out to cook. I know, I know, I should’ve at least tried to whip up something with those apples, but there’s always tomorrow, right?

Anyway, I’m curious—do any of you have favorite fall traditions or recipes? I’m always looking for new ideas, especially since my cooking skills need all the help they can get. Drop a comment if you’ve got a go-to apple dish or just want to chat about the season. I love hearing from you guys.

I’m off to tackle some work emails now (ugh, Monday), but I’ll try to swing by later this week with an update on that apple crisp. Fingers crossed I don’t burn the house down. Thanks for reading, as always, and I’ll catch you soon!

-Maren