Tools for Transformation Tuesday: Apples!

Autumn is by far my favorite season. I love the feel of a cozy sweater and fuzzy socks. I love the smell of soup simmering on a Sunday afternoon. I love the changing colors of the leaves, and the sound as they crunch beneath my feet. But perhaps my favorite tell-tale sign of fall is apples!

From early harvest offerings at the farmer's market to the arrival of Honeycrisp and (finally) Gold Rush (!), I buy them by the bushel. I bake them into pies and cobblers and slice them for salads and snacks. I fill and roast them. I dip them in peanut butter. I scatter them across cheese plates and fill bowls on the counter.

Last week a friend shared her CSA bounty of Golden Delicious, and I couldn't resist a basket of Crimson Crisp beckoning from the market stall. With more apples than our small family could possibly consume, I eagerly rolled out some dough and baked up the first apple hand pies of the year. From the initial whiff of fruit and butter as they baked to the moment our forks pierced the flaky crust, I was fully rooted in the moment and the appreciation of fall's delights.

Simple, sensory joys can help ground us in the present and enhance our experience of the season. What fall favorites are you savoring right now?

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