Episode 37: The Real Gifts Of Fall

I have a confession to make. Fall is my favorite season.

In this week’s episode, I share some of my favorite memories of Fall, the real gifts of Fall, and why I love it even now.

But, these last 4 months of the year can get really hectic and overly busy. It’s not the time to allow yourself to be swept up in the “business” of the season, or to pretend that you don’t have absolute control over how you end this year – the craziest of all years.

There are 3 steps I share with you in this podcast on how to enjoy the gifts of fall, and a little recipe that creates the feeling of “home” for me every Fall.

These steps are designed to create a feeling of control and bring some clarity and peace to a time of year that can feel overwhelming and disorienting.

But I don’t want you waking up on December 31, 2020, asking yourself what happened to the last 4 months of this year. As you know, I believe that everyday matters, after all, the game is on. And that includes the days that are left in this year.

So, even if you don’t feel like thinking about the end of 2020, it’s coming. You can try to ignore it or pretend it doesn’t matter yet, and that’s fine…but you won’t be living your life by design if you choose that. Instead, you’ll be living your life by reaction.

And that means you’re not the one calling the shots.

As promised, below is the recipe for my mom’s shortbread cookies, and specific directions for creating fun leaf cookies. If you have kids or nieces and nephews around, they’ll love the hands-on approach to this recipe.

Pop in your earphones and enjoy the gifts of fall.

Happy Fall.

xo,

Sarah

Fall Leaf Shortbread Cookies

As soon as I feel that slight chill in the mornings, and the sun shining through the beautiful leaves on a Saturday afternoon, it’s time for the fall cookies.

Kids absolutely love this recipe, and they can eat the dough because there are no eggs! Perfectly safe for little tummies — and big ones too!

The recipe itself is incredibly easy. If you can remember to start with 2 cups of flour, the other ingredients are cut in 1/2 as you go down the list….

2 Cups Flour (you may need 2 1/4 cups in more humid climates)
1 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Sugar
Pinch of Salt

Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl and you mix with your hands. This is what makes this so much fun for kids!

Who doesn’t love to get in that bowl, squeeze some butter, and watch the mess turn into beautiful buttery dough!

Roll the dough out to your desired thickness on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Cut the dough with appropriately shaped cookie cutters. As you can see from the photos, I have a few fall leafcutters, which makes the finished product really fun. Of course, there are many different shapes and sizes of leaves, just like outside.

Place the cut cookie dough on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake in a 350-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies. The cookies are done when the edges just start to brown.

Frosting the cookies

Start with a 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of milk. Then, add the food coloring and mix up with a fork. I like the frosting a little bit thicker, so it doesn’t ooze down the side of the cookies.

For the fall cookies, use one bowl of red frosting, and one of yellow.

Also, to make the shortbread cookies fun and different, start with a red base on a few, and dip your finger in the yellow and run your finger over the red frosting to make a light yellow design through the leaf. Then, do the same starting with a yellow base, and add red for the design.

Kids (and adults!) absolutely love this part, and you can teach them about color combinations and how primary colors make up other colors! If you’d like to top the leaves off with some food glitter (there is frost on the leaves some mornings!), that’s always a nice touch.

Don’t miss last week’s Episode 36: Reimagining The Role of “Mom”