I get so giddy this time of year! There’s just something in the air. Though fall has only just begun, I love the small, subtle changes that indicate it’s definitely on the way. The colder evenings and crisper mornings; the ever-so-slightly earlier sunsets, the tinges of orange you begin to see on various trees- these small and simple things get me so excited because I know autumn is truly around the corner!

In my little town, there’s also a few more little indicators that get me excited. Sunflowers, for one. I LOVE sunflowers. And though our town is growing fast, it’s still quite rural compared to many cities, and we drive past many farms, fields and orchards daily. And one of my favorite things right now is that sunflowers have popped up all over the place. Along the road, across fences, even on the side of the freeway entrance- sunflowers just seem to magically pop up everywhere here, and I absolutely adore it. It’s a cheerful goodbye to summer, and welcome hello to fall!

And with fall finally arriving, that means- there’s going to be apple cider donuts. You don’t even have to look at your calendar to know when September rolls around here in Santaquin, because your social media feed will be full of delicious pictures of apple cider donuts, apple cider slushies, or just a regular ol’ jug of good apple cider! The Red Barn is known for its ice cream, corn maze- and apple cider donuts! They are a soft, bready donut, coated in a delectable cinnamon sugar coating and it’s definitely something that has started to become nostalgically associated with fall. I’m sure my children will grow up and will think of apple cider donuts when they think of autumn time in their childhood. I made a copycat apple cider donut cake last year, and my 4 year old has asked about it at least once a month this entire year. There’s definitely some strong love there ;).

I love how food can be such a huge part of life, besides the fact that we need to eat to live. I love how strongly food can be associated with memories and experiences. My children will probably associate apple cider donuts with their autumn childhood memories- and for some reason, I can’t help but think of cauliflower soup when I think of mine. I remember the first time I started cooking cauliflower soup last year in September, and literally tearing up, thinking of my mother, and missing her (not that she’s gone anywhere, but missing her in that childlike, want to be home kind of way). Food is powerful stuff! I think the movie “Ratatouille” shows it perfectly when the food critic takes a bite and is mentally immediately transported to his mother’s kitchen. We just can’t underestimate the power of food!

I’d love to hear your fall food associations. Do you have a favorite recipe or family tradition that just immediately takes you back to your autumn childhood? I would love to hear them in the comments below!