The Best Time of the Year

When is the best time of the year? I know it varies from person to person. For me it used to be the fall. The leaves changing. Cooler temperatures. Hoodies. Pumpkin and apple recipes. I loved it all. As I get older I realize the best time of the year are the moments I have right now. The time I am given to open my eyes and get out of bed every morning.

Over the last 3 years I lost my brother, Jeff, to cancer and my mom, Mary Jane, to dementia. With loss often comes a new appreciation for time and moments. It makes some things seem so insignificant while other things that used to seem trivial have become magnificent. Every season I am given I now consider a gift. From the fall leaves changing colors and painting our landscape with amazing colors, to our winters covered in a fresh white coating of snow, to our spring budding with new growth all around us, and even our hot summers which give us time to vacation together and enjoy picnics with family and friends. I have found beauty in every day throughout the year.

I love how seasons bring changes to my menu at our little bakery. From light and fruity in the warmer months to warm and spicey in the colder months. Today I went to a local orchard and picked 18 pounds of apples to use in my recipes this weekend. How lucky I am to be able to do what I love and change with the seasons in such a wonderful, delicious way.