Sweaters, Soups and Sangria

Ok so the time has come to panic. Summer is ending and Fall is beginning. I have to be honest, summer is not my favorite time of year. We live in the East and I really do not enjoy humidity. I am a born and raised California Girl and cannot get used to humidity. Frankly I do not want to try. Our weather this "summer" has been the following: a day of Spring, three of summer and an Arizona winter (temperatures in the 60's.) I have not run the air conditioning for nearing two weeks and last night I slept in a sweater and four blankets. I refuse to close the windows because soon, it will be too cold to open them, so, around here, it's button up Buttercup. I am baking bread this morning, made jam last night and am planning soup for dinner. 

But wait! Lets get back to the panicking part. As much as I love the Fall, it is always sad to see summer leave. Fall in the East is really magical. The colors are vibrant to the point of distraction! The rusty-reds, and oranges, the amped up golds... It's heaven on earth, truly. Fall however brings an Eastern winter. Have you ever been so cold you think you will never be warm again? Has it ever been so dark, at one in the afternoon, you fear the sun will never shine again? THAT is what winter in the East can be like. You cannot feel the yuck running from your nose down your face, you cannot feel your fingers, you forget all together you have feet let alone toes and don't even get me started on your bottom! Fo-get-about-it!

It's times like those (and only times like those) I long for the wet, hot days of an Eastern summer. Somehow, those summer days (like today) when it's in the 60's, a storm is brewing, all the windows in the house are open and your home smells fresh and clean, those summer days, those days are gifts. Those days when you can still look out into garden and see birds bathing, hear cardinals singing and plan to pick and dry herbs;  those days, are to be treasured. Those days are for Sangria! Sangria, the silly named drink that is just fun to say. (Remember the Seinfeld? Salsa! Salsa... is just fun to say!) Anyway, Sangria exemplifies summer. So, when you're bundling up in a sweater, spooning soup into your body, sip a little sangria and remember, summer will always return, whether or not it's a wet blip of humidity. 

In case reading this post has given you a hankering for Sangria,  here is how to make it:
Grab whatever red or white wine you have in the house. Pour it into a pitcher with whatever fruit you have that is cut up. Muddle these two up so they get friendly. Now, add a bit of seltzer and lemon-lime soda and if you like, a bit of brandy or even orange liqueur.  Pour this mixture over ice and say AHHHH.