The fall started to settle in without me. This signaled a slide into procrastination mode as I tried to fend off the eventual – the end of summer. I should have seen the slow down coming. I'm prone to this affliction without much prompting, and I can usually detect the signs. But, the triple whammy of my son going back to school, some deadlines creeping dangerously close, and the cooler temperatures (seasonal transitions are always a challenge - when others are zipping up boots, I'm still wearing flip flops), I started to succumb to the let down. Until...I heard a Ben Taylor song (yes, James' son), After It's Over. The song is obviously a love song, but those three words stuck in my head repeatedly, and now I'm putting on my socks and pushing away any lingering summer melancholy because – after it's over, it's over.
I have almost no regrets about this past summer, except for maybe not growing out my bangs sooner – it was just too hot for bangs. Anyway, in the fading light of the last few weeks, I stumbled upon three food-related party discoveries. They made me smile away any persistent seasonal blues and think about throwing a party to help smooth the transition of summer into fall.
Out of the ordinary parties don't just happen in summer, and this cake is no ordinary cheese cake. Taking cheese to a whole new level, this cake is ripe for some autumnal inspiration and fall fruit.
My daughter's boyfriend, who coincidentally hails from the same island as Ben Taylor, is an amazing photographer. His birthday is September 11th, which has become a difficult date to have been born on. This cake would surely give him the honor every birthday deserves. Hmm, do you think this could be made with whole wheat cake flour? And...is it a Nikon or a Canon he uses?!?!
If you indulge in quintessential summer drinks, a fine gin and tonic can make a summer evening superior. If G+T's are not your thing, Q Tonic might change your mind this fall. Most tonic water is sweetened beyond recognition with high fructose corn syrup or "corn sugar" (it's been rebranded), and packaged in generic containers. Q Tonic is a whole other breed of tonic that is sweetened with organic agave, has 60% fewer calories than regular tonic water and contains no corn syrup/sugar. You can find it in most health food stores. I've found I can even keep the beautifully designed bottles out of the recycling bin by refilling the bottles with our own freshly squeezed pear juice.
Don't let the end of summer get you down, the fall party has just begun. How do you transition from one season to another?
Credits: Cheese Cake – A Cup Of Jo, Q Tonic - Q Tonic, Camera Cakes - Freshome