Coming Home
They’re here. The days when summer’s green is spun into gold.
We have awakened to find snow dusting the mountaintops several times in the last few weeks. On the slopes, patches of aspen are turning yellow.
The mornings are sweet and crisp as fresh-picked apples, and frost coats the grass on the path to the creek.
The last of the daisies bloom in the garden, and it won’t be long until the hard freeze comes. The days of tending flowers in the sunshine will soon give way to hours weaving tales at my writing desk.
Autumn has a magic to it
…different than the other seasons. A magic with an elemental pull on me. It’s as though memories beyond my time are woven together, wrapping around me and drawing me in. The smell of wood smoke and the richness of the full moon signal harvest, and I feel it deep in my bones. An echo of our heritage, of hunting and harvest, and home.
Autumn…when birdsong gives way to the sound of elk bugling, the call of adventure wanes, and hearth fire beckons us home.
To flannel sheets, and quilts aired in the autumn breeze, smelling of golden leaves and cool grass.
To a kitchen where rows of newly-filled jars gleam with golden peaches. Where applesauce simmers on the stove. Where the oven light shines on loaves of fresh bread, and hearty wild rice soup waits to be ladled into heavy bowls.
Before long, it will be time for
cinnamon rolls.
When snow blankets the ground the first time each season, my family and friends know that a pan of cinnamon rolls will soon emerge from the oven.
Outside, the world will be hushed in hues of blue and white and lavender. Inside, the fire will curl around the logs in the woodstove. The tantalizing aroma of yeast and cinnamon and brown sugar will fill the air, and we’ll gather around the table. We’ll spread butter over the golden crust, unwind the soft sweet dough while it’s still steaming, and let the gooey brown-sugar filling melt on our tongue.
Although it first started as a way for me to celebrate the harbinger of winter, making cinnamon rolls on the first snowfall has become a family tradition. While they are also great memory makers, traditions, like seasons, offer something to look forward to. So, while one part of me mourns the passing of summer, I’m filled with anticipation of the days to come.
Done right, traditions can bring families together. They offer connection and a sense of belonging. Even before we experienced the polarization of today’s political climate and the isolation of a global pandemic, traditions had much to offer for our well-being. In these days, when so much seems to be falling apart, we need the sense of stability traditions can bring. And so do the children.
I hope old traditions take on special meaning, bonding you even closer to those you love, bringing you strength and joy.
And then, I hope you have strength and joy left over to share with others.
Here’s to the magical days of autumn, to telling stories and gathering with those you love around the table. This year, may this season be one of good food, good health, good times. May it bring you peace and contentment.
From our house to yours, happy autumn.
Cinnamon Rolls
Mix together and set aside to start yeast:
2 envelopes rapid dry yeast
½ cup warm water
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 cups scalded milk
¼ cup butter
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
Approx. 6 cups flour
Add butter to milk and heat to boiling point but DON’T boil. Beat eggs, sugar, and salt in large mixing bowl. Stir in milk mixture, then yeast mixture. Gradually add flour, stirring until mixture is smooth. Knead on floured surface until dough is smooth and springy when you poke it. Place dough in greased bowl, cover and let rise until double in bulk.
Filling:
¼ - ½ cup melted butter
Mix together:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
When dough has risen, separate into two. Roll the first half onto a flour-covered surface until ¼”- ½” thick. Spread with a thin layer of melted butter. Sprinkle with half the filling mixture. Roll dough like a jelly roll, then slice off 1” – 1½” sections and place in greased 9” x 13” pan. (Warning: you might have more rolls than fit in this pan, depending on how thick you rolled the dough, and how you cut them. ) Allow to rise for 10 minutes, then bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Well, how’d you like them? Post a comment below.
