a farewell to fall: featuring a visit to bates nut farm and an autumn-inspired muffin recipe

Ah, though autumn has yet to officially draw to a close, it certainly appears to have concluded, as far as both shops and weather are concerned. I am personally quite fond of the Holiday Season – the Christmas carols! the vibrant lights, and ornamented trees! -, but do so despise the wintry months that follow December. If only fall was never-ending…. sigh. In honor of my absolute favorite time of year (October & November!), I have decided to share a final autumnal recipe, along with several photographs from my family’s recent visit to Bates Nut Farm and their utterly lovely pumpkin patch.

Bates Nut Farm is a charming little destination to frequent throughout the fall. I highly recommend browsing the numerous aisles of their general store; it truly is a pleasant, memorable experience. Purchase a square or two of homemade fudge, perhaps? – and ooh, their selection of tree nuts is simply phenomenal. My younger brother Jake is especially keen on the assortment of candy… rainbow lollipops, saltwater taffy, and sticky sweets in general are all favorites of his. I am typically drawn to the tremendous variety of fruit preserves… and the Christmas decorations they display (and sell) are just too cute!

Shall we discuss muffins, now? I think yes.

In spite of this particular recipe’s title, it is indeed suitable for all seasons – not just fall in particular. The bold cinnamon flavor inspired me to title the muffins, well – “autumn-inspired”, as I myself tend to associate such tastes with colorful gourds, deciduous trees, etc.

As I type these words, itty bitty droplets of water are falling from the gloomy gray clouds overhead… this is highly unusual weather for us, but oh, it is so, so wonderful! I envy those of you who reside in places where rain is a common occurrence. Don’t even get me started on snow…

I suppose those last few sentences seemed rather… out of the blue? It is just that rain is perfect, perfect baking weather! I intend to whip up a batch of these this coming weekend – hopefully the rain will continue until then. Why don’t you do the same? (bake muffins, I mean!)  That crunchy turbinado sugar is just marvelous.

Okay, okay. I’ll stop rambling. Recipe, anyone? (and click here for directions to Bates Nut Farm: 15954 Woods Valley Road Valley Center, CA 92082)

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xoxo,

Abby