Groovy kind of love

Ok, so it has been awhile. It is hard for me to believe that the last post I entered was in August. Where have I been? Isn't there a song "I've been everywhere, man!" and I have...sort of. The past month was filled with friends, experiences and emotions that spanned 40 years. Yes, you guessed it. I went to my high school reunion and every minute was wonderful. This was only the second one I had been to and while not as daunting as the first time I went back, it still required somewhat of an "I can do it" attitude. The good news is that those years melted away in an instant and we were all able to catch up with each other in a significant way. I went to a very small school and so by that very nature, the reunion was already intimate. But what made it so special was that whether by accident or sheer intention, we created an open, caring environment to share our lives as compassionate adults, not cliquish teenagers. I know sometimes we long for youth, but honestly, I loved more who I was with and who I was at this adult stage than I ever did as a teenager. It felt so comfortable and so fun...indeed a groovy kind of love.

I also wrote an article this week for a magazine and submitted a recipe for "adult" applesauce. Using Calvados takes the flavor of applesauce to a whole new level, and so of course, I had to think of other uses for that amazing brandy. Here is a recipe I found that sounds like the perfect go-with for the applesauce. Ahh...the joys of being an adult! Grooviness at its best.

Autumn's Cup

Recipe adapted from Organic, Shaken and Stirred
Makes 1 drink
Ice
1¼ ounces Calvados (preferably organic)
¾ ounce Bénédictine liqueur
5 thin wedges of organic apple, with skin on
2 organic bay leaves
3 organic whole cloves
Splash of club soda
Pinch of freshly grated organic nutmeg
Fill a tall glass with ice. Add the Calvados, Bénédictine, apple, bay leaves and cloves
and stir. Top with the club soda and the nutmeg and serve. (Don’t eat the bay leaves or
cloves, of course.) Cheers!