Looking for Ways for Carry New Friendships into Fall?
August has a way of announcing itself. The spontaneous rhythm of summer gives way to schedules. There are the drop-offs, sports, and homework for parents of school-aged children. But even for others the new season seems to bring more scheduled events and activities.
Like all seasons, it brings a newness in opportunity and in growth, but it also can be a more demanding season. Suddenly many of us may be a lot busier. During this transition it can be easy to let something slip through the cracks unnoticed: our friendships we built over the summer.
We may have new friends who came into our life these past few months. It could be a mom you sat beside at every baseball game, a neighbor you finally introduced yourself to during your morning walk, or the woman from church you kept meaning to grab coffee with. Summer has a way of throwing people together, thanks to summertime shared circumstances. It could happen that the friendship ends when the season does.
Friendships that matter most rarely stay at the level of convenience. We can choose to work on turning our new “convenience friends” into intentional friends at the change of the season by planning meetups with them. We could start maintaining these friendships by making an intentional choice to pick up the phone, to make the plan, to keep showing up even when nothing is requiring it anymore.
One of the beauties of developing an authentic, deep friendship lies in this intentionality, not counting on it to happen by accident. It may take a returned text, an invitation extended even when it might be declined, or a willingness to ask a real question and wait for a real answer; any of these say, "this friendship is important to me".
As routines tighten back up in the coming weeks, that kind of intentionality could be challenging. Perhaps establishing, as a “plan to do” item, connecting with our new friends in some way. Then, as the calendar fills with our autumn routines, we will be prompted to add in texts, phone calls, or other ways of renewing contact with the friend or friends who made this summer better.
“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art.... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Have you ever heard the phrase, "the best way to the heart is through the stomach?" Whether you're looking for a way to appreciate a dear friend, or introduce yourself to a new neighbor, a tasty treat can be a great way to foster new and old friendships. Here's a yummy and forgiving crowd-pleaser!
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
From Sally's Baking Addiction
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 45–55 minutes
Total: About 2 hours
Yield: 1 loaf, about 10 slices
Ingredients
1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (41g) unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp espresso powder
3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup (60ml) avocado oil, olive oil, or melted coconut oil
1/3 cup (80g) plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, room temperature
2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (about 185g) shredded zucchini, no need to blot
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan or 8.5x4.5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder. Stir in the chocolate chips.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla until combined.
4. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk until just combined. Fold in the shredded zucchini. The batter will be very thick. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
5. Bake for 45–55 minutes. Loosely cover the loaf with aluminum foil halfway through baking to prevent the top from over-browning. Start checking around 45 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. While still warm, you can gently press a few extra chocolate chips into the top.
7. Remove the bread from the pan and place directly on the wire rack to cool completely.
Cover and store at room temperature for up to 5 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
