People around the country like to say that the seasons don't change in California; that we don’t feel the winter too much because we don't get blasted by snow blizzards, or the summer because we don’t get smacked down by humidity. I was born and raised in Southern California (lucky, I know), and I personally feel it when summer comes to a slow crawling end and the fall comes in at a leisurely pace around October. My sweaters get taken out of the storage closets and the heaters get vacuumed for dust.
But most importantly, my kitchen gets stocked up with broths, fresh veggies and baking supplies. A fall rainstorm happened a couple of days ago, and I immediately went into comfy-and-warm-drinks mode. So I decided to make one of my favorite seasonal drinks: hibiscus apple cider. The hibiscus flower tends to be sweet and tangy, while the apple cider is fruity and mellow. Together, they’re a perfect blend for the changing of the season.