Missing home?: Nothing a Dirty Diet Coke won't fix!

"Happy Fall Y'all!"  is what my neighbors wreath says right now.  Most of the other front door decor says "Roll Tide!"  Where am I?

Sometimes I forget how well I seem to have acclimated to it here in the south.  Then I see things that quickly remind me I am far from home.  But, that's what makes it fun living here, I like to take in all the southern charm.  We'll be here for at least 4 years, I might as well enjoy it, breathe it all in.  Who knows?  Maybe Andrew will take a job here one day.  I know we would prefer to live by family, but we'll see.  

The fall season is sometimes the hardest for me to be away from home.  I'm not sure why, but I think it's because I love Utah in Autumn so much.  I love when the cooler, crisp air comes in and the leaves fall.

All my sweaters sit in vacuum packed bags, and I can't even wear my Frye Riding boots this year because they were already a struggle to get off, and now with my prego sized feet it's nearly impossible.  Not to mention the fact it's still too hot here to wear them.

 For the mean time, I find a good cure for being homesick is to do something that reminds you of home.  Last week, we had the missionaries over for dinner and I made "Cafe Rio."  A Utah original.  It wasn't the same, but it helped.  And, I think the very green, just graduated from high school missionary appreciated the reminder of home.

Something else that is hot at home right now.  I introduce to you my friends, The Dirty Diet Coke.

I'm pretty sure this means something different in other states.  But in Utah, it's nonalcoholic and a delicious concoction of Diet Coke, lime, and coconut.  It has been popularized by the Swig drink shack in St. George, Utah.

Here's the recipe:

The Dirty Diet Coke:

Crushed ice
12 oz. of Diet Coke
1/2 a lime, cut into quarters
2 Tablespoons of Coconut syrup (I used sugar free because that's what I found at the store)

Optional: 2 Tablespoons of half and half

Pour the syrup into the bottom of the glass.  Add crushed ice.  (I think pebbled ice actually works best, but I couldn't find any.)  Squeeze the limes onto the ice, then toss them in the cup.  Pour the Diet Coke over the ice.  Add your splash of half and half.  Makes one serving.

And if you want to bring it down south, and fit in here in Alabama, you need to be drinking this in your Alabama Tervis tumbler.

This is the one I have

My friend Cassie (a true Alabama girl) introduced me to these.  They are awesome, buy them at Bed Bath & Beyond with your coupon though, cause they aren't cheap!

Try it, you won't be sad.