1. Participate in the harvest
I am of the opinion that we all need to get back to our roots (ha!) and become connected with the food that we eat. As in, know where it comes from, how it is grown, when it is in season, etc. A few weeks ago we went apple picking at an orchard that we like to visit each year. There must be some sort of chemical that is released in your body that is flavor enhancing when you physically harvest things, because most foods we pick ourselves taste phenomenal. Those apples are crisp and sweet and delicious. I made applesauce (and canned it!), apple cider, apple chips, and some apple based soups. I've also been visiting a local farm with a friend and her adorable girls. Picking produce from the farm is a great activity for kids and it ensures that you know where your food is coming from. Our society has a big disconnect between our food and its source that some have said can lead to pickier kids, so allowing kids to see what their food looks like before it makes it into a dish and to be and active part of picking and preparing can only be beneficial, as I see it. We plan to be part of a CSA next year so we can enjoy the harvest all season long.
2. Cook seasonal foods
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| Buffalo Chicken Wing Soup |
Soup, anyone? The flavors of autumn are spectacular! Pumpkin, of course, is a favorite, but I've been learning to cook more with lots of varieties of squash, sweet potatoes, and even greens like kale and swiss chard (from the farm!). Cooking with seasonal produce feels good. I've tried a lot of new recipes lately and have really gotten excited about cooking dinner- which we all know is not a favorite of mine. Now that Charly eats mostly what we eat, with some variations (like adding salt to ours afterwards, or eating the veggies out of a soup), I have been interested in cooking healthier no-fuss meals. Of course with my healthier meals is a good balance of not-so-healthy desserts. I haven't gone THAT healthy:) Every fall we get excited to make pumpkin desserts, and this season we are adding a few more to the rotation. Every time I do cook I intend to take a picture so I can post about it, but it is getting dark so early now that I just don't have the light to take a pic at dinner time. Sorry. Instead, I'll link to some of the recipes I've been cooking up:
Spaghetti Squash with Kale, Chickpeas and Hazelnuts- I left out the hazelnuts because they are expensive. Almonds would have been a nice substitute that would still give you the crunch factor. Charly ate this minus the nuts and the chickpeas, which she had a hard time mashing with her gums.
Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Lasagna- We used regular lasagna noodles and cream cheese/ricotta mix instead of mascarpone. We also added cooked swiss chard. Charly loved this! She had a hard time with the noodles but ate everything else.
Chicken Corn Chili- I have made this twice already. It is awesomely good and awesomely easy. I pull out some of the large chunks of veggies and chicken for Charly to eat.
Carrot Apple Bisque- This is an old favorite of ours that I'm planning on making this weekend.
Chicken Cider Stew- This is almost an exact replica of the recipe I used from a cookbook. I used bone in chicken (drumsticks or thighs) which gives it a really rich flavor. Just throw it in whole and pull the bones out before you serve! I cut the veggies big enough that Charly could grab them and it was no problem for her to share this meal with us.
Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Butter- Do yourself a favor and don't use the microwave method! Charly eats this up.
Caramel Apple Cake with Apple Cider Frosting- I made this into cupcakes, which were phenomenal! The frosting didn't make it, though. I added too much cider and it was a lost cause from there. I'd suggest making a cream cheese based frosting with a little cider. Also, I used about 1 cup wheat flour and the rest white, since I didn't have whole wheat pastry flour.
Rosemary Parmesan Sweet Potatoes- A healthier alternative to baked potatoes.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles- We already posted about these, but just in case you forgot...
Pumpkin Crap Cookies - A must for fall.
3. Embrace fall fashion
Sweaters, tights, scarves, boots.... layers! I love everything about fall fashion. What is better than dressing for the fall? Dressing an adorable baby girl for the fall!
Thanks to Brinn for these awesome pictures. We can't wait to see the rest, and we'll share our favorites with you all for sure!
4. Check out the colors
The changing colors are one of the best parts of autumn. Eat it up! (Charly takes it very literally)
5. Prepare for the holidays
Halloween kicks of the holiday season, and with a little one in tow this year, I am more excited than ever to celebrate the holidays! Since Charly was born in January, this season will be a whole slew of 'firsts' for her- first autumn, first Halloween, first Christmas... amazingly enough, we even had her first snow not too long ago! We painted pumpkins this year for a more kid friendly approach, and since we are in an apartment we don't have an outdoor space to display jack o lanterns. Rotting pumpkin = gross. I made Charly's lamb costume, which was a bigger pain than I had hoped. Sewing with "fur" is not fun. It is messy. But she looked adorable, and we even dressed up for the church trunk-or-treat as an afterthought. Aren't we cute:)
In the midst of the Halloween prep I also began Christmas prep, making gift lists and pacing myself so I can complete as many home made gifts as possible. I love the holidays!
There it is, how I had an awesome autumn (and forgot to blog about it along the way). Now get out there and have yourself an awesome autumn too, before it is too late!
