I feel like this doesn’t even need to be said, but, of course, Fall is by far my favorite season.  First of all, school is back in session, which creates the framework for a sweet, merciful routine that is the magic charm of meal-planning.  Although busy as heck, I still say “ahhhhhh” to regular, predictable (even if jam-packed and hectic) schedules.  There is a chill in the air, so it feels ok to turn on the oven and the stovetop for soups, stews, sauces and chilis that need to simmer.  The horse chestnuts fall to the ground, the ducks return to the pond, the landscape is at its most brilliant, and nearly every run is rewarded by a spectacular sunrise.  And to top it all off, the year’s most nutrient-rich, healthiest foods are being harvested by the bushel.  What’s not to love!?  In tribute to our beloved Harvest season, here are a few of my favorite Fall things:

Butternut Squash Soup and Soft Molasses Ginger Cookies…

Today, I’m going to re-share the Soft Molasses Ginger Cookie recipe, and serve up the Butternut Squash Soup recipe so that you can enjoy these Fall flavors, too!  Happy Fall Cooking, Baking and Eating!

  

We love apple picking.  We love it so much that we get totally carried away each year when we go…

When I tell you that we picked 90 pounds of apples a few weeks ago, I mean that we probably picked about 125 pounds of apples.  We filled three, 30 pound bags, to the brim, and ended up with a few extra little bags on the side (drops and overflow).

 

Are you like this?  Does your whole family enjoy plucking ripe, delicious fruit from the trees so much that you end up awash in apples at the end of your excursion?  If so, Apple Crisp is one of the best ways to manage your apple overload.  When I say “best,” I mean, it’ super easy, you can use ingredients already in your pantry, it’s as delicious a treat as apple pie, and you can make it again and again without tiring of the taste or the task.  This Crisp has a more complex spice palate than others I’ve seen… by the time it’s apple-picking season, I’m dying for these Fall spice flavors and can’t wait to bake them into something wonderful.

And if you still have piles and piles of apples, don’t forget to make our all-time favorite stand-by, Crock Pot Apple Sauce!  So far, we have made two batches of apple sauce, five beautiful pies, and two batches of Apple Crisp with our haul.  And there are about 35 apples left in the fruit bowl.  So, yeah– we’re running low.  Enjoy!!