Fun and Fall Festive Ways to Enjoy Autumn

Autumn is a poetic season. It is a time for pulling back from all the summer excitement, and relishing in contemplation and the delicacy of the days. Whereas Summer comes at us in all it's blazing glory, Autumn causes us to step back and reflect the change. It is a time of families and food and the hearth and home. For centuries, man has associated Autumn with harvest and the reaping of all that was so painstakingly sown. You've worked hard all year, why not take a little time out to appreciate Mother Nature's bounty, too? Here are a few ideas I have come up with to celebrate the season.

1.) Pick Apples And Enjoy Some Fresh Apple Cider
I can not think of anything so tasty as spiced apple cider on a cool night. Once it gets very chilly, I sometimes like to enjoy it hot, with a splash of rum or brandy. Wassail has a long tradition in Anglo-Saxon and other cultures of being a popular warmer on Autumn nights. Here is my recipe for it.

Wassail

2 Cups apple cider
2 slices of orange
1 cinnamon stick
pinch of nutmeg
2 jiggers of rum/brandy (or to taste-optional)

Simply warm the cider in a pan. Let it simmer a few minutes with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Remove from heat, and pour into two glasses. Remove the cinnamon stick, or leave in for a drinking straw. Add alcohol, if you want, and garnish with a twist of orange. Serves 2. This drink is sure to warm hearts and toes!

Before it gets too cold, it is also worth the trip to go to an apple farm to pick apples. Especially with Autumn arriving, many farms offer all kinds of fun activities for young and old alike. There are many fun games to try, such as apple-bobbing. Or the kids could spend an hour delving through a corn maze. These traditional fall activities keep alive the ancient traditions of the season, and are a welcome change from e-mail and video games.

2.) Take a Hayride and Pick a Pumpkin!
Sometimes apple farms switch over to pumpkins as it gets closer to Halloween, but there's nothing like picking your very own pumpkin straight from the vine. Pumpkins and other gourds and squashes literally symbolize the spirit of the season, right down to the cornucopias stuffed with them on the Thanksgiving table. Nothing beats the jostling, good old-fashioned family fun of a wagon going through mysterious fields to reach the pumpkin patch at dusk. If you're lucky, the ride will be longer.

Pumpkins really could just be their own category as there are literally hundreds of pumpkin recipes, from pie to ice cream to soup. But at the pumpkin farms sometimes you can get a pumpkin butter or bread that is freshly harvested, and beats the pants off those wimpy, over spiced grocery store products.

3.) Go Camping In Your Most Scenic Nature Park
Yes, camping does not have to be over once the weather starts cooling down. Fall is an ideal time to bundle up and take long nature walks. Some parks have cabins you can rent, for a little family "down" time, or a romantic getaway. Nothing beats the peace and quiet of sitting by a crackling fire talking and relaxing. If you can time it right, you might be able to coincide your camping excursion with the turning of the leaves. In Ohio, my home state, Hocking Hills is the prime destination, and people reserve cabins and campsites a year in advance during the fall, so it's good to think ahead.

4.) Make a Pomander Ball
This is one of my favorite old-timey things to do, and costs very little money. I'm a huge fan of nice smelly stuff and potpourri, and these natural household items add spice and warmth to your home. They have been made and hung around homes since renaissance times, and were very popular in Victorian households. Here's what you need to make your own.

1 orange
red ribbon or string (at least 12 inches)
about 50 whole cloves

Sit down sometime when you have time to relax, and enjoy this fun, easy craft. Start by poking the whole cloves into the orange. You should use the sharp side so that the clove bud sticks out. Fill the entire orange, so that the orange rind is barely visible. Then wrap the red ribbon or string around the ball a few times, like you're wrapping a package. Tie it off at the top, so that you have excess ribbon that you can use to hang your pomander with. Now hang it anywhere for a burst of spicy natural fragrance. As the orange dries out, scent is released, and the cloves keep the orange from molding. Traditionally, these were hung in closets or other small spaces. I think I'll put one this year by the cat's litter box! But regardless of where you put them, these are sure to be a hit with the family.

5.) Bake Some Healthy Sweets!
Summer seems to be a great time for crisp salads and ice cream. But, with the season change, warm things from the oven can't be beat. Here's a recipe I got from Enova Brand Oil, that I doctored up a bit to make even more delicious. This recipe has the flavor of a rich, spicy molasses cake, with an inverted topping of apples and cinnamon. Enjoy!

Apple Harvest Bake

3/4 cup oats 1 Large Granny Smith or Pink Lady apple, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup warm water 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses 1 t. baking soda
2 T. olive oil or Enova brand oil 1 t. cinnamon
2 large egg whites 1/2 t. salt
2 t. vanilla extract 1/4 t. nutmeg
1 T. melted margarine
cooking spray
1 cup sugar, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oats, water, molasses, and oil in a small bowl, allow to sit for 10 minutes. Stir in the egg whites and vanilla. Coat a nine-inch cake pan with cooking spray, and pour margarine on bottom. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar. Arrange the apple slices in a circular pattern in the pan, from inside to out.

Combine flour, the rest of the sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add oat mixture to dry, and mix until just moist.
Pour batter into pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan 10 minutes before carefully inverting onto another plate. The apples make a beautiful presentation, and this cake is low in fat and high in fiber!

6.) Rake a Big Pile of Leaves, and Jump In Them!
Need I say more? This activity brings out the kid in all of us. When raking, resist that adultlike urge that tells you to immediately bag the leaves and clean up the "mess". Have a little fun and be a kid again! Throw leaves at your partner, or watch with amusement as the cat or dog paws through this exciting mystery forest. Take a healthy breath of fresh air, and be thankful for beautiful Autumn.