How to Celebrate the Fall

I live in the Northeastern part of the United States, and I really enjoy the changes of the four seasons, but there are special reasons why I love celebrating the Fall Season:

-Fall is a good time to rake leaves and prepare your garden's compost for next year, as well as plant some Fall flowers, such as mums and vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and garlic, depending on the weather where you live. I really enjoyed gardening with my daughter and my husband; initially it may seem like a chore, but as the living plants grow, we all enjoyed watching the colorful beauty of everything we planted. If you live in an apartment, you can still find some indoor plants, such as African violets, Cyclamen, and herbs that you can grow. Talk to a knowledgeable florist or check out gardening books and magazines at your local library. You might even meet someone nice to be friends with! Gardening is also good exercise.

-I love the weather, especially when we have Indian Summer, and the produce harvested in Fall. The gourds make wonderful decorations in a cornucopia, and you can cook up a storm by making homemade soups, stews and pies to mention a few. Cooking is such a joy for many people as we tend to stay indoors more with the chilly air and colder rain. Here are a couple of my favorite Fall recipes:

Crockpot Apples:

3 lbs. apples, such as MacIntosh or other cooking apples
1 c water
1 c oatmeal
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste, and you can sweeten with a little sugar or Splenda

Cook on high for two to three hours-the fragrance of the apples and the spices make your house smell devine!

Roast Vegetables:

2 TB olive oil
pinch salt and pepper
1 TB dried parsley or rosemary
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 large carrots, peeled and cubed
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed

spray pan with nonstick cooking spray and roast 25 minutes; then turn and roast another 25 minutes. Delicious and nutritious!

-Go to a pumpkin patch or local farm and pick out pumpkins to bake and decorate and apples to cook as well as other produce for soups, stew and roasting. Many children and some adults love to paint or carve pumpkins and make Jack 'O Lanterns. Be creative, and for a quick snake, here's one of my favorite recipes:

Simple Fall cake recipe:

Easy Low-Cal Pumpkin Mini Cakes
1 box low sugar chocolate cake mix
1-15 ounce can pumpkin or fresh puree
1/2 c 1% or nonfat milk

Mix well and spray mini bundt cakes pan with nonstick cooking spray. Fill and bake according to box directions-you'll know they're done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. You can mix dessert whipped fat-free topping with one box sugar-free pudding for icing. This is easy enough for your children to do with you too! It makes wonderful, good quality time spent with your children too. My son and I cooked together when he was growing up; I had a cookbook with some children's recipes in it for a guide. Use your computer internet for ideas of fun activities or your local library. Libraries usually have plenty of children's activities too; if you need a break, you can take your children to one of those once in awhile.

-Fall is a wonderful time to pack your camera and go for a walk or a hike with your friend or spouse and take pictures of the beautiful colorful Fall foliage. I used to live across from Prospect Park in New York and took pictures as I walked all around the almost four-mile park walk during the different seasons. I loved to scan the pictures onto my computer programs and share them with friends, family and on different internet sites; I took some beautiful seasonal shots to share.

-Celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving and Fall birthdays and anniversaries with a festive Autumnal theme, decorating with leaves, pumpkins and cute black cats. Our family has a wonderful time decorating, planting mums, cooking and baking for these special occasions. You can buy some new CDs with holiday music or romantic music to enjoy with that special someone. When we're all done celebrating all those special occasions, we enjoy jumping right in to decorate for Christmas with all the hot cocoa and cookie making changing over to Christmas' theme! Take a holiday season break and enjoy flavored tea and coffees at home with your loved ones and friends, using spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, vanilla and chocolate as well as flavored creamers in your drinks at home. This not only saves a little money, but you can relax and enjoy each others company, choose the music and reading, and maybe start up your fireplace!