Traveling into the sunrise and nearly at the equinox…Fall, here we come!
“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house.” Author Unknown
“Dancing of the autumn leaves on a surface of a lake is a dream we see when we are awake.” Author Unknown
The autumn equinox occurs tomorrow which signals that day light and night become nearly equal in length. With the shift in light, cooler weather, and change in food available during this time of year, I am beginning to adjust my activities and cooking to better fit the season.
I associate fall with wonderful traditions such as hay rack rides, visiting orchards to buy apples and cider, bobbing for apples, bonfires, the arrival of colored corn, pumpkins and gourds, eating more soup for the cooler weather, preparing seasonal drinks such as autumn wassail, cooking with fall spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves, breaking out cozy falls sweaters, and taking hikes to see the fall leaves.
In order to usher in the fall season with joy, I am beginning to get excited about implementing some new fall traditions. This includes looking for new fall recipes. (Included below are some of my favorites.) I also have a road trip planned with new friends to take a long hike outdoors and see the change in colors.
As fall arrives this year, ask yourselves what wonderful new cooking traditions you can incorporate into your life. Also don’t forget to usher in the season with some hikes in the great outdoors (below are some recommendations for places to go to see the fall colors).
Some favorite fall recipes:
Autumn wassail:
1 qt Organic apple cider 2 cups Unsweetened pomegranate juice 1/4 cup Sugar 1 cup Fresh orange juice 3/4 cup Fresh lemon juice 3 Cinnamon sticks 1 tsp Whole cloves Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
To serve hot, add the cognac and rum to a glass and top with the wassail. Amounts: 1 1/2 oz. cognac, 1/2 oz rum, 4 oz wassail
Garnish with an apple
credit: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/autumn-wassail/#gs.5cku9k
Heidi’s Sweet Potato Custard
1 1/2 cups cooked and peeled sweet potatoes
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 eggs beaten
1 1/2 cups scalded milk
1 T. cornstarch
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/4 t. ground cloves
1.4 t. nutmeg
Pour into buttered baking dish, bake 45 minutes at 350
I also highly recommend the cookbook called Simply in Season which has a whole section on fall recipes.
Some recommendations for a road trip to see the fall colors are at some nationally underrated places such as Brown County, Indiana– with a suggestion for staying at the Story Inn. https://www.storyinn.com/. Another place is Starved Rock state park in Illinois with a recommendation to stay at the old lodge. https://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/
Happy Fall!
