Baking Fall Treats: All Things Pumpkin

This last month I have been trying new pumpkin recipes, and I'm thrilled to say I have found a few new favorites. Did I mention they are all so very delicious?! 

I'm curious which will be your new favorite: pumpkin applesauce muffins, pumpkin and chocolate pudding parfait, or pumpkin pie cheesecake.

Baking Fall Treats: Healthier Apple Desserts

Last Fall, I came home with bushels of apples.  I was thrilled to explore making all things apples: Apple Crisp, French Apple Squares, Caramel Apples, Apple Cake, Applesauce, Apple Butter, & Apple Pie with my first ever homemade crust.  This Fall, I decided to attempt another first: adapting a recipe for Trim Healthy Mama eating.  I don't know why I thought it would be so hard to adjust fat and substitute for sugar, because it was much easier than I had anticipated!  You don't have to be eating the THM way though to enjoy the following "healthified" apple recipes.

A big thank you to my family, my friend Donna, and the ladies at Zumba for being my taste testers! 

Fall Decorating

For our family, this time of year is about Fall traditions.  My boys happily help choose gourds and pumpkins to decorate our home inside and out.  While I do enjoy decorating our home, the task is mostly about welcoming Fall.  I'm aware this year of not taking too much time and energy on the task of decor, because I'm much more excited about baking fall treats, updating photographs of our family,  and making memories with my boys whether on a hike, in a pile of leaves, or around a warm fire on a cool night.

I have to admit, however, that I was touched when a friend recently wrote: "I'm decorating for fall and thinking of you and your cute house! Hope you are enjoying your fall."  Honestly, I was especially grateful because she has an amazing talent for decorating and hospitality!  I was honest when I responded with the following: "I did a little decorating before my party... meaning Al was looking for something in the fall box and the boys dumped it and put a few things out around the living room.  I'm doing some deep cleaning this week, and then I think I'll do some decorating this weekend after we go to the Gays Mills apple festival."  Well, we are back from the festivities with apples, gourds, and small pumpkins. The photos at left are what we have done so far to welcome Fall to our home.

I love decorating with the beauty and bounty that God has provided.  It really reminds us to enjoy this time of Fall colors and harvest.

Fall Traditions

There are so many things that I love about Fall !  The crisp, cool air means I can keep out my capris and sandals, but I also get to bring out the sweaters and hoodies.  Of course, it's the perfect time of year for a backyard fire.  The air smells of cookouts and campfires and of crisp leaves under foot.  And the house smells of apples and cinnamon.

I love baking every month of the year, but there is something about buying apples and picking pumpkins that makes me a little more ambitious.  In October I look forward to sharing some new pumpkin recipes with you.  While I'm not freezing bushels of apples like last year, we have already been filling our freezer with bags of apples.  I'm also excited to share a variation of my traditional apple crisp that's healthier but still sooo delicious.

There would be no apple desserts without the apples though.  Last year we started a new tradition of visiting Wisconsin apple orchards.  We were joined this year and last by a number of family members from the Midwest.  The drive this morning was especially beautiful as the fog burned off while we drove through the hills.

Baking Fall Treats: Bushels of Apples

What's the best way to celebrate the start of Fall?  Well, until this year I may have answered differently, but now I must say it's with all things apples!

Why so much excitement about apples?  Well, last year Iowa didn't have many, but this year my parents' neighbor's trees were very bountiful!  And this weekend starts all the apple fun, because my mom was awesome enough to bring us up a bunch of yummy Iowa apples.