Fall brings a fresh attitude into my life. Summer heat beats down on me and I feel the energy just sapping away. But then Fall arrives, with its crisp morning air, bright sunshiny afternoons, and cool evenings – and I am revived once again.
Honestly – Fall is my favorite season – and is also my favorite season to cook. The harvest of fresh vegetables, squash & zucchini – as well as berries and apples – makes for some of my favorite menu items!
Soups
Oh – I LOVE soup. And in many cases, soup provides great nutritional opportunities as well as easy preparation and that “comfort food” feeling! Potato soup, Vegetable soup, Beef stew – Mmmmm – served on a cool evening or a rainy Saturday – so satisfying and filling. When you can use fresh ingredients, and use healthier options – like whole grain pastas and fiber rich beans – your meal can even be vegetarian, offering lower fat goodness.
Baked Goods
Which brings me to my FAVORITE activity in the Fall: Baking! Baking with apples and zucchini offers such great opportunity for home-cooked flavors with good nutritional value! It is so easy to produce a high-sugar, high calorie dessert or bread using traditional recipes, but healthier substitutions are becoming more available as consumers look for ways to eat nutritionally dense foods.
- Applesauce. Can often replace the butter or oil used in many recipes. Little to no fat, low sugar options are available.
- Coconut Oil. A nutritionally rich fat, which can also be used for part or all of the butter or shortening in a recipe. I’ve discovered that using coconut oil does not overpower the flavor of most recipes, and in some recipes enhances the other ingredients’ flavors in a really satisfying way.
- Flaxseed Meal. Ground up Flaxseed offers fiber and vitamins & minerals. Adding 1 Tbsp in the place of 1 Tbsp of flour can lend a nuttier flavor to your product. My favorite way to use Flaxseed meal, though, is to REPLACE the eggs called for in a recipe! For each egg, use 1 Tbsp Flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp water! By doing this, cholesterol and fat are reduced, and the final product is more moist and nutritious!
Comfort Foods
As the heat of summer eases off and the golden-red leaves swirl around in the cool autumn winds, there is something special about having a good home-cooked meal together with family. My mom was a Casserole queen and made so many GREAT casserole dishes – the mixture of pasta or rice, with meat and veggies, cream soups &/or cheese – yummo! Filling, satisfying, and usually nutritionally well-rounded, casseroles are not to be ignored!
What are YOUR favorite Fall dishes to make? Do you have a stronger desire to be in the kitchen cooking, baking, and preparing family meals?
About Debbie T
Welcome to my blog. Grab a latte and settle in for a good read! I'm Debbie - aka The Queen Mommy. I'm really just a Right-Brained woman who loves God, her husband, and her three children. I This means I'd rather write than clean... I enjoy writing about family & home, faith & life, marriage & parenting, food & addiction. I do participate in affiliate programs and use affiliate links and graphics throughout my blog. If you follow a link and make a purchase, I may make a small commission to help support my family at home. Click here for my Disclosure Policy.
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