Fall is my most favorite time of the year. The weather turns a bit cool and sweet breezes flutter the leaves on the trees. It’s a time to celebrate the harvest of food with family and friends. Out here on my two acre homestead, the geese are beginning to fly overhead. My garden is looking quite sad with the giant zucchini leaves turning an ugly yellow and brown. But there’s still okra to pick and tomatoes to harvest and the weather is heavenly!
Visit an Apple Orchard
One of our favorite things to do in the fall is to take a trip to Apple Hill. There are tons of orchards to visit and all of them smell like fresh squeezed cider and apple pie. Large fields of pumpkins are there with corn mazes and hay mazes to wander through. The best thing is the mountain air. There are craft vendors and caramel apples. One of the ranches has a pond where my son used to love to go fishing. Now my grandkids enjoy catching a trout or two. Visiting an apple orchard is the perfect way to celebrate fall. Take your older loved one along and see how the fresh air and apple pie is so much better than any medicine. Check out the orchards and farms in your locality for a day filled with the best of fall.
Put on a Pot of Soup and Some Homemade Bread
Once the weather cools off I begin to dream of homemade soups. There is nothing quite like a mug of hot soup on a cool fall day. What’s your favorite homemade soup? Is it broccoli cheese like my mama’s? Or is it bean with bacon like my daddy’s? I personally love corn chowder with lots of cheese on top or French onion with toasted croutons. You probably have some wonderful recipes for soup right in your own kitchen. If you need some recipes and inspiration for making great soups on the stove or in a crockpot you might visit pionnerwoman.com. She also has great recipes for bread and hot rolls. Don’t you just love the smell of bread baking in the oven?
Fall Fires
Once we’ve had a good rain, then comes the fall fires. Loads of leaves piled high with all those dead branches that come down in the wind. Just the smell of burning leaves makes me think about fall. It’s the perfect time to have a wiener roast and sip on some really good hot chocolate. Bundle your older loved one up and get him or her a comfortable chair. You don’t need leaves to burn. You can just have a good campfire to enjoy while counting the stars. Don’t waste that first chilly evening without building a fire in your fireplace. Make a big bowl of popcorn and enjoy watching the fire or put on your favorite old movie like John Wayne in Red River. That’s my absolute favorite!
When my grandkids come over I put hot cider in the crockpot. I use apple juice, orange juice, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and orange peels. The house smells heavenly for days after that.
Blankets and Sweaters – Time to Pull Them out!
Now is the best time to pull out the warm blankets. I like to give mine a good wash and hang them on the line to dry. It makes them smell so good and saves on your electric bill. My mama hangs hers on the front porch railings along with daddy’s overalls. Somehow she can’t figure out why daddy’s overalls fade so quickly! I’ve told her to turn them inside out, but she forgets. This is also a good time to get out the thick socks and make sure your loved ones’ warm slippers are in good shape. My kitchen floor is already cold in the mornings so I love warm slippers especially in fall.
Should I Mention Football?
(We won’t talk about the National Anthem issue)
My whole family is crazy about football (except for mama). Sundays after church you can find most of us with a football game on. My daughter and her husband are dyed-in-the-wool 49er fans. Daddy loves the Cowboys and I root for my granny’s team the Kansas City Chiefs! Now Saturdays are different. All of us root for the Oklahoma Sooners. What is your favorite college team or professional team? Are your parents fans? Football is really something that brings families together for lots of fun and great snacks. That is unless your daddy’s team is playing your favorite!
May you embrace this wonderful season and enjoy your elders to the fullest. We all have a lot to be thankful for. Take a fall walk, put on some soup, enjoy a good fire, and just enjoy the great weather!
