The leaves are changing and the air is crisp. Autumn will go by as fast as the leaves fall from the trees, so be sure to take advantage of family time in the fall! Here are some ways you can enjoy time together under blue skies and fall foliage:
- Visit a local Farmer’s Market! This is a great way to learn more about foods grown locally, talk with the grower and try new foods! The foods at Farmer’s Markets change with the seasons making each visit unique. There is so much to see and do! For more information about Farmer’s Markets in Nebraska, check out https://food.unl.edu/farmer-market
- There is still lots to do outside together as the days get shorter, from raking leaves to cleaning up the garden. Have your children help you plant your fall flower garden. Let them dig the holes for your fall mums and see color grow all around!
- Pick some pumpkins! Family fall fun at pumpkin patch farms are lots of fun and a great way to get outdoors on a cool, crisp fall day, and a great way to share with youth how pumpkins are grown and harvested. Many pumpkin farms offer lots of different activities you can do together from hay rack rides and corn mazes for lots of laughs together. Get outside and get moving in the Pumpkin Patch!
- There is nothing like the taste of a freshly picked apple. Visit a nearby apple orchard! Pick your own apples, make some apple crisp, caramel apples or bob for apples to celebrate harvest! When you get the apples home, try some of these recipes together to create some delicious fall treats from the apples your family may have picked! Share some baked goods with a neighbor for some fall fellowship!
- Not sure where to go for family fun in the fall? Search “Local Orchards” or “Local Pumpkin Farms” on the Internet and find some weekend family fun near you!
Looking for great fall apple recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Photo provided by Cami Wells
Apple Filled Squash
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 acorn squash (about 1 pound)
- 1 apple
- 2 teaspoons melted butter or margarine
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- Dash ground cloves
Directions:
- Wash hands with soap and water. Heat oven to 350°F. Coat a 1-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- Scrub squash with a clean vegetable brush under running water. Halve squash and remove seeds. Place halves, skin side up, in dish and cover; bake 30 minutes.
- Gently rub apple under cold running water. Peel, core and chop apple. In medium bowl, combine apple, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Turn cut sides of acorn squash up; top with apple mixture. Cover and bake 30 minutes longer or until apples are tender.
Nutrition Information:
Source:
Recipe adapted from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Photo provided by Carol Schwarz
Cherry Nut Apple Slices
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 apple, gently rubbed under cold running water
- 1 Tablespoon nut butter (peanut, almond, etc.)
- 3 Tablespoons dried cherries, cut in half
Directions:
- Wash hands with soap and water. Cut apple into four pieces. Remove the core from each apple quarter.
- Slightly spread nut butter on each apple quarter.
- Sprinkle dried cherries on the nut butter. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Photo courtesy of Alice Henneman
Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed with clean vegetable brush under running water, peeled, and cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 baking apple, gently rubbed under cold running water, sliced
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries or raisins
Directions:
- Wash hands with soap and water. Preheat oven to 350 ⁰F. Lightly grease or spray with nonstick cooking spray a 1 ½ quart casserole dish.
- In a small sauce pan over medium heat, mix together the orange juice, brown sugar, butter or margarine, cinnamon and dried cranberries or raisins. Heat and continue to stir until the sugar is dissolved and the margarine is melted.
- In a large bowl, mix together the potatoes, apples and orange juice mixture. Transfer to a casserole dish
- Bake, covered, for one hour or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Stir the mixture before serving to coat the sweet potatoes and apples with the juices accumulated at the bottom.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information:
This newsletter has been peer reviewed.
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