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Yes it is that wonderful time of year when the leaves are changing, the kids are back in school and all the bountiful fruits of the summer harvest are beckoning to be eaten.  Unfortunately it is also the time of year when the days are shorter, the nights are colder, and boredom sets in which may or may not lead to some increased eating habits. I for one love the fall. There is nothing like a drive in the country to the local apple orchard to get some apples, pumpkins, and whatever tickles your fancy.  Fresh apples are great but they also make delicious breads, cakes, brownies, pies, cobblers, and whatever else one can concoct in the kitchen.  Why is it that these simple fruits can add so many pounds and inches to our waists and hips and thighs, etc.?  Picking apples is a great form of exercise as long as you don’t stop by the orchard bake shop and pick up an apple dumpling fresh out of the oven.  Well, one won’t hurt!

Here is a great site to visit that will give lots of information about this fall fruit!! Apples are also great cooked with some of the squashes found this time of year. To get started on this site I am including a couple of my favorite fall recipes.  Try them, eat realistically, and you can enjoy without worry. My favorite is apple cake but I know that if I make it, I am the one that will keep picking at it all the time because it is just that good!!  So, my solution: apple crisp.

Apple Crisp

8 apples (cortlands work great)

tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/4 cup each brown & white sugar

2 tbsp. butter

Peel and slice apples until a casserole dish is full. Mix together some cinnamon, nutmeg, oatmeal, brown and white sugar, and a little softened butter. Margarine is okay but not as good. Taste the mix, if it tastes good before it is cooked you can be sure it will taste good after. Put this mix on top of the apples, place in a preheated over to 375 and bake for about an hour uncovered. After the hour, turn the oven off and place that cover on. Eat this whenever you want something great!!!!!!

Here is another great recipe for a scrumptious apple cake!

Apple Cake

Mix together and set aside:

5 apples sliced thin ½ cup sugar

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon 1 ½ tsp nutmeg

Mix together 4 minutes:

3 cups flour 4 eggs

2 cups sugar 1 c. veg. oil

1 tsp. bak. soda 2 tsp. bak. powder

1/3 c. orange juice 2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt

Create 5 layers in the tube pan, alternating apple mixture and batter. Batter on bottom and top.

Bake – 350°

tube pan - 1 hour

2 loaf pans – 65 minutes