Some Fall Recipes

Every season makes me crave different food. Fall always makes me crave cozy soups and stews, apple desserts, and anything with pumpkin. Winter makes me want a good roast or crock pot recipe, delicious Christmas baking, and things with nuts and cinnamon. Then Spring comes, and I'm ready to dive into some lighter fare, like a really good salad with grilled chicken, fresh veggies like asparagus, salmon, homemade pizzas, and pasta. Summer is all about anything on the grill, fresh fruit, corn on the cob, and ice cream! And of course there is chocolate, which I crave all 4 seasons, hence the diet I'm now on (and for the love people, I HATE to diet!!!! I just love food so much more than I love being thin! Except that I really do need to drop this baby weight, since I haven't been pregnant in almost 16 months now!!!). Anyhow, I've decided that I can either blog about how sick I am of the recession and all the misery that comes with it, or I can blog about food. So food it is!

I have a few recipes that I've made lately that are just totally fabulous! I tend to be a fairly decent risk taker in the culinary world, which is hilarious because I am absolutely NOT a risk taker in any other area of life. I find such amazing recipes when I take risks though, which should really be a life lesson to me that sometimes you discover great things when taking risks, but I digress.

Pumpkin Ravioli. You either just read that and said, "Ewwwwww!" or "Yummmmmm!" If you have some extra time on your hands to make the raviolis, you have to try this. It is absolutely delicious. It is really easy too, just a little time consuming to actually fill the raviolis (but not difficult). It is everything I hoped it would be and then some. It is incredibly rich and satisfying, thanks largely in part to the Gorgonzola cheese sauce. It is just perfect with the pumpkin, and the hazelnuts (which I had in a can of mixed nuts) are a perfect match as well. This would be an amazing dish to serve company, as long as you had company with non-traditional palates. Seriously, if this appeals to you in the least, it's worth it. Even my husband who hates "orange squishy food" liked it. That's sayin' somethin'.

Next on the list is Butternut Squash Soup. I made this for my inlaws when they came for dinner, and it was also even more than I hoped for. It is thick and rich and creamy....everything a good fall soup should be! It is loaded with flavor, and the bacon on top? Are you kidding? It's just perfect! Again, my non "orange squishy food" eating hubby thought this was delicious. This, like the ravioli, is a bit time consuming, but it makes a ton and it's very low in calories (a bonus when you are on a wretched diet).

Lastly, I have for you one of the best Apple Oatmeal Crisps ever. I stayed at my parent's house a week ago while hubby was on a retreat. My mom was craving an apple dessert, so I found this online. Oh my. Really, oh....my. Just make it. You will love it. Invite your friends over to ooh and ahh over how delicious it is. Drop a scoop of vanilla ice cream next to this crunchy, buttery, apple-y, cinnamon and sugary sweet dessert, and you will be in heaven. I read a tip from one of the reviews that said to dot butter over the top before you put it in the oven. I have done it with like that and done it without, and I'm sorry, but more butter always wins out.

So there you have it friends. If you try anything, let me know what you think, and if you have anything new to try, share!