Autumn weather and keeping warm

I turned on the heater for the first time this fall.

One night I was sleeping pushing the covers off and the next I was shivering wrapped in a blanket.

So, on went the heater at 5:00 in the morning as I made a quick dash to the bathroom.

Brrrr…

The floor was even cold.

Then I jumped back under the blanket with a second one on top. And shook until I warmed up.

FALL! The time when not just the leaves start to fall. The temperatures fall as well.

Not only the leaves and temperate, the cake I made fell as well. Razlefrats!

So back to the recipes.

Maybe I’ll try something to warm me up.

Stock image of apple cider

Hot Apple Cider.

Quick version:

Kool-aid apple punch (follow kool-aid directios)

Stock picture of Kool aid green apple punch

Poor into a pan and add 2 cinnamon sticks and 5 whole cloves. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let cool slightly for 3 to 5 min. Uncover and serve with a side of buttered cinnamon toast.

Mmmm!

Long version:

Bundle up and run to the nearest apple store and purchase some apple Cider (the sugarloaf apple house is 2 miles down the road from me.)

Run home. Unbundled if you have warmed up enough. Poor a pot full of apple Cider, 2 cinamon sticks, plus 5 whole cloves in the pot, cover the pot, and heat to boiling on the stove.

Turn off heat. Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes and then serve with a cinnamon roll or toast or all by itself.

Are you warm yet?

I am.

Autumn cookies

Autumn cookies

Recipe for sugar free autumn cookies.

1 1/2 sticks of softened butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/2 Tablespoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix all ingredients to gather until it forms a ball.

Lightly flour your hands and a tea towel and kneed for another few minutes until fully mixed ball of cookie dough.

Break off a hand full and roll out on floured cloth turning once on the again sprinkled floured cloth.

Roll out to 1/4 inch.

Cut with leaf cookie cutters.

Bake in 400 degree pre heated oven for 7 to 10 minutes. Or until lightly browned edges appear.

Cool and frost or eat without.

Frosting

1Tablespoos butter

2 Tablespoons crean cheese

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Heat in microwave or on stove top until honey boils then stir for 1 minute and take off heat. Cool then frost cookies.

Frosting is more like a glaze.

Option: add spices to cookie dough to increase flavor. Cinnamon, nutmeg and or pumpkin spice.

Dough can also be colored for fall leaves.

Here chickie chickie.

Fall has almost fallen. With this last rain, the beautiful colors have dissapeared from off the trees.

A few bushes still sport some yellows gold and red leaves. The bare branches need some covering up. I guess that is what mother nature intends for the snow to accomplish.

In case you haven’t noticed, this post has nothing to do with chicks. Only chick pea soup.

Another great autumn soup.

Hot soup warms the soul.

Chick pea soup

Pull out the crock pot!

Open a small package of stew meat, salt and pepper, with a sprinkling of chopped onions and brown on high heat. In the crock pot brown one side, then turn over and brown the other. ( About 20 minutes on each side depending how hot your crock pot gets. Keep an eye on it so you don’t burn the meat.)

Update: I forgot to include adding some sweat basil to the soup. Duh!

Add some water, about 2 cups and let sit on high heat in the crock pot with more salt and pepper and chopped onions to your taste.

Add a strained and washed can of chick peas, baby potatoes (optioal) and carrots. Let sit another hour, or two on high heat.

Add some cubed squash, broccoli and any other quick cooking vegetables. Let sit on high heat at least another hour, or two. Taste and add more salt or more water depending on flavor. And serve when you are hungry.

Work can wait. Sit and enjoy the last of the colors of fall. Cuddle up on a porch and enjoy the hot soup.

Cat Scratch Fever

I woke up to a chill autumn morning. The leaves are already starting to turn up here in the mountains of North Carolina.

I can’t believe the time has snuck by so fast.

Halloween is right around the corner.

I know it’s only September, but I have to get ready for Halloween ahead of time.

Bat Cat

Bat Cat, as my daughter dubbed him, is finished. The kind of cat I don’t have to worry about getting cat scratch fever from. Lol

And just in time for Halloween.

With it being so cool this morning, I put on some hamburger to brown and I can smell the Autum soup steeping through the air.

Can’t wait to slurp up a hot bowl. And just think, I don’t have to share it with Bat Cat. Ha!

No recipe today. Everything is just stuff on hand with tomato paste and water base.

Lots of salt and pepper, onions and vegetables galore from the garden, and some sweet basil growing in my aqua garden. (And sometimes cans of vegetables. I cheat a lot in cooking.) It will be cooking all day.

Maybe you could join me for dinner with your favorite soup. I’ll be thinking about you as I spoon it up.