Love the Fall weather

Fall colors bring back memories

Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

I love fall weather. The bright blue sky & cool crisp days are invigorating after the hot muggy days of summer. Really in all truth, I love all the season, they each have a beauty of their own.

Fall is full of many wonders to behold. Farmers with their big farm machinery bringing in the harvest is always interesting to watch. My Husband and I enjoy watching the Amish in Kalona as they use their big draft horses to do their field work. If you enjoy seeing them, a drive to Kalona in the Spring or Fall would make an enjoyable trip.

We also enjoy driving around to see the beautiful trees as their leaves have brilliant orange, gold and red. Boone, Iowa is a favorite destination of ours this time of year.

The orange pumpkins ripening in the fields are pretty and remind me of the spicy pumpkin pies that will be eaten at many feasts this Thanksgiving. With the apples ripening on the trees, many yummy and spicy apple and pumpkin treats can be made and enjoyed. Hot apple cider, apple pie and baked apples are just a few that come to my mind. A just biting into a sweet, juicy apple is something I look forward to as a simple, healthy treat.

We enjoy using our backyard fire pit to roast marshmallows and hot dogs. The fire brings back memories of my youth where we kids enjoyed burning big piles of leaves that we had raked. Of course after jumping into these huge piles of leaves first! My Husbands are not as fond, as they simply mowed over their leaves.

I remember making houses out of leaves. We would make a big square out of leaves out of leaves that we partitioned off into “rooms”, and then played house. Or you could build a mighty fort from the piles, but it always was a cheap and fun form of entertainment. As with me, I am sure many people have a lot of fond childhood memories about fall.

Here is an old recipe from my Husbands Grandmother:

Grandma Hotchkin’s Pumpkin Bars
2 C. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
2 C. sugar
1 C. oil
4 eggs
no. 303 can pumpkin (2 c.)
nuts

Sift dry ingredients including sugar into mixing bowl. Add slightly beaten eggs, pumpkin and oil. Mix and blend in nuts. Bake in 2 greased and floured 9″x13″ cake pans at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until done.

Frosting – Creamed Cheese

Blend 3 oz. pkg creamed cheese, softened with 3/4 stick oleo, 1 t. milk and 1 t. vanilla and 1 3/4 c. sifted powdered sugar.

Pumpkin Cookies
1 C. shortening (marg.)
1 C. sugar
1 egg
1 C. pumpkin
2 C. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. soda
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt

Stir in all dry ingredients and add 1 C. raisens, dates or nuts. Drop on a greased cookie sheet by teaspoon. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes

Frosting
3 T. butter
4 T. milk

Boil for 2 minutes, cool and add 1 t. vanilla and 1 1/2 C. powdered sugar then mix.

Apple Jack
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. lard or shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 C. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 C. milk

Put sliced apples in a pan and cover with 1 C. sugar and a little cinnamon. Cover with above batter. Bake in 350 degree over for about an hour.

Apple Harvest Cake
2 eggs, beaten
2 C. sugar
1 1/2 C. oil
3 C. flour
1 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon

Combine these ingredients and mix well.

Add by hand: 3 C. finely chopped apples plus 1 C. chopped nuts. Sprinkle 1/2 C. sugar with 1 1/2 t. cinnamon over top. Bake in a greased and floured 9×13 pan at 350 degrees for about 1/2 hour or until done.