Fantastic Fall Fun For Everyone
Photos courtesy of Eckert’s Country Store & Farms, Belleville, Illinois. For more information visit www.eckerts.com.
The arrival of autumn doesn’t mean the fun is over – fall fun has just begun. The whole family will find that there are many exciting activities to enjoy during the enchanting autumn season.
Even though the summer is over, there are all kinds of options for great family fun. Everyone is inspired to experience outdoor adventures in the cool, crisp air with the changing colors of the leaves. Hayrides, bike rides and winery tours will delight your family throughout the fall.
An exciting activity is packing up the family for a trip to the countryside to visit farms that allow you to pick your own fruits and vegetables. Is there any better way to get fresh produce and spend quality family time at the same time? When you pick produce fresh from the farm, it will taste better and offer more nutrients than anything you purchase at the local grocery mart.
A beautiful farm where you can pick your own produce is Eckert’s, located in the St. Louis region. They offer three different farms where families can pick their own produce and they also provide school and group tours, bonfire parties and hayrides. If you’re in the St. Louis region, or planning a trip, visit www.eckerts.com for more information.
Two delicious fall produce items are pumpkins and apples. Not only do pumpkins and apples make tasty treats to eat, they are ideal for unique decorations throughout cozy cottage house plans or two-story family home.
Your home is ready for the scent of baked apples, an essential element of the fall season whether it comes from a bowl of potpourri or a delicious pie in the oven. Apples are at their prime during the months of September and October. There are an abundance of varieties so it is impossible not to find one you like. Slice and eat apples, make a caramel sauce for dipping or bake an irresistible cake or pie.
All apples aside, the quintessential fall fruit is the pumpkin. No matter whether you’re young or young at heart, visiting the pumpkin patch is always an exciting activity as you get motivated by visions of glowing jack-o-lanterns glowing or your dream about a delicious pie.
If you want to carve jack-o-lanterns, try to find the huge monster pumpkin so you have the biggest carving area. Find a pumpkin with a level bottom so it will stand upright. There are many inexpensive kits that include carving saws, tools and a variety of patterns to create your own eye-catching design.
Step outside your cottage house plan or vacation home, and you will find plenty of activities for you and your family to enjoy all throughout the fall season so bundle up and have fun!
An easy family activity to recreate the smell of a delectable baked apple pie is to make a dried apple wreath.
What you will need:
• Juice of approximately 10 lemons
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 8-10 large firm apples
• 8 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons allspice
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 8″-10″ sturdy, heavy gauge wire
• 1 – 1 ½ yards of 1″ ribbon
Making your apple wreath:
- 1. Place lemon juice in a large bowl and stir in salt.
- 2. Peel, core, and slice apples horizontally into ¼” think circles. Soak slices in the lemon juice bowl for approximately 5-10 minutes, making sure each side has a chance to absorb some lemon juice.
- 3. Meanwhile, mix spices in a bowl and blend well.
- 4. Remove the apple slices from the bowl and place them on paper towels. Pat tops of apple slices with paper towels.
- 5. Dust apple slices with spice mixture, then turn over and repeat on the opposite side.
- 6. Place apples in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 150-200 degrees farenheit for 4-6 hours or until completely dried. Dried apple slices should be slightly pliable.
- 7. Carefully shape wire into your desired shape, such as a circle or a heart.
- 8. Fold each apple slice in half, and then into quarters and thread the slices onto the wire. Continue to pack on the folded apples until the wire is completely filled.
- 9. When the wire is covered, use pliers to bend ends into hooks so that they connect and close.
- 10. Using your ribbon, create a hanger for your wreath.
- 11. Hang on your wall, or package as a gift for someone special.
While the flesh of the large pumpkins used for carving is not the greatest for cooking, their seeds are terrific. Roasting the pumpkin seeds makes an easy, healthy snack, and will send a delicious aroma throughout your home. Here’s a simple recipe for pumpkin seeds:
• 1 ½ cups pumpkin seeds
• 2 tsp. melted butter or oil (olive or vegetable oil)
• Salt to taste
Options to add taste:
• Garlic powder
• Cayenne pepper
• Seasoning salt
• Cajun seasoning blend
Preheat oven to 300° F.
While it is alright to leave some strings and pulp on your seeds because it adds flavor, clean off any big chunks. Toss pumpkin seeds in a bowl with melted butter or oil and the seasonings of you like best. Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are golden brown.
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