Fall Favorites

Almost every Sunday during the fall Ryan and I start our day off by sleeping in, finishing a few chores and preparing to spend the afternoon on the couch yelling at the TV and drinking a few too many beers. Of course this ritual we follow also comes with many delicious meals along the way. Ryan has spent the past few Sunday's trying to make the perfect chili. I have to say he has quite a delicious and somewhat unique recipe going. I am not sure of everything he puts in there, but it starts with ground turkey, stewing beef, beans, onions, green pepper and lots of spicy, smoky seasonings. He even adds a chopped up a chipotle pepper which creates a wonderfully spicy, smoky flavor. At first I told him I thought the recipe had too much meat, but he insists it's important for the right consistency and flavor. For those of you looking for a meat-less chili option, I found this recipe for Black bean mushroom chili that sounds wonderful. I haven't made it yet, but it is definitely on my list!

I love wine and I really love Sangria. When we are having company over to enjoy this chili and yell at the TV with us there is nothing better to add to the mix than this Fall Spiced Sangria. I found the recipe online and modified it to make it easier and tastier (in my opinion!)

Fall Spiced Sangria
1 bottle red wine (any kind will do, but I think a fruity, full-bodied wine works best)
1 organic honeycrisp apple
1 juicy organic navel orange
2 cinnamon sticks
about 2 tablespoons agave nectar (you can use simple syrup too, but agave nectar is a healthier sweetener)
about 1 teaspoon nutmeg
a about a half cup seltzer water
Begin by chopping the apples and oranges into large chunks and putting them in a pitcher. Pour a small amount of the wine in the pitcher and mix and muddle the fruit just a little. Put the rest of the ingredients (except for the seltzer) in the pitcher, stir and let steep for about 4 hours.(You can steep for less, but to get the true apple taste, it's better to let it steep longer) Stir in the seltzer before serving. Enjoy!
NOTE: You can add apple schnapps for a little extra apple flavor if you want. Also, when making sangria it is important to use organic fruits when possible because you use the whole fruit and they steep in the wine.  If they are not organic the wine will soak up all those pesticides for you to drink.... yuck.

Another fall favorite I recently discovered (and love to start my Sunday mornings with) are pumpkin pancakes. We are usually not big pancake eaters but we really like these on crisp fall Sunday mornings.

Pumpkin Pancakes
1 cup flour (I use whole wheat to make them a healthier option)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
1 cup nonfat milk (you can also use soy or almond)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
First, mix all the dry ingredients well. Then blend all wet ingredients together. Gently stir the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients until there are no lumps. Cook on medium heat until the edges look dry, then flip. These pancakes will be a little dense but that is how they should turn out. Serve with real maple syrup for a great fall brunch!

I am a summer girl at heart, but these recipes really help me get in the spirit and appreciate fall time. Hopefully they will help you appreciate this beautiful time of year too!

Happy Eating!