Falls here!!!!

Come on cold!  I'm so excited for fall this year.  I've recently decided that fall is my favorite season.  I love the feeling you get with the first cold air, winter is coming, and so is change.  I love the fall recipes like apple cider, apple crisp, soups, stews, and crock pot cooking, bring it on!  I used to hate the cold when I lived further north.  But after being in Atlanta for a year in 100+ degree weather, moving so many times in the July heat, and toting 2 kids around in hot weather, I get so excited when fall rolls around.  I also admittedly love my coat collection.  Here are a couple of my "secret" recipes.  I make the apple cider for our small group on Wednesdays and the soup I have to make when Chad is gone since he won't eat anything with the word squash in it.  Actually, I did get him to eat a whole butternut squash last year (I told him it was a sweet potato, hee hee ;)  

Apple Cider
1 gallon apple cider
1 spice container of red hots
10 cloves
3 or 4 cinnamon sticks

Percolate the cider with all of the spices on top :) Yes, the secret is the red hots.


Butternut Squash, Carrot, Ginger soup
1/2 medium butternut squash
2 TB olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 lb carrots
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 (2 in) piece ginger peeled and thinly sliced
4 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1/2 cup heavy cream

Bake the squash cut side down in greased baking dish until fall apart tender.  Scoop out squash and discard seeds.  Heat olive oil in saucepan add onion and garlic, cook until soft.  Pour in water, add squash carrots and ginger.  Bring to boil, cook at least 20 minutes or until carrots tender.
Puree mixture into blender (something I've gotten really good at with Carsten's diet:) Should be thick and creamy.  Season with cinnamon, salt, and pepper.  Mmmmmm :)  Anybody have a favorite fall recipe, please share with me!