Taste of Fall

September is the kickoff of the NFL season, and what better way to watch the game than with a plate of spicy buffalo wings.

As you say goodbye to the warm weather of summer, the Fall brings cool and rainy days. On days like these a hearty beef stew makes a great meal.

A fun activity to do in Fall is apple picking. One sweet use of the apples is dipping them in caramel for a yummy snack. Just watch those teeth -- the candy apples are hard and sticky.

As October starts Halloween becomes top of mind and treats like candy corn hit the store shelves. These tri-colored candy are made to look like kernals of corn and are fat free!

A comfort food that is nice for lunch in Fall is baked macaroni and cheese. There is something about this cheesy pasta that just makes you feel good.

Another comfort food that will warm your insides and fill you up is a turkey pot pie. Turkey, veggies and other fillings are joined together with broth and milk then covered with a pastry and baked to give the dish a crispy top.

Speaking of turkey, November brings the time of the year when we give thanks with a feast of food including the centerpiece, a roasted turkey.

To accompany the turkey on Thanksgiving, sides such as stuffing are served. There are many varieties of stuffing with some dishes including meat, veggies, eggs and fruits. Turkey stuffing usually has bread crumbs, onions, celery and seasoning. When the mixture is cooked inside the turkey it is called stuffing. When it is cooked separately it is called dressing.

Cranberries are a superfruit that grow on low shrubs in bogs. While there are many uses for cranberries, at holiday time they make a delicious sauce that is used as a side dish for a Thanksgiving meal.

Corn bread is used to describe quickbreads containing cornmeal. This type of bread dates back to the Native Americans who used ground corn for thousands of years before the Europeans. This is another popular dish to serve during Thanksgiving.

Pumpkins left over from Halloween are often used to make dessert for Thanksgiving. From roasting the seeds of this gourd-like squash to making it into pie, the pumpkin plays an important role in Fall holidays.

These round cookies are flavored with ginger and baked to give them a little crunch. They are the perfect way to end a meal as ginger is known to aid in digestion.

Apple pie is another popular dessert pie. Apples fresh off the trees become a sweet ingredient tossed into pie crust and baked to perfection.

Speaking of apples, another use of the fruit is to make cider, an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic beverage. It can be served cold or hot.

As the weather continues to get colder, a drink that will warm you up is hot chocolate. Add some mini-marshmallows for an extra treat.

At the end of Fall food and drinks for Christmas start to hit shelves. Egg nog is one of those items. This sweetened dairy-based beverage, traditionally made with milk or cream, sugar, beaten eggs and liquor, is a favorite for holiday parties. It is usually topped with cinnamon or nutmeg.

Another Christmas-related food is candy canes. The striped, hard candy is usually peppermint-flavored but it does come in other varieties. Candy canes are often used as decorations for Christmas trees. Nothing better than an ornament that doubles as a yummy treat.