Food and Household Tips to Kick Off Fall

The start of a new season is a great time to change things up and prepare for what each season brings.  Fall is a time to transition to warmer foods, purge summer's heat and travels, as well as get yourself ready for the following season, winter, a time when many are hunkering in due to inclement weather.

Here are some of my favorite tips to help you transition to fall:

Preserve Fall Produce:

While most of us think of canning as the only means of preserving produce (and this is a great way to have access to fruit and vegetables outside of their natural growing season) making sauces, juices and butters are a great, easy way to preserve some of late summer and fall's fruits such as apples, pears, berries, pumpkins, and figs.

There are so many sites that can guide you on canning and other methods of preservation but I love Pick Your Own.org  as it's a one-stop site for all  things local produce.  I have used this site over the years to find the best places to go in the Tampa Bay area to pick strawberries and blueberries with my kids, as well as where to go pick apples and pumpkins when we are in the Philadelphia area in the fall.   They provide a nationwide (and international!) list of farms you can go to pick you own with links to each state.  It's also a great resource for all things pertaining to what to do with all that produce.  The All About Home Canning, Freezing and Making Jams and Jellies has it all- recipes, guides, and directions.  Just peruse through its extensive list and decide what interests you.

Here is my easy foolproof slow cooker version for no sugar applesauce.  It's one of my favorite uses for all those amazing apples showing up at your local farmer's markets and grocers.

Freeze Soups:

Yup.  Are you ramping up your soup consumption?  Many can be frozen to save for later use so refer to The National Center for Food Preservation's handy freezing guide (includes not only soups but all kind of foods!).  Soups can be canned too (who knew) and NCFP has a guide for canning soups.

The Whole Meal has an amazing array of soups to get your through the cooler season but Slow Cooker Italian Turkey Soup and Sunset Dal and Pumpkin Soup are two of my favorites that freeze well.



Declutter:

Spend some time decluttering your spaces.  It's on my list for sure!  While it may seem overwhelming I really like Planning with Kids' easy to follow declutter tips.  I am also reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Maria Condo.  Pretty life changing stuff (No pun intended)!

Fall Cleaning- Inside and Outside the House:

So if you can't get enough after you have decluttered or can't manage the decluttering but can tackle fall cleaning here is a great Fall Cleaning Check List by Organized House.  

As you can see Spring is not the only time to get your life in order.  All change of seasons offer natural cycles in which to reassess, reorganize, and regroup in many areas of our lives.  Happy Fall!