I live in the Northeastern part of the United States, and I really enjoy the changes of the four seasons, but there are special reasons why I love celebrating the Fall Season:

-Fall is a good time to rake leaves and prepare your garden's compost for next year, as well as plant some Fall flowers, such as mums and vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and garlic, depending on the weather where you live. I really enjoyed gardening with my daughter and my husband; initially it may seem like a chore, but as the living plants grow, we all enjoyed watching the colorful beauty of everything we planted. If you live in an apartment, you can still find some indoor plants, such as African violets, Cyclamen, and herbs that you can grow. Talk to a knowledgeable florist or check out gardening books and magazines at your local library. You might even meet someone nice to be friends with! Gardening is also good exercise.

-I love the weather, especially when we have Indian Summer, and the produce harvested in Fall. The gourds make wonderful decorations in a cornucopia, and you can cook up a storm by making homemade soups, stews and pies to mention a few. Cooking is such a joy for many people as we tend to stay indoors more with the chilly air and colder rain. Here are a couple of my favorite Fall recipes:

Crockpot Apples:

3 lbs. apples, such as MacIntosh or other cooking apples

1 c water

1 c oatmeal

cinnamon and nutmeg to taste, and you can sweeten with a little sugar or Splenda

Cook on high for two to three hours-the fragrance of the apples and the spices make your house smell devine!

Roast Vegetables:

2 TB olive oil

pinch salt and pepper

1 TB dried parsley or rosemary

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 large carrots, peeled and cubed

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed

spray pan with nonstick cooking spray and roast 25 minutes; then turn and roast another 25 minutes. Delicious and nutritious!

-Go to a pumpkin patch or local farm and pick out pumpkins to bake and decorate and apples to cook as well as other produce for soups, stew and roasting. Many children and some adults love to paint or carve pumpkins and make Jack 'O Lanterns. Be creative, and for a quick snake, here's one of my favorite recipes:

Simple Fall cake recipe:

Easy Low-Cal Pumpkin Mini Cakes

1 box low sugar chocolate cake mix

1-15 ounce can pumpkin or fresh puree

1/2 c 1% or nonfat milk

Mix well and spray mini bundt cakes pan with nonstick cooking spray. Fill and bake according

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