This Halloween I’m going to spice things up with Spiked Hot Mulled Cider. I served a variation of this recipe at my wedding reception years ago which is in November. The punch recipe is hot apple cider with spices and Burgundy wine. The warm spiced apple cider is soothing and flavorful and the red wine is not overwhelming. I’ve kept the recipe for this punch all these years and made it again this week for a dinner party.
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My backyard persimmon tree is loaded with persimmons this autumn. Enough for me and the birds, too. The fruit is astringent and makes your mouth pucker but if you don’t mind the taste then the fruit is very nutritious. I’ve experimented with several ways to use my persimmons including persimmon and black bean salsa.
I love the fall season which brings cooler and crisp air, the huge autumn moon and a plentiful harvest of pumpkins, gourds, winter squash, greens and apples. I especially like crunchy and aromatic apples which are in season in the fall. This week I’m making Edna Staebler’s “Small and Easy Apple Cake” with Caramel Icing as a tribute to fall. The cake is low-fat and healthy, too.
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Chili Rellenos is a favorite dish of my husband. This spring an abundance of poblano peppers came in my Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) baskets which sent me scrambling for ways to use them. 
I tried many variations of chili rellenos using the poblano peppers over the next few months. Here’s a recipe that my husband likes as well as the one he tried recently on a trip to Mexico. I’m mighty proud of this fact! And these peppers are baked rather then fried–healthy and low-fat. Continue reading
beyondgumbo 