One great thing about the changing weather is that comfort food, like my delicious Baked Pork Chops and Apples, is back on the table.  

I really like this recipe for Baked Pork Chops and Apples because it’s quick and easy (of course). But if you hit the farmers markets, you’ll find an amazing assortment of apples that can really make this an interesting dish.

I don’t know why pork and apples play so well together. Maybe it’s because pork needs the sweetness of the apples to bring out its flavor. Or maybe, if the pork is cooked properly, the apples add just the right amount of moisture to the meat to make the flavors pop.

And speaking of overcooking your pork— don’t!

If you like it dry and white and hard, that’s fine (yes, I’m judging). But, really, there’s like zero chance of you getting trichinosis or some other wild disease if your pork chops are slightly pink in the center. They’ll be moist and delicious and taste like they should, not like a cooked shoe.

I’ve added a little apple cider vinegar to my Baked Pork Chops and Apples because it brings a little brightness to the dish.

What is brightness? It’s that little mouth spark that you get when you first bite into something delicious that makes you want to keep eating it.

Meat needs a bit of brightness because it has very little natural acid. And acid (think lemon juice) helps enhance flavors.

Fall has fallen. Cooler weather is on the way. But there’s comfort in what I’ll be putting on the table over the next few months.

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When I was a kid, Aba let all of us keep every single thing in our trick-or-treat bag.

My brother Gary had an uncanny way of parceling out his candy and then teasing the rest of us later on with his sweet riches. In fact, he’d make his Halloween candy last until Christmas… his Christmas candy last until Valentine’s Day… and his Valentine’s Day candy last until Easter… but then he would go into a dry spell and we’d all laugh.

But I digress.

I know there are a lot of you (the good parents) who don’t want their kids sitting on 6 pounds of creamy chocolate, rich gooey caramel, chewy sweet nougat, or crunchy peanutty peanuts.

So here’s what you can do to whittle down that pile of Halloween candy (you are going to let them have some of it, aren’t you?). My tips on what to with leftover Halloween Candy:

Freeze It

Divide candy into different categories (bars, hard candies, jelly candies, etc.) and put it in different Ziploc freezer bags. Once this task is accomplished, you’ll be able to use it in coming months for:
Thanksgiving: Decorate Turkey Day Dinner place cards with M&Ms and hard candies.
Christmas: Create fantastic Gingerbread Houses decorated, of course, with Skittles, licorice and Tootsie Rolls.
New Year’s Eve: Thaw the candies (especially the candy bars) and fill a piñata.

Share It

If you want to get the candy out of the house, giving it away is a great idea. Decide how much of the loot the kids have to give up and then let them decide which pieces to share. Before you donate, call ahead.
Nursing Homes: Rather than giving the home one large bag, divide the candy into several sandwich-size Ziploc bags. Also, think about taking the candy to a nursing home in an under-served part of town.
Women’s Shelters: Smaller bags are a good idea here, too, especially since some shelters allow younger children to stay with their mothers.
U.S. Military: There are several organizations that facilitate these donations to American Soldiers, but Mama’s favorite is Operation Gratitude. Make sure the kids write a little note thanking the servicemen for their dedication and courage.

Cook With It

How do you make a calorie-bomb cookie even more decadent? Stick a candy bar in the middle and decorate the top with even MORE candy!
Candy Bar Ice Cream Shakes: Chopped-up candy bars, milk, ice cream and a blender. Need I say more?
Cupcake Surprise: Drop a candy bar mini (those teensy-tiny candy bars) into the center of each cupcake before baking. Decorate the top with M&Ms.
Chocolate Dipped Everything: Melt chocolate bars and then dip strawberries, dried apricots and marshmallows… and then roll them each in chopped up Pay Day or Butterfinger candy bars.

A few other ideas

1. Hide most of the bag and dole it out to the kids as you see fit… school lunches, rewards for jobs well done, or heck, just because it’s Friday.
2. Take it to the office.
3. Use it as gift wrap. Wrap a gift with plain paper and tape on candy bars or candy packets.

So, let’s be honest here. How much candy did YOU eat BEFORE Halloween or while you were handing it out to the trick-or-treaters? Mmm-hmmm…. I thought so.  THAT’s why you’re so desperate to get rid of it!

What’s the difference between a crisp and a crumble? 

Heck if I know.

I spent most of the morning researching this question and came to only one conclusion: they both have deliciously baked seasonal fruit buried under a warm, sweet and buttery streusel-like blanket.

Some recipes say crisps have oats, while others argue that only crumbles have oats. The name “crumble” originated in England, but that’s about the only historic tidbit I could find (which actually isn’t very helpful, but interesting if you’re like me and love trivia). I confess, don’t know where the word “crisp” came from.

This recipe for crisp is not only gluten-free, it’s super easy to make. I used Honeycrisp apples because they’re my favorite and they don’t dry out like other apples (I’m looking at you, Red Delicious).

Any seasonal fruit will work. Fresh berries give you a jammy and juicy compote, while peaches and pears are more pie-like. Don’t use frozen fruit or you’ll wind up with a dessert that won’t be a crisp or a crumble, just a soggy mess!

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Winter squash reminds me of football players. Not just because they’re both in season right now, but because they’re low in fat, usually large and have really tough skins (yet somehow manage to be pretty sweet on the inside!).

These vegetables are  also incredibly versatile and can be substituted for each other. They’re also high in vitamins and antioxidants… and they’ll keep for weeks if you store them in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place (I’m not sure football players would like that).

When choosing winter squash, here’s what to look for:
• Firm, hard skin
• Deep rich color (lots of beta-carotene)
• Heavy for it’s size

These are some of the more popular winter squash and a few links to delicious recipes from other fantastic food bloggers:

Acorn Squash

One of the most popular in America. It’s a little bland, which may be why it’s used in so many recipes.

Image from Melissa’s Produce

Banana Squash

These are the huge… really, really huge. Halloween pumpkins can get big and round… these get big and long. When you see cut up slabs of squash in the supermarket, it’s probably one of these.

Buttercup Squash

Dark green, dense and squat, sometimes with a turban on top, these squash are amazingly sweet.

Butternut Squash

A very distinctive squash with a buff-skin and long, straight solid neck and round bottom. Amazing flavor and versatility makes this the perfect all-purpose squash.

Carnival Squash

The party animal in the squash family, these pumpkin-shaped squash are splashed with fall colors and have a sweet potato-like flavor.

Delicata Squash

Yellow or cream colored with dark green strips running down their oblong shape, these squash are easy to peel and are great for filling.

Hubbard Squash

Don’t let the “wart” covered skin keep you from trying this delicious squash in any of its color combinations (orange, blue or slate)!

Kabocha Squash

Also known as Japanese pumpkin, the green, almost square-shaped Kabocha is similar to buttercup squash with a nice sweet flavor.

Spaghetti Squash

Substitute this lovely yellow squash for whole-wheat spaghetti and you’ll save 75-percent of the calories! Available year-round put peaks from early fall through winter.