I love fall; the cool crisp air, the beautiful light and color, thoughts of my slow cooker dancing in my head. Here are some fun fall things we do almost every year to enjoy the season.
1. Fall Festivals. I am a huge fan of fall festivals. When Colin was a little boy I dragged us to 2 or 3 in a single season. The farm animals, apple cider, pumpkin patches, hay rides and giant plastic slides were like a drug to me, I simply couldn’t get enough. Now that he is almost a teen – once with the middle school club was all I could get this year. I am officially in mourning. Those of you with kids small enough to still love these festivals, remember to enjoy it and take lots of pictures!
2. Apple Picking. We went to a farm last year and picked apples from an orchard. It was a ball! The only problem? You need about a dozen apple recipes the minute you return. Below is a great apple recipe that Kevin came up with recently. Of course it is both low-fat and delicious!
3. S’mores over an outdoor fire. Nothing like an outdoor fire with family and friends. We have a table with a fire bowl on our deck and occasionally light it up and invite folks over for a casual get together. The kid’s love the s’mores, and throw in a nice glass of wine for the grown-ups and you have a great, easy Fall get-together.
Fall Apple Cinnamon Pinwheels
If you go apple picking this fall season, here’s a great recipe that is super easy to make. The trick (or treat!) to making these healthier and lower in fat is using reduced fat Pillsbury crescent roll dough and swapping out the butter and sugar for margarine and Stevia. We used Honey Crisp apples in the recipe; they’re a little more expensive but worth it when you taste these pinwheels! Kevin made these in the morning and I had them with a cup of coffee, but you could certainly serve them as a tasty dessert too.
Ingredients
2 tbsp Cinnamon, divided
1 tsp ground Ginger, divided
1 tsp Nutmeg, divided
1 tsp Allspice, divided
2 tbsp Stevia divided
2 Apples peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbsp Vanilla extract, divided
2 tbsp Lime juice, divided
2 1/2 tbsp light Margarine
1 container Pillsbury™ Reduced Fat Crescents
Light Cooking spray
How to make them!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix half of all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. Peel 2 apples and slice them thin. Place the apples in a large bowl and add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of the lime juice to the mixture and stir. In a large skillet melt the low-fat margarine. Stir in the apple mixture and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes or until they become soft. Place the apple mixture and the remaining vanilla and lime juice in a food processor and blend until it becomes a spreadable consistency.
Kevin’s tip: “I use a hand mixer (sometimes called a boat motor), because it’s fast and easy to clean up. Great tool for this recipe if you have one.”
On a clean counter top or cutting board, spread the remaining spice mixture out in a rectangular shape (so it matches the shape of the dough). Unroll the Pillsbury™ crescent roll dough and place it on top of the spices. Using a spoon spread the apple mixture evenly across the surface of the dough. Starting at the bottom, roll the dough into a cylinder. Using a serrated knife cut the dough in one inch sections. On a lightly sprayed cookie sheet, place the dough cut side down and bake 15 to 18 minutes. Best served warm with a cup of coffee or glass of milk!
Yields: 12 pinwheels
Serving Size: 2 pinwheels
Fat 4g | Calories 104 | Carbs 11g | Protein 1g | Fiber 3g