Food: now there’s a subject I can get behind. I love to eat! Obviously, if you read my post yesterday about how food is like a mullet (but wasn’t). Cynthia from You Signed Up for What?, Courtney from Eat Pray Run DC, and Mar from Mar on the Run, chose 5 favorite Fall foods for today’s Friday 5 linkup.
I do try to eat healthy much of the time, and that means I can’t eat nearly as much as I’d like to — not enough sweets, not enough carbs, not enough eating out, not enough food in general. Sucks to be 50+ and 5’1″.
That doesn’t mean I totally deprive myself, either (although I rarely indulge the way I did before/after my half). Without further ado, let’s get to the food.
Apples
I have always adored apples. I loved going apple picking as a kid, and eating an apple fresh from the tree. Alas, as an adult, I’m a bit too afriad of the bees. In fact, I didn’t finish that apple crisp slice I shared with my husband last week because a bee wanted it.
I eat just a plain ole apple most days. Sometimes with nut butter, sometimes with nut butter and a little granola, sometimes baked, sometimes in a smoothie, sometimes as a healthy apple crisp.
Pumpkin
Pumpkins may technically be a fruit (anything with a seed is, and that includes avocadoes, for instance, and tomatoes — did you know that?), but I still lump it in with veggies. Who doesn’t love a slice of veggie pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving?
But pumpkin has sooooo many uses, as anyone who reads food blogs in the Fall will discover: pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin chia pudding . . . I’m channeling some Bubba Gump here except pumpkin, not shrimp.
Butternut Squash
Let’s not forget the other squash. Actually, I suppose all fall squashes are pretty good, even though I’m not a fan of Acorn squash. Butternut Squash is technically a fruit, too, since it has seeds. One clue that butternut squash is also a fruit: it’s sweet like fruit!
I tend to cycle low carb/higher carb days — no counting, but on days I’m less active, I’ll eat more Paleo-ish and on days I run (or do some other form of cardio), I’ll have more carbs. So on my less active days, I love some butternut fries (roasted butternut) instead of my beloved sweet potato fries with dinner.
Butternut is another very versatile food: throw it in stews/chilis, roast it, make soup, and so on.
Soup
Spring/summer: salads.
Fall/winter: soup!
Hot Chocolate
Can hot chocolate really be classified as a food? It is to me! I’ve been known to make my husband take the back way home from my parents so we can stop at the chocolate store and I can get a hot chocolate.
You know how runners love their chocolate milk for recovery after a run? In the winter I love hot chocolate. Hey, it’s chocolate, and it’s milk, only it’s hot, right? Works for me. Throw in some mini marshmallows and some PB2 and you’ve got yourself a great recovery drink.
Agree with my list? What would you add?
Chocolaterunsjudy 
I’m with you on the bees, apples, butternut squash and hot chocolate. Pumpkin is ok and I am not a pie fan. Cake, yes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, I know not everyone loves pumpkin pie actually. But there does seem to be a pumpkin craze going on!
LikeLike
One of my favorite things about Fall is “Soup & Stew” Season, as I call it! I have lots of great crock pot recipes that are quick & easy! I love using apples, butternut squash, & pumpkin in them too. Happy Fall! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
How I love my crockpot! I really don’t use it enough. Biggest problem is I lean veggie & my husband is more meat & potatoes.
LikeLike
Hmm. I’ve never thought to add PB2 to hot chocolate – brilliant! I love apple crisp with an oatmeal brown sugar crumble topping …
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, it’s really good. 🙂 Of course I use the chocolate PB2, which is just a tad sweeter.
LikeLike
I’m just getting into butternut squash now, I need to try out some recipes! Now I’m craving hot chocolate!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like butternut simply roasted with a little olive oil & sea salt. But you can throw it into most any stew/chili and it’s good in hash, too.
LikeLike
I miss picking apples too, but each fall I make an apple pie. I could do that next weekend to make sure I get all the ingredients. I cheat and buy the dough – it’s so much easier.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I used to make pie dough from scratch. Pretty rare that I make any pies with pastry these days.
LikeLike
Yes to all of your favorites! I like pumpkin pie without the crust. My mother always made that – I guess technically it’s pumpkin casserole but tastes just like the pie. I just Googled PB2. I’ve never heard of that. It sounds like it would be very tasty in hot chocolate! We have yellow jackets this time of year. You have to really watch out for them when you are outside.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The trick to making good hot chocolate (unless you use real chocolate) is to mix the cocoa with some water until it makes a smooth paste (or milk). Same deal with the PB2. Cuts down on the lumps/graininess. And I do use the chocolate PB2. Of course!
LikeLike
i love that your hot chocolate is your chocolate milk recovery drink of choice. that’s awesome! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
We all need our vices. 🙂
LikeLike
I love apples and anything made with them. I really enjoy some warm apple crisp or apple pie with some vanilla ice cream. Also, hot chocolate is always wonderful.
LikeLike
I don’t mind apples if they are in something such as a pie or crisp but I would never just slice one up to eat it.
LikeLike
OMG, I love apples just sliced up! It’s one of my favorite fruits! To each their own. 🙂
LikeLike
I love all of these items. Apples and pumpkins are definitely my fall favorites. But apples are year round for me.
LikeLike