Fall for Dinner

Autumn is upon us and the last of the summer tomato harvests are near complete. One of my favorite things about autumn is the excuse to make soup. There is something about a large pot of simmering soup that perfectly compliments the growing chill in the air.

This weekend is a terrific time to make your first slow-cooked, homemade soup this fall. You have a few days to peruse soup recipes and plan your meal. Both Whole Foods and Epicurious have terrific soup recipes for you to consider. Choose a recipe which will require a bit of effort (make the time; it will be the weekend!) and find one that will simmer for hours on the stove top. Your home will be filled with wonderful aromas which will make your meal that much more tasty.

Round out your souper meal with a loaf of whole grain bread and salad greens topped with sliced apples and cheese (manchego and blue types both work nicely). If you're feeling extra domestic, whip up a nice Apple and Pear crisp as dessert. And, the best part of devoting a bit of your weekend making soup is you can make extra so you have leftovers to enjoy as dinner or lunches during the week.

Who knows... you might enjoy it so much you make a regular weekend practice of a steaming bowl full of luscious, satisfying soup. Bon Appetit!

Move. It Outside

The temperature outside is cooling and the humidity is receding. Very good news for those who live in the 'heat belt' and have been enduring temps in the 90s. What can you do with all of this cool air and earthy aroma? Get outside!

Fall is a terrific time to add outside exercise to your regime. You have many options the easiest of which is walking. Believe or not, walking is an excellent cardiovascular and toning exercise. If you're not doing any exercise, walking is the way to begin. Start with 10 minutes a day and add a minute each day until you're up to 30 minutes. As you advance, you can strap on ankle or wrist weights for more resistance.

A great progression from walking is stairs. Many of us remember Rocky and his climb up the famous stairs in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Look around... there are likely a few good sets of stairs somewhere around you.

After you have a good baseline of cardio walking and stairs, you can go for a jog and then work your way up to a run. But, only if it works for you. The secret to successful exercise is choosing something you enjoy and something that challenges you a little bit. If you don't like to run or don't have clearance from your physician, don't run!

There are plenty of other things you can do to get a good cardio workout. Jumping rope is an old stand-by. Or do jumping jacks and remember your primary school gym teacher. Biking is great exercise and if you don't have a bicycle borrow one from a friend or rent one (a quick Google search will give you lots of options in your area). Inline skating and even old-fashioned four-wheel skating is a possibility.

The whole idea here is to take advantage of the lovely weather, get outside in nature and get some more exercise in your life. Grab a loved one, grab a friend, grab a pet, grab a set of weights and get out there and Move.! 

Autumn's Calling

We are 15 days from the first day of Autumn. The light began to change a few weeks ago and the air smelled just a tad sweeter. A few leaves have already started to drop from the trees, just in time to make back-to-school time feel autumn-like (at least here in Maryland).

If you think about the seasons, each one brings us gifts. Summer's bright sun and warmth and the abundance of the harvest during late summer. If you have planted any tomato plants this year, you are now to the point where you're getting creative with all of the ripe, red fruit laying in wait for your stroll through the garden. Soon enough it will be time to let go of this year's garden and plow the plants under to nourish the soil for next year.

The trees will also begin to let go of more and more leaves.  Before we know it, we'll be looking out on a landscape of bare trees getting ready to brace for winter. The shedding of leaves is a great thing for the trees. With bare branches and no leaves to support, the energy of the tree goes into the ground where it gathers to lie in wait for the spring. And, by letting go of the leaves in the fall, the tree has plenty of room for new leaves in the spring. We can take a hint from the trees...

What could you let go of in your life? Perhaps as simple as an old story that you are not smart enough or rich enough. Perhaps you could let go of the idea that you'll never be healthy; that you simply can't exercise every day and eat better. Maybe you can let go of a friendship that doesn't serve you anymore or some stuff sitting about in piles around your house. In keeping with what happens in nature, fall is the perfect time of year to survey your life and get rid of stuff.

So while you're still enjoying the fruits of late summer and watching the landscape turn golden as the sun sets, begin to think about what you can let go of. Autumn will be here in 15 days and that is the time to prepare for next spring. We all have things in our life that we don't really need anymore. Go fetch a mental rake and begin to make piles of stuff. Make some room now so when spring is upon us there will be plenty of space in your life for new, more fantastic stuff.