Once the worst of the summer heat is out of the air, perhaps the most interesting time of the year arrives: autumn. Nature bursts into flaming shades of red, the coolest cloud formations pass by and thanks to the cooler temperatures we can once again indulge in stews, warm apple pies and dark red wine. And when the sun breaks through, it is extra enjoyable.
So get a breath of fresh air outside and then warm back up in your home. With this Fall Survival Guide, every day will be one with a golden edge.
Walking by moonlight
Say cold and you say hot chocolate. And that tastes extra good with a pair of chilled hands and a cold nose. So put on your walking shoes and get out there! If you have had enough of walking in your own environment, check out the website of Natuurmomenten. There you will find, among other things, a series of winter hikes that you can also do in autumn. These walks invariably end at a charming restaurant or have one included in the route. And did you know that the Forestry Commission organizes full moon walks, evening walks and night animal excursions? That's fun, interesting and adventurous hiking all in one.
Staying overnight in the forest
Another great initiative of the Forestry Commission is "Staying with the Forester. On their website you can find small-scale camping sites in the middle of nature, with of course a forester nearby. Camping in autumn too cold? No way. With a thick sweater and a burning (camp) fire for when it cools off and a good sleeping bag for at night, camping is a great way to experience nature with all your senses, especially at this time of year. No wonder then that some of their camping locations are open in the fall. Also fun is Boerenbed where you "go to bed when the fire goes out and out of bed when the rooster crows". You stay in a spacious tent house, cook together over a wood fire and if you want to relax you sink into the hot tub.
Baking with a twist
If you are in the kitchen regularly, then of course the standard baking recipes are cake for you. More fun is to give those standard recipes a twist. How about this: Apples and pastries go together perfectly, especially in the fall when you combine them with cinnamon. A common recipe is that of the apple pie. Idea: give the good old apple turnovers a tasty makeover and replace the apples with pears. Combine them with vanilla sauce and/or walnuts and/or chocolate and your taste buds will do a dance.
Savory snacks are not to be missed in the fall either. Make muffins with carrot and walnut, for example. A nice "twist" can be that a little extra attention to the way you present them. That is fun anyway if you have children, but 18-plus-year-olds also appreciate a nice presentation. Pipe a tuft of cream on each muffin and sprinkle some cinnamon or orange chips on top as desired and push a acorn or sheet of chocolate on top. Then divide the muffins over an autumn-colored dish and fill the gaps with chestnuts acorns and a single red/yellow autumn leaf here and there. With a cake or a cake is also possible. Tip: In the kitchen, cut the cake or pie into pieces. pieces and then drape the nature decoration around it. That way it stays when you start handing out.
American chocolate chip cookies always do well. The secret to these cookies is getting them out of the oven on time, somewhere between 6 to 9 minutes. This keeps the insides nice and creamy, even when they have been long since cooled down. You may have to experiment a few times experiment, because every oven works slightly differently, but there are I'm sure you can find some people who are willing to help you with your experiments. your tryouts. A healthy, low-carb alternative without refined sugar is made with coconut oil and vegetable syrup such as maple syrup, and almond flour. Or go vegan with coconut oil, coconut milk, self-rising baking flour, brown caster sugar, applesauce and vegan chocolate chips. Yummie!
Blanket up, movie on ... and action!
Of course, lounging on the couch is also part of autumn, especially during the autumn vacations. Lazing around is a must do. Make sure you have recorded some movies or make a list if you have a subscription to one of the movie channels. The best part is if you start movie night by making your own popcorn. Super easy and the smell of fresh popcorn enhances the cinema feeling. All you need for this is a pan with a lid, sunflower oil and popcorn corn. Cover the bottom of a frying pan with a layer of sunflower oil, put the lid on and turn up the heat. The oil should get quite hot. To judge whether the right temperature has been reached, put a few kernels of corn in the pan beforehand. When they start to pop, the pan is hot enough.
Now cover the entire bottom of the pan with a layer of puffing corn and close the lid right away. Once the puffing begins, turn down the heat. The pan will now slowly fill with delicious exploding corn. Do shake the pan occasionally to avoid burning. After about 2-3 minutes, the puffing stops; then turn off the heat. Wait a few more minutes and scoop the popcorn with a slotted spoon into a colorful bowl or give everyone their own popcorn bowl. Finally, sprinkle with sugar, salt or other spices as desired. Tip: These seasonings stick to the popcorn better if you first drizzle a dash of sunflower oil over the popcorn. Enjoy the movie!
Games for fall break
- Choose five different wines that are related in some way: country of origin, type of grape or a particular winery.
- Put the wines in a certain order: from light to heavy, young to old or white to red.
- Put a variety of appetizers on the table. Consider a drinks board where you make sure to vary the flavors: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. Think salty olives, salami, nuts, crackers with hummus and tapenade, different cheeses and dark chocolate. Sweet grapes or other fruits also fit in well.
- Taste wine number one and tell the others (or write down) what flavors you taste, what you smell or how powerful you think the wine is and, of course, how much you like it. Then eat a snack and taste again. It's fun to discover what the rest of the party is tasting as well as how your taste changes after eating a salty block of cheese or bitter chocolate. For those who want to write it all down: so-called "scorecards" can be found online.
- If you switch to the next wine, first neutralize your taste with a sip of water and a piece of dry bread.
- Each new wine goes into a new glass. So you need several wine glasses per person plus a water glass. With all those glasses, wines and well-stocked drinks board, the table looks very inviting right away.
All you have to do now is turn the lights to atmospheric, put on a nice playlist and the evening can begin.
Cheers!