Autumn Leaves

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped yellow or red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground (or leftover) turkey
2 (15oz) cans diced tomatoes
2 generous cups pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 generous dash of salt
1 (3.5oz) can chopped green chilies
1 (15oz can) corn, drained
1 (15 oz can) black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
tortilla chips

Optional Toppings
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
avocado

Heat the oil in pot over medium heat, and saute the onion, peppers and garlic until tender. Stir in the turkey, cooking until brown. Season with chili powder, pepper, salt, and cilantro. Add all canned items and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado slices and tortilla chips.

Baked Apple Cider Donuts

Ingredients
1 can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
3 tablespoons butter, melted
5 packets Apple Cider drink mix
caramel sauce
bacon pieces (optional)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Separate dough into 10 biscuits
Flatten each to a 2 1/2 inch round.
With a 1 inch round biscuit cutter, cut hole in center of each round.
Dip biscuits into melted butter, then into the apple cider mix.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Drizzle caramel sauce over baked donuts and top with bacon if you like.

Homemade Caramel Sauce

Ingredients
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
In a saucepan, combine sweetened condensed milk and brown sugar.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.
Whisking constantly will prevent from burning.
Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes while continuing to whisk constantly.
Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla.

Sweet Adeline

Ingredients:
1 part apple juice
1 part cranberry juice
1 part pomegranate juice
1/4 part water
1 bag of chamomile herbal tea
1 teaspoon agave nectar
Splash of lemon juice

Preparation:
Pour the juices into a tea kettle and warm slowly - the normal time it takes for your water to heat for tea or until the whistle blows.

In the meantime, stir together the agave nectar and lemon juice in the bottom of a coffee mug. When the juice is nice and warm, pour it into the mug and add a bag of chamomile tea. Allow to steep for 3-5 minutes, then remove the teabag, and enjoy.

Iā€™ve really enjoyed this thread. Usually in Florida you donā€™t have very many of the trees drop their leaves in the fall - it never gets cold enough long enough to trigger, most do it in the spring when the new ones need to come in.

This year they did fall because itā€™s been noticeably cooler, but most had almost no color going directly to dead leaf grey.

It looks like this year is going to be colder than any of the previous 7 that weā€™ve lived here.

Mark Gosdin

I live in Arizona, where the trees are mostly palo verdeā€™s and cacti. We rarely ever see such beautiful autumn leaves other than way up north in Flagstaff or Paige. So to someone deprived of this beauty, this is such an amazing thread.

I agree with you guys about this thread. Thank you Mistress for taking the time to make it! However, you two say that about the leavesā€¦ but, that is until you have to clean them up! I have maple trees all around me here in Washington and they change into some beautiful colors, though it becomes a yard work nightmare for about 2 months until they have dropped all their leaves. Takes forever to clean up. :tired_face:

Anyway, here is my last post here to round this thread off. I found that it would fit here the best. Now until winter that awaits us with its cold touchā€¦ :wink:

:arrow_down: If you're interested in the background below, just click it to view and download the full-sized version. :arrow_down:

Thank you everyone! :slight_smile: Please continue to enjoy! :slight_smile: It isnā€™t officially winter yet! :wink:

Hot Cranberry-Apple Cider

2 quarts apple cider
1 1/2 quarts cranberry juice (not cocktail, no sugar added)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 sticks cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves
Spiced rum or cinnamon schnapps (optional)
1 orange, thinly sliced (garnish)
extra cinnamon sticks (garnish)

Directions
In 4-quart saucepan, mix apple cider, cranberry juice, brown sugar, and spices. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Strain.

Pour into mugs. For a little extra zip, add a shot of spiced rum or cinnamon schnapps, if desired.

Garnish with fresh orange slice and/or cinnamon stick. Serve hot.

Oh, thatā€™s right! Oddly enough, winter does not officially begin until the winter solstice. That is to say, December 21st, right?

You are correct!

[quote=ā€œLadyOfWicca, post:155, topic:7150ā€]

[quote=ā€œOracle, post:154, topic:7150, full:trueā€]
Oh, thatā€™s right! Oddly enough, winter does not officially begin until the winter solstice. That is to say, December 21st, right?[/quote]
You are correct![/quote]

So youā€™re saying that I can keep bothering you here for now until then? ;):stuck_out_tongue: Here is a nice picā€™ that I stumbled across in the Photobucket Favorites. Iā€™m not quite sure if we already have it here since there are so many already. Losing trackā€¦ LOL! :sunglasses:

:arrow_down: If you're interested in the picture below, just click it to view and download the full-sized version. :arrow_down:

Of course you can, Lumis. That is a beautiful picture! I donā€™t think we have it yet either. Thanks! :slight_smile:

Ginger-Lemon Infusion

1/2 an inch of fresh ginger per cup, grated finely
1 bag of black tea per 2 cups being served
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice per cup
Maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, or other sweetener of your choice to taste

Place the tea bags and ginger in a large teapot, then boil a kettleā€™s worth of water and add that to the pot. Wrap the teapot in a cozy (or even just a nice, thick bath towel) and let it steep for 5 or 6 minutes. Pour through a strainer into large, heavy mugs, then add the lemon juice and sweetener. Drink while hot.