Fun, Fall, Family Activities in Maryland!

Fall is the time of the year for you and your family to enjoy the crisp, cool air and colorful trees. Take your family on a walk anywhere to enjoy the nice fall weather! The University of Maryland Extension and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene host WalkMD each year on October 5. If you miss it this year, make plans for it next fall! This event is a fun way to get your family active.

Take your family to your local farmers’ market to pick out some fresh produce, like apples, greens, and winter squash. There are so many delicious fruits and vegetables to choose from, but some of them only come during the fall season, so get them while they last!

Pumpkins are now in season. You can go to a pumpkin patch or your local farmers’ market and let the kids pick out their very own pumpkin. Make a pumpkin pie using fresh pumpkin, then bake the pumpkin seeds in the oven by adding a pinch of salt for a healthy snack!

There are also many places in Maryland where you can bring the family to pick your own apples at an orchard. The apples you pick can become a game: bobbing for apples. Remember that apple scraps are good composting material!

During the month of October, many events are related to Halloween. If you are a family that likes being scared, you could always walk around a haunted house. However, if you have younger kids that might be too afraid, you can always go to a farm that offers corn mazes!

Lastly, raking up the leaves in the yard is a fall chore, but it also counts as exercise. Before you dispose of the leaves, make a pile and jump in them! No matter what your family decides to do this fall season, remember to have fun and be active!

Favorite Fall harvest Fruits and Veggies

Fall is known as the harvest season because many of our best loved foods are available at farmers' markets and grocery stores at their peak of freshness.  The beautiful orange and yellow colors that we see in the fall are reflected in our favorite foods of the fall season.

Below are some of our most popular fall foods, and ways we like to enjoy them.  Enjoy the fruits and veggies of this season!

Apples: whether you love the sweetness of a Gala, the sweet tart of a Gingergold, or the tartness of a  Granny Smith, apples should all taste amazing this time of year because they are fresh from the tree!  Try them sliced in Apple Cranberry Salad, topped with nut butter and raisins in Apple Bark, or cooked in Baked Apples and Sweet Potatoes.

Broccoli:  a favorite in grocery stores all year long, broccoli is most flavorful in the fall.  This all-purpose veggie is perfect for dipping in hummus, like in our favorite Garden on a Plate recipe.  It tastes delicious broiled with a little low-sodium soy sauce, added to stir fries, and in Broccoli and Potato Soup.

Cabbage:  an often overlooked vegetable, cabbage is a main ingredient in coleslaw mixes and traditional sauerkraut.  Try it shredded in Simple Fish Tacos or cooked in Garden Vegetable Soup, a perfect meal for chilly fall nights.

Cauliflower:  related to both broccoli and cabbage, cauliflower is available in markets in the familiar white variety, as well as orange and purple types,  It can be eaten raw, boiled, steamed, added to stir fries, and cooked and mashed to resemble potatoes.  Roasted Cauliflower is one of our favorite -- and easy -- ways to enjoy this delicious vegetable.

Sweet potatoes:  loved by kids and adults, the sweet potato is a rich and creamy orange vegetable that has a natural sweetness.  Sweet potatoes can be baked or boiled, mashed on their own in Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes, or added to stews and chili, and even burritos and quesadillas.  Try our easy Sweet Potato Fries recipe tonight.  It's sure to become a family favorite!

Squash: truly a hallmark of fall, different squash varieties are a  feast for your eyes and for your belly.  Markets this time of year will have acorn, butternut, spaghetti, and delicata squash in abundance, along with orange and even blue pumpkins!  Cooking these squash requires a little muscle to cut them in half, however, you can pierce the skin and microwave on high for a few minutes to soften them and make them easier to cut.  There are many different ways to prepare squash.  Enjoy a twist to regular spaghetti squash and meat sauce by using this Spaghetti Squash recipe instead.  Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash is a great way to use more than one fall veggie and apples go great with squash!

Building a Better Salad

It's no secret that salads are refreshing, nutritious, and delicious  They can help you get your daily servings of vegetables in one meal.  The best part is that a salad can be a 5 food group meal.  You are
in control of how many ingredients to add.

We put together these easy tips to help you build a healthy, yummy salad.

1. Vary your greens. With so many leafy vegetables to choose from, you can keep your salad fresh by varying your base.
• Choose from:  romaine lettuce, arugula, radicchio, and green loose leaf lettuce.  Better yet, mix them all in together!
2. Keep the veggies coming!  Just because you have a base of greens does not mean you cannot add more veggies.  Add color to your salad by including your favorite veggies.
• Cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, sliced cucumbers, sliced bell peppers can all bring flavor, texture, and color to your salad.
3. Try some fruit.  Adding even one fruit to your salad can make it more colorful, delicious, and nutritious.  
• Go for sliced grapes, strawberries, oranges, or blueberries.
4. Don't forget the protein.  Lean protein keeps your body feeling full and energized.
• Remember beans, lean meats, edamame, or tofu are great options for your salad.
5.  Sprinkle some cheese for flavor (optional).  Adding some cheese, such as feta, mozzarella, or cheddar cheese can help boost the calcium in your dish.
• Try a reduced fat cheese!  
6. Go easy on the dressing.  If you choose to bring salad dressing to the party, try a "light" variety, or better yet, substitute lemon juice or balsamic vinegar.
• Dip your fork into the dressing to get the flavor, rather than piling it on top of your salad.

The Great Pumpkin Patch

Fall is a great time of year to get moving with your kids and enjoy the sights, tastes and smells of the season.  This time of year many local farms offer fun activities to enjoy together.  Visit a local farm, have fun and pick up some locally grown fresh produce.

Pumpkin Patch
Many farms have pumpkin patches where you can pick your own pumpkin right off the vine!  Your kids will have a great time looking for the perfect pumpkin while getting active.  If you don't want to pick your own pumpkin from the field many farms offer other options.  Space to grow pumpkins can be limited, so farms may also bring in pumpkins grown other places.  Search through the many pumpkins to find that perfect one for carving or baking a pie!

Corn Maze
A corn maze is a fun activity for kids and adults.  Wander through the corn maze and find your way out by following clues.  Visit a couple of farms and try the corn maze at each one.  You may be able to go through some mazes at night, but be sure to bring your flashlight!  In addition, some of these mazes could be haunted!  Night time and haunted mazes may be more suitable for older kids.

Don't Forget Your Veggies!
Don't leave your local farm without buying some local produce.  Produce from local farms is often picked fresh daily.  If you are not familiar with some of the produce, ask one of the works to help you.  Find out what it is and ask for ideas on how to cook it.  Have your kids pick out their favorite vegetable and make it for dinner tonight!  Fresh food right from the farm!

Hayrides
Hayrides are a fun way to wrap up your day.  Hop on the back of a truck or be pulled by horses, sit back and enjoy the ride.  Hayrides are a great way to see the entire farm.  Enjoy some time relaxing after a fun day at the farm.

Visit a local farm this fall with your kids or by yourself.  Enjoy the fun activities these farms offer or buy some locally grown produce.  Use this online guide to find all of the fall farm activities in Maryland.  Try this great Pumpkin Bread recipe and savor the flavors of the season!

Freshen Up Meals with Fall Fruits and Vegetables

As the fall leaves change to yellow, orange, and brown, the choices of fruits and vegetables at the farmers' market change too.  Fall is a perfect time to visit the farmers' market with the whole family and enjoy time outdoors together.  There might even be a market you can walk to!  Check the list of farmer's markets here.  When you visit you can choose from the freshest fall fruits and vegetables, listen to live music, and visit the information booths to learn about local services and programs.


Here is what's in season in Maryland this fall:

 

Vegetables:

• Leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and kale
• Sweet Potatoes, acorn and butternut squash, pumpkins
• Red and green cabbage

Fruits:

• Many varieties of apples
• Pears
• Raspberries

Try combining fall fruits and vegetables together in one recipes.  Here's one to try:

Baked Apples and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients
5 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
4 Apples, cored and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup margarine
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons honey

Instructions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Boil sweet potatoes in water until they are almost tender.
3.  Grease the casserole dish with margarine.
4.  Put a layer of sweet potatoes on the bottom of the dish, kids can help too!
5.  Add a layer of apple slices.
6.  Add some sugar, salt, and tiny pieces of margarine to the apple layer.
7.  Repeat steps 4, 5 and 6 to make more layers of sweet potatoes, apples, and sugar/salt.
8.  Sprink the rest of the brown sugar, margarine, and nutmeg on top.
9.  Mix the hot water and honey together and pour on top of the apples and sweet potatoes.
10.  Bake for about 30 minutes until apples are tender.



Source:  Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program, Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Network Website recipes