Welcome the September Equinox

 image:  www.freeimages.co.uk

Today is officially considered the start of Fall.  This is the day of the Autumnal Equinox which, according to Wikipedia means, On a day which has an equinox, the centre of the Sun will spend a nearly equal amount of time above and below the horizon at every location on Earth and night and day will be of nearly the same length.

You may want to take this weekend to have a Fall Harvest Party.  This is a great excuse for spending some times with the grown-ups, the family and you can even have a good time with the kids.

Linette and She Knows Parties has a fun idea to keep the kids busy.  Hide some items around the house and the yard and let them have a Fall Scavenger Hunt.

For the menu, the Food Network has some ideas for a Fall Harvest Party including pies, soups, sides, apple recipes and Fall Menus.  Below is a great apple recipe for a breakfast or brunch from Tyler Florence.  Have a great Fall Day!

Upside-Down Apple French Toast with Cranberries and Pecans

Courtesy of Tyler Florence

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 45
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

French toast:
4 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 loaf challah bread, cut into 1 inch-thick slices 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup light brown sugar, plus more for sprinkling, divided
4 Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Confectioners’ sugar, garnish, optionalPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a flat dish, crack eggs and add milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Whisk until well combined then lay challah slices in mixture to coat and absorb it all, turning occasionally.Set a 10-inch skillet, seasoned cast iron if you have, over medium heat. Add the butter and 1 cup sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted and caramelized, about 8 minutes. While the sugar is melting, peel apples, core and cut into halves. Remove from heat and gently whisk in the heavy cream. Sprinkle in the pecans, dried cranberries and gently press in the apple halves so there is a flat surface. Lay soaked slices of challah over the top so it is completely covered – you should be able to arrange the large slices and small slices so there are no gaps. Sprinkle the top with some brown sugar and place into the preheated oven. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden and puffy.When done, allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes then invert onto a large plate. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired, and serve.

Chef’s Note: FYI – if your cast iron skillet is not seasoned, the cranberries will react with the skillet and turn black.