As most of you know, I’m a big proponent of eating seasonally because you get the freshest, most delicious fruits and vegetables at the best price. But in today’s age of being able to get whatever you want, whenever you want it, you can usually go to your local market at any time of year to get whatever produce you want, even if it is not being grown at that time of year — say, an apple in the middle of summertime. If you live in the United States, that apple has likely been flown thousands of miles to your supermarket via South Africa (don’t get me started on how much fuel and money is spent just for that to happen).

But it is fall now, and all across the country, sweet potatoes and apples are in season. If you live somewhere in the northeast like New York or Vermont, you can probably find over a dozen different varieties of apples at your local farmer’s market. I’m in southern California and I counted six different varieties at mine last weekend . Most of the kids I know love apples and sweet potatoes so I decided to make a super easy and delicious side dish for the holidays. It only takes minutes to prepare and if you’re having people over, doubling or even tripling the recipe is simple.

And remember, in more ways than one: ’tis the season.

Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole (Serves 4)

2 Large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 Large Apples (Gala, Fuji, or other sweet cooking apples), peeled, cored and cut into chunks
2 Tbsp Butter, melted
3 Tbsp Maple Syrup
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
1 Cup Apple Juice

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
3. Place the sweet potato/apple mixture in a buttered 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Uncover, stir and bake an additional 20-30 minutes or until tender.
6. Serve.

I can’t seem to get enough roast turkey this time of year, but some nights — even for me — it can become monotonous. When I really want to serve something different and unique, I try to spice things up….literally. Between all my experimenting adding extra flavor to Chloe’s baby food as well as whipping up dish after dish for Thanksgiving, I’ve been in my spice drawer non-stop lately. And that’s where I got the inspiration for this dish.

There are so many ways to change up regular roast turkey. You can go for barbecue, make sandwiches, maybe even make a turkey salad. But why not try an Indian spin? It sounds exotic, but it’s really easy to do and the flavor is amazing! I love using garam masala and since it contains cinnamon, it has a real kid-friendly flavor. Instead of the traditional Cranber-Wee Sauce I usually serve with my turkey, I quickly cooked up this Apricot Apple Puree, the perfect sweet accompaniment with this juicy turkey breast.

I promise this is a taste no one will get tired of in your house.

Indian Turkey Breast (Serves 6)

1 3-4 Lb Turkey Breast, boneless, skin on and tied
1 Tsp Garam Masala
1 Tsp Salt, divided
1 Tsp Oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Rub the turkey breast with oil and sprinkle with garam masala and salt all over.
3. Place the turkey on a sheet pan covered with foil.
4. Bake for 30 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
5. Bake for an additional 50 or until an instant read thermometer in the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees.
6. Remove turkey breast from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
7. Slice and serve.

Apricot Apple Chutney (Makes 1 1/2 Cups)

1 Apple, cored, peeled and cubed
1/2 Cup Dried Apricots (preferably unsulphered)
1/2 Cup Raisins
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Tbsp Water
1/2 Tsp Curry Powder

1. Place all the ingredients in a small pot and cook over low to medium heat for 10 minutes.
2. Puree in a food processor.
3. Serve.

You should have seen Kenya’s face when I asked him if he wanted to eat a bowl. I think he thought I was crazy until I showed him these Cheese Crisps shaped like bowls. They’re a ton of fun for kids becasue you can fill them with fresh or dried fruit, nuts, olives, cubes of cheese and more. Whenever you think outside of the box with food, kids tend to love it!

No matter how much you try to impose moderation in your home, when it comes to Halloween and kids — it’s all about the sugar. You can hope for the best that your neighbors will be pushing dried fruit over M&M’s, but if you’re a realist you’ll accept the fact that chocolate and candy will be the treats of choice and that this is one day of the year that is very likely out of your control.

When you know your kids are going to be overdosing on the sweet stuff, you also want them to get something healthy and delicious in their little tummies. Making the foods you give them fun and exciting enough to compete with all those sugary sweets will definitely help your cause. These pumpkin milkshakes are really easy to prepare and a great way to get your kids (and you) involved in making something festive for the holiday.

Pumpkin is packed with vitamin A, potassium and beta carotene which is important for eyesight (especially important for little ones when they’re out chasing candy in the dark!).

So, when you want to make a special treat for your little pumpkins this Halloween, think like a pumpkin and try whipping up some of these milkshakes. They won’t cure your kids of their cravings for candy, but they should disappear just as quickly.

Pumpkin Shakes (Serves 2)

1/2 Cup Pumpkin (I used canned)
1 Cup Rice, Almond or Cow’s Milk (I used vanilla rice milk)
Pinch Cinnamon
Pinch Nutmeg
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender.
2. Puree until smooth.
3. Serve.