Fall is in the Air
When we think of fall, we think of family. When there are leaves turning on every tree and pumpkins galore it’s time to start thinking of some fun ways to celebrate with yours. Our staff love to call the Louisville area home and we strive to help families become more united and integrated as part of the community. With that in mind here are a few fun ideas to making sure your family is feeling festive and having a blast!
1- Attend a local Fall Carnival. Many recreation centers, churches, or community groups host annual fall carnivals to entertain families. Some activities include bobbing for apples, jack o’ lantern carving contests, pie making contests, costume contests, parades, games and prizes! There are activities for everyone in your household. Often booths are available to browse for fall decor and seasonal delicious snacks. As like any time of year beware of the dangers of head lice. Don’t allow children to share costumes, masks, hoodies, hats, earmuffs, or any clothing that could be harboring lice or nits. It may seem extreme, but it is not worth the hassle. Check out the web for a carnival near you.
2- Plan a trip to the pumpkin patch. What fall porch is complete without an array of pumpkins? Just as each person is unique, so are all the pumpkins grown freely in the patch. Everyone can enjoy looking for that perfect one that fits them! As pumpkins create such a feeling of fall, so will all of the extra activities pumpkin patches offer. These include hayrides, corn mazes, apple picking, seasonal treats, pumpkin smashing and even petting zoos. You won’t forget this experience and will likely want to make it an annual trip! Here is a great source for finding local southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky pumpkin patches, www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org.
3- Deck out your home inside and out. Have you looked online and searched for easy fall decorating ideas? There are also many websites with cute, fast and cheap projects that are easy for everyone to make. Fill your home with red, yellow and orange leaves to add that festive flair. Cornstalks create a nice autumn touch when paired behind pumpkins or gourds. If you have small children around they can make handprint bats to get everyone in that spooky mood. Creating a fun, fall atmosphere will surely help make this season special.
4- Trick or treat? Treats, please! With apple and caramel smell filling the air everyone will be ready for fall in no time. Pumpkin cakes with cream cheese frosting, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin walnut bread are all a few of our favorites. Don’t be too timid to try something new! You may never go back. Easy homemade caramel is the perfect fall treat for dipping apples or drizzling over popcorn. Check out this old family recipe that we’d love to share with you. Here’s to hoping these sweet treats can bring sweet memories to your family this autumn.
Caramel Popcorn
10 quarts air popped popcorn or 4 bags of microwave popcorn
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 stick/cube butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Combine brown sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir often but let it come to a rolling boil. Add butter and stir until completely melted. Add can of sweetened condensed milk, stir until well mixed. Let the mixture come to a full rolling boil without stirring, boil for 2 minutes.
Have the popcorn in a bowl ready to pour caramel over. Pour over without scraping the bottom of the pan, stir popcorn well. Lay on cookie sheet.