Fall is Here! Time to Get Cookin'

YouTips4U: Hi Everybody, the wonderful and colorful season of fall is upon us. With the cooler air and our biological need to favor heartier foods that warm and comfort us, it's a very special time to make home baked goods.

You can involve the whole family in many fun fall outings. One really fun thing to do that my family has been doing for years and years is to go apple picking in the country. The kids absolutely love it, and there is nothing better than a fresh crunchy apple picked right from its tree. We walk the beautiful fragrant orchard and fill our bags with shiny ripe apples. Then when you come home, you can bake a yummy apple pie or apple crisp. I always pile my apple pies so high with apples, I can barely cover the top with my home made pie crust. A tip to add fiber to your pie: I use whole wheat flour for my pie crust!

Now, just because winter is coming and we tend to eat a bit more, especially carbohydrates, doesn't mean we have to make unhealthy choices and add excess calories to our waistlines. Just be sure to continue your regular exercise program and practice portion control. With portion control, you can still have the foods you enjoy, but you monitor the amount. It will help you maintain your weight and stay healthy. Try to limit your snack foods that contain empty calories to once per day, and again, practice portion control. If you like a candy bar now and again. Go ahead and enjoy it, but make it only one and make sure you are not eating it instead of a proper meal, but only as a treat for yourself perhaps a little reward for a day of healthy living.

Please take a look at my latest video on YouTube where I show you how to make a delicious homemade tomato sauce using wonderful fresh ripe tomatoes. The fall is a perfect time for harvesting the fruits of your summer labor and what better way to enjoy your home grown tomatoes than with a homemade tomato sauce. You can use your homemade sauce for creating delicious hearty Italian dishes or perhaps a soup or salsa. Tomatoes are loaded with lycopene and other antioxidants and are a wonderful addition to your diet. So please stop by my YouTube channel and stay a while. I have lots of helpful videos posted that I think you will really like. http://www.youtube.com/user/YouTips4U