After a trip to the Plaza Art Show and a failed attempt to have our pictures taken with the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival’s “Good Will” Mascot, we started this Sunday night dinner off with a happy hour of Champ Ice Cream Cones (or Drumsticks).

Next we moved on to dinner. I’m a big solstice celebrator. During my 6 month sabbatical I learned, at least for me, that it’s so important to acknowledge the changing of the seasons– and off course, I like to celebrate it through food. That Friday night was the Autumn Solstice so we had a special meal with our friend Suzanne.

I baked a European rustic loaf of whole grain bread. It always turns out huge, fit for a giant really.

We ate sweet potato pasta with butternut squash and maple sugar pecans.

To truly celebrate the solstice, I  cooked up some of our own harvest-

home-grown lima beans.

and mixed them into a cumin roasted corn salad.

So to continue the fall vibe we had Harvest Rice on Sunday night. This is kind of like a fall stir fry with honey crisp apples, green onion, carrots, raisins, and pecans. I tossed in some red kidney beans for protein and color.

We had leftover rustic bread with apple butter, green beans and corn on the cob.

For dessert we had a caramel apple pie experiment that I baked up. Please note the difference between John’s piece…

and mine…

Who’s stocking up for those winter months I ask you?