Seasonal Sundays: Casual Fall Suppers

Dust off that big ol' Dutch oven, people, because this week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection features old favorites destined to make our fall mealtimes simpler, cozier, easier and dare I say, way more satisfying than, true confession, those frozen pizzas I've been throwing in the oven of late. I hope you'll find one or two destined as "keepers" in your own recipe repertoire ...

Seasonal Sundays, a weekly newsletter ♥ KitchenParade.com, a seasonal collection of recipes and life ideas in and out of the kitchen.

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

Seasonal Sundays is 100% written by a real, live human, no blah-blah copycat ChatGPT AI plagiarism, thank you very much. Any awkward phrase, unclear meaning, misspelled word, mistaken fact, bad punctuation or overwrought alliteration is the clean, proud product of my own inadequacy as a wordsmith and oversights as an eagle-eyed editor. But when that human says she's grateful that you're here, reading, well, please know, she really truly 100% means it.

In Praise Of ...

  • ... the time change next weekend! remember we "fall back" which means an "extra hour" of sleep on Saturday night ... and days of adjustment afterward, I first noticed this as a young single, riding the bus to/from work and especially the few days after the time change, see White Chicken Chili

  • ... this long, warm sunny fall, our leaves are reaching for their peak and here's hoping the rain and wind hold off for another week, I'd love our back yard to be "just golden" for a big family party a week from today

  • ... the end of "horror movie" season, when alllllll the random movies are just too too scary

  • ... The Diplomat, the BBC series part thriller, part mystery, part love story to Barcelona ... not to be confused with The Diplomat, the Keri Russell series whose second season starts this week on Netflix amid lots of buzz

Democracy Matters

Democracy Matters Do Something graphic ♥ KitchenParade.com.

IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO "DO SOMETHING" Jessica Craven's Chop Wood, Carry Water newsletter lists phone bank and canvas opportunities, just pick a recent newsletter and scroll down to the bottom. Is an hour a day too much? Make it a half hour. But DO SOMETHING.

If not time, then money. If not money, then words. Share, share, share, in person and online.



But by all means, VOTE.

Your Vote Is Your Voice graphic ♥ KitchenParade.com.

The Words of Wise Women

  • My home is in Missouri, a deep, dark red state with large pockets of blue in Kansas City on the western border, in St. Louis on the eastern border, and in Columbia, home of the University of Missouri, the state's land-grant state school. But St. Louis is also a very Catholic city, some years ago, I saw a stat saying that St. Louis had more kids in Catholic schools per capita than any other city. So it comes as no surprise, perhaps, that the yard signs saying "Vote No on 3" outnumber the "Vote Yes on 3". (Amendment 3 is the citizen-led initiative to place abortion and reproductive healthcare on the ballot in Missouri this November.) And don't even get me started on the outright disinformation signs that claim a vote against Amendment 3 is a vote against sex trafficking. WTF?
  • What people SO don't get is that reproductive healthcare affects e v e r y o n e.
  • Listen to Michelle Obama, the most effective eight minutes ever on why abortion bans effect EVERY single woman and EVERY single man, totally worth a long listen.

Made Me Think ...

  • There are lots of F-bombs hitting Trump in the presidential race, 13 former Trump administration officials sign open letter backing up John Kelly's criticism of Trump. Kelly is the retired Marine Corps General who first served as Trump's Secretary of Homeland Security and then Trump's longest-lasting chief of staff, a position more powerful than the vice president. This week, he "came out" of his never-knock-the-chain-of-command closet and told the New York Times that Trump fits the definition of Fascism.
  • But Trump, in his classic way of projection, calls Harris a socialist, a communist, a fascist. That's right. The authoritarian who admires Adolf Hitler and wants his own generals to "follow orders" like Nazi generals did before and during World War II, he the one calling the woman running on "freedom" a fascist. Unbelievable.
  • But, really, what is fascism? Have we lost track of what it really means? I had, until a poster outside a tiny random restaurant in California knocked me over, way back in 2016. (How do I know? I took a picture, it's still on my phone.)
  • But if you're not sure, or even if you are, read this from yesterday's newsletter historian Heather Cox Richardson and you'll see, every single MAGA move and Trump ideology is fascist in nature.
  • READ Heather Cox Richardson, October 26, 2024
  • TAKEAWAY "Fascism ... is government by the few and for the few. The objective is seizure and control of the economic, political, social, and cultural life of the state. ... The people run democratic governments, but fascist governments run the people."
  • So seriously, read this piece. Even if you "know," it'll horrify you, what lies ahead should Democrats not prevail, up and down the ballot.




THE SEASONAL SEVEN: Casual Fall Suppers

For this week's recipes, I aimed for recipes with fall flavors and combinations that ...

  • ... are simple enough for weeknights, special enough for weekends
  • ... are mostly cooked in a single skillet, served tableside
  • ... are not too rich, not too spicy, not too time-consuming
Lemon-Honey Chicken Skillet ♥ KitchenParade.com, a one-pot chicken dinner with a medley of spices and vegetables.

Chicken with Apple & Creamy Cider Gravy ♥ KitchenParade.com, a one-skillet chicken dish, perfect for fall. Full-flavored chicken thighs cradled in creamy gravy made with apple cider.

Skillet Burgers with Tomato Gravy ♥ KitchenParade.com, bun-free and on the table in an hour with pantry ingredients. LowCarb. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly.

Thick Chops with Sauerkraut & Apples ♥ KitchenParade.com, a country-style skillet, easy enough for a weeknight supper, special enough for Saturday company. One of my very oldest fall recipes.

Sausage & Cabbage Skillet, another Quick Supper ♥ AVeggieVenture.com

Cauliflower Risotto ♥ KitchenParade.com, an easy risotto with cauliflower, bacon, fresh herbs, Parmesan cheese.

Squash & Carrot Stew ♥ KitchenParade.com, a low-calorie spice-rich vegetable stew with butternut squash and carrots. Two versions, one for the stovetop, another for a slow cooker. Vegan. Weight Watchers Friendly. Gluten Free.

What's Brand-Spankin' New?!

Wondering about a recipe from the last while? Check Recent Recipes from Kitchen Parade and Recent Vegetable Recipes from A Veggie Venture.

Pumpkin-Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies ♥ KitchenParade.com. Familiar favorites with a fall twist and an autumn twirl.

October: Reader Favorites

Microwave Green Chili Cheese Grits ♥ KitchenParade.com, two secrets for quickest, easiest, tastiest way to cook grits.

Broccoli Potato Cheddar Soup, another healthy seasonal soup for fall ♥ AVeggieVenture.com, tons of broccoli, tons of flavor. Great for Meal Prep. Easily Made Gluten Free, Low Carb and Vegan. Recipe, cooking  tips, nutrition and WW Weight Watchers points included.

Late October: Trending

How to Safely Purée Soups & Other Hot Liquids in a Blender ♥ KitchenParade.com, preventing big messes and bad burns.

What Is Jicama? What jicama looks like, tastes like. How to cut up a jicama, how to eat jicama, how to cook jicama. More Vegetables 101 ♥ AVeggieVenture.com.

October: Recipes Lookin' for a Little Love

Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies ♥ KitchenParade.com, a coffee fix and a chocolate fix both at once.

Healthy Creamed Spinach ♥ AVeggieVenture.com. Generous with spinach, low in fat and absolutely delicious. Low Carb. WW2. Weeknight Easy.

The Kitchen Parade Almanac: Looking Ahead ...

  • October 31st - Halloween
  • October 31st - November 1st - Diwali (Festival of Lights)
  • November 1st & 2nd - Days of the Dead (All Saints)
  • November 2nd - 3rd - "Fall Backward" Time Change (an extra hour! nice! but how many will show up late for our big fall party on the 3rd? we'll see!)
  • November 5th - Election Day (Check Your State)
  • November 10th - Marine Corps Birthday ()An Honored Tradition)
  • November 11th - Veteran's Day
  • November 28th (dang, so late this year) - American Thanksgiving
  • December 1st - Alanna's Unofficial First Day of Winter

Looking Back ...

Soups & Salads Especially for October

Seasonal Soups & Salads for October, a monthly feature ♥ A Veggie Venture, now for autumn, with fresh vegetables and our favorite pantry ingredients.

Good to Know!

How to Roast Vegetables, 21 Tips & a Master Recipe ♥ A Veggie Venture.

Silly (But Fun?!) Food Holidays

A Quick Peek Into a Real-Life Kitchen

Just so you know, everything's not all pretty pictures around here, in the background is a pile of dirty dishes. And just like many (all?) of us, come five o'clock, I too draw a blank about what to make for supper, despite so many recipes I so dearly love. Here's a quick peek from this week.


Microwave Creamy Oatmeal with Peanut Butter ♥ KitchenParade.com, my morning ritual, oatmeal cooked in the microwave with a swirlful of peanut butter.
  • THIS WEEK It must be finally fall?! As if by command, my husband and I both switched to morning oatmeal this week, both on the same day and without coordination. It's like "going home" — in part because oatmeal with melty peanut butter was my breakfast Every.Single.Day for so many years. Lately, I've been adding a little milk to the cooking liquid. So extra good!
  • THE RECIPE Microwave Creamy Oatmeal with Peanut Butter My morning ritual ... nearly every single day.

Just Updated!

Easy-Easy Triscuit with Cheddar & Basil ♥ KitchenParade.com. A quick last-minute appetizer.

Mulled Apple Cider ♥ KitchenParade.com, how to mull apple cider with fruit and spices, turning everyday supermarket-variety apple cider into something special and irresistible.

Mini Pumpkin Pies ♥ KitchenParade.com, baked in mason jars and ramekins, all filling, no crusts.

Something to Read


Is anyone else hungry for distraction? The last thing I want to read about right now, as I'm falling asleep, is American politics. This one fits the bill!


  • THE BOOK The Maid (affiliate link) by Nita Prose, this is a light but fun read, purportedly a "mystery" but only in the line of The No1 Ladies Home Detective Agency, interesting characters (especially the main character who's apparently on the spectrum), nothing too scary or gruesome. A nice distraction from election anxiety!

  • NO TIME TO READ? How I Read 4X More This Year Than Last What I gave up, how I read so much, what I read.

Don't Be a Stranger ...

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail (my current address is in the FAQs), dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, tuck a question into a plastic Easter egg, whatever.


  • Any advice for Seasonal Sundays?
  • Just one thing that would make it more useful for you?
  • Anything else? Chime in, chat away.

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. When you make my recipes, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below or better still, on the specific recipe's page.

© Copyright Kitchen Parade
2024

Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

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