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I grew up being in love with spring! My birthday is in May, which is also a month when school ends, and it signifies that summer is just around the corner!

Fall has always been something I dragged, and I can’t fully understand why. It may be because everything winds down, and we all are preparing to hibernate.

And then, I moved to Minnesota. Fall in 2010 was just spectacular. It was warm, sunny and beautiful! Leaves were changing most admirably, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had never had candy corn & peanut mixture before, and it quickly became one of my favorite fall treats.

The season was changing in every aspect of life in the US: from home decor, deserts, apple orchards, trips to the cabin, fall leisure activities to choosing Halloween costumes, carving pumpkins, drinking hot cider, getting ready for Thanksgiving and turkey trots.

All of these seemed familiar and deeply engrained traditions with my Minnesota parents, and I was very new to that! I wonder why I was always thinking that fall is just rubber boots, umbrellas, and rain. Boy, was I wrong?!

Until now fall of 2010 has remained my favorite!

Another thing that happened later is my now husband and I got engaged last September and got married a month later in October of 2021, so now we have those dates to celebrate, and they also happen to be in the fall!

Our baby girl is due in a couple of weeks, which will permanently solidify our October and make it something we will enjoy for years to come, regardless of where we live!

I have always loved to cook and bake; if you know me well and have been at our house, you could attest to that. If you look up Ukraine and our cuisine, you will quickly realize that we are obsessed with food and making it presentable and cute. It’s this cultural food OCD we all share.

During my 12 years in the midwest, I have learned some fun fall recipes, and I am here to share one of them with you today!

How familiar are you with Acorn Squash? Not so much? I bet you regularly see it at Trader Joe’s and Target once fall comes or perhaps you have that one “granola” friend, who had you over and you even tasted it. 

I am sure you had it roasted, maybe stuffed with quinoa and vegetables or even mushrooms and sausage! It is probably not your standard go-to meal, but it can be a fun addition to your fall repertoire.  It will feel unique and new and it’s so worth it. 

Are you ready to go on this fall cooking adventure with us? Buckle up!

Honestly, I don’t know how to categorize this gorgeous Acorn Squash recipe. My initial thought is that it’s a beautiful midweek dessert, but if you ask my husband, he will vehemently disagree since there is no chocolate, fudge, or even a hint of peanut butter in this recipe.

So for some of you, it may be a fancier hors d’oeuvre, that will add that fall vibe to your gathering.
I will leave it up to you to decide! 

Look how vibrant its’ colors are! I promise, you won’t be disappointed! 

Here is what you need: 

Ingredients:

• 2 Acorn Squash 
• 4 Apples (cored and cubed) 
• 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries ( if you enjoy them) 
• 1/2 cup Walnuts or Pecans 
• 1 tsp Cinnamon 
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar 
• 4 Tbsp Butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 
2. Cut acorn squash in half lengthwise and with a spoon, remove pulp and seeds. Set aside. 
3. Line your baking dish with aluminum foil. 
4. Generously butter the inside of acorn squash. 
5. Place halves of acorn squash cut side down on baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. 
6. In a large bowl, combine cubed apples, cranberries, nuts, softened butter, cinnamon and brown sugar.  
7. Remove squash from the oven after 30 minutes and turn the halves over. 
8. Stuff center of each squash with your apple mixture. 
9. Return to the oven for another 30 minutes!

Voila! 

These acorn squashes are definitely for sharing, as each turns out to be too generous of a portion. I enjoy serving them warm!