Tag Archives: fall

5 Ways to enjoy fall in the Western Hudson Valley

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I have called the Hudson Valley my home for several years now, and I am finally getting around to sharing some of the incredible food, places, and culture this region has to over.

The Hudson Valley is an area of New York State that stretches along the Hudson River. On the east side, you have Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess County, while on the west side of the river, you will find Orange, Rockland and Ulster County.

My family resides in Western Hudson Valley, so my focus will be on this part of the region, but you can certainly find incredible places to explore on the eastern side of the Hudson River.

While any time of year is a wonderful time to visit, the Hudson Valley is especially popular in the fall, and with good reason. The leaves turn gorgeous shades of red, orange, yellow and purple; farm stands are filled with tasty fall produce; and, apple and pumpkin picking is plentiful.



Please note fall weekends (especially Columbus Day weekend, and during Warwick’s Applefest) can be extremely crowded. If you prefer less people around during your visit, try coming in the middle of the week, or later in the season. Late November, before the Winter holiday activities start, is a good bet.

Read on to learn about some of my favorite spots to experience the best of the Hudson Valley.

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Fall for these chocolate chip, butternut squash muffins

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I am basic enough to admit that, while you will never catch me with a pumpkin-spiced latte, I do love the fall, and cooking with my favorite seasonal produce — squash.

Because butternut squash is aplenty, I have been experimenting with various muffin recipes. A quick Internet search yields dozens of versions, many of which I have tested. I realized, however, that I was always adding my one tweaks, so I decided to finally give my own recipe a go.

muffins5

What I love about this recipe is its simplicity (most ingredients are likely already in your pantry) and that it is lower in sugar than comparable muffin recipes. If you have more of a sweet tooth consider going with a 1/2 cup of sugar instead. Continue reading →

5 parenting shows that need to be made immediately

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Fall is fast approaching, and with it comes the onslaught of television premieres. Networks will test out dozens of new shows in the hopes that one will become a hit. We can expect the usual crop of small-screen staples: the medical drama, the family comedy, the reality show, the cooking competition, and so on.

Yawn.

I’ve heard moms are the biggest target for marketers, so how about some shows that appeal to our demographic?

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