Fall is officially here.

All around we see the signs — pumpkins, beautiful mums, corn shocks, combines busy in the fields and crimson and golden trees. It is my favorite time of the year. The hot summer days are over and cooler temperatures are here.

Along with cooler temperatures, soups and casseroles become more appealing this time of year. Soups are excellent for letting cooks have a “cook it and forget it” meal.

On a positive note, soups are good for us as they keep us hydrated. Using ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, and garlic can help reduce the risk of heart disease. I have even read that eating soup before a meal can provide the benefit of getting more vegetables in one’s diet.

Gourmet Chicken Vegetable Soup

This recipe can be cut in half since it does make a large batch. However, there is always the option of making the full batch and freezing half, if you choose, for a later meal. For this recipe I prefer to use boneless skinless chicken breasts rather than a whole chicken. Because of the amount of ingredients, a large pot or kettle is recommended.

Ingredients

1 chicken, cooked and diced

1 32-ounce container chicken broth

6 potatoes, peeled and diced

6 carrots, peeled and diced

2 small onions, chopped

3 tablespoons bouillon cubes

Pepper, to taste

Instructions

Cook all ingredients in chicken broth until tender. If you prefer your soup to be more brothy, you may add another 8-ounce can of chicken broth.

Add:

2 (20-ounce) bags of frozen mixed vegetables.

Cook until tender.

Add:

3 cans cream of chicken soup

1 pound Velveeta cheese

Stir until cheese is melted and ready to serve.

Monster Cookies

If you are looking for a cookie that your “favorite” Halloween guests might like, Monster Cookies might be the answer. To make these cookies look more festive for Halloween, use M & M Ghoul’s Mix, Halloween sprinkles, or use orange or purple gel food coloring in the recipe. You might also use candy eyeballs, marshmallows for teeth and black licorice for hair. Feel free to be creative making these cookies.

Ingredients

6 eggs

2 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 cups white sugar

1/2 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 tablespoon dark syrup

4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 pound butter

1 1/2 pounds peanut butter

9 cups oatmeal

1/2 pound M & M candies

1 8-ounce bag chocolate chips

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together except for the last two ingredients. Fold in M & M’s and chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread

This recipe makes three loaves of pumpkin bread. To add a simple and crunchy finish, you can sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the batter before placing it in the oven to bake. This bread freezes well.

Ingredients

3 1/3 cups flour

2 teaspoons soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

3 cups sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs

2/3 cup water

2 cups pumpkin

Instructions

Sift dry ingredients, including sugar, into a bowl. Make a well in dry ingredients and add all remaining ingredients. Stir until smooth. Put in three greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Spook’s Punch

Since Halloween is celebrated on Oct. 31, a themed beverage might fit perfectly into your celebration. One of my favorite memories is carving out the pumpkins with our kids when they were young and later with our grandchildren. It is a great way to see them be creative. Serving Spook’s Punch would go well with Halloween Monster cookies.

Ingredients

1 pint orange sherbet

1 12-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

4 cups water

1 quart orange soda

Instructions

Soften sherbet and mix all ingredients together.

Loretta’s Tips

1. Use instant potatoes instead of flour to thicken soups, stews, and gravies without lumps. Another excellent thickener for soup is a little oatmeal. It will add flavor and richness to almost any soup.

2. Prevent cold shortening from sticking to the beaters of an electric mixer by heating the beaters in hot water just before using them.

Loretta Krahling is a columnist with over 38 years of newspaper experience. If you have a favorite recipe you would like to share or if you have any questions, email them to Loretta at krahling93@gmail.com.