If summer is the season of the swimming pool, fall is the season of the kitchen. It’s where many of our best memories are made—whether we’re carving pumpkins, savoring aromatic apples and cinnamon, or preparing delicious holiday feasts, no other room says “fall” quite like a cozy, well-stocked kitchen.

We’re here to help get your kitchen ready for the festivities ahead. Just read on as we share a few of our best tips!

Stock up on seasonal essentials

For a truly flavorful fall, you will want to have plenty of year-round staples on hand, as well as seasonal essentials that lend themselves to a wide variety of dishes. Here are a few easy ingredients to check off your list:

• Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger: These are some of the biggest key players when it comes to fall flavors, and can work together or solo to bring that warm autumnal aroma to dishes both sweet and savory.
• Canned pumpkin: Carving Jack-o-Lanterns is lots of fun! But it can also be a lot of work when you’re busy in the kitchen. Canned pumpkin is a great, long-lasting pantry staple that will speed up the baking process. It can be used in classic treats like pumpkin pie, as well as novel creations like pumpkin pie milkshakes or warm, fluffy pumpkin bread.
• Apples: You can never have too many apples on hand—perfect for eating fresh, turning into sweet cinnamon apple chips or baking a favorite pie! The best part is, if you find that you’ve picked up more than you can eat, you can still put apples to good use in a DIY aroma. Simply simmer apple cores, cinnamon, water, orange rinds and other seasonal ingredients to create a gentle, natural scent that warms up the home!
• Oats: From soothing oatmeal in the a.m., to harvest-inspired granola bars on a lazy afternoon, oats can be used in a wide variety of ways all season long.

Waste not, want not

It’s always good to reduce waste in the kitchen—and during fall, it is especially easy to do! Leftovers from your pumpkin carving project, for example, can turn into roasted pumpkin seeds for a fresh fall salad. As we mentioned earlier, apple cores can create a beautiful, handmade scent when simmered on your stove; they can also be added to your slow cooker to create apple butter, a sweet, simple spread that works well on toast and English muffins all fall long!

The “waste not, want not” philosophy also extends to your kitchen décor—if you have an old plaid shirt lying around, why not repurpose it into a set of festive fall placemats? Fall leaves can also be added to an empty sauce jar for a fun seasonal flourish. The opportunities are endless.

Decorate with food

When you want to create a beautiful space that’s ready for friends and family to gather, decorating is easy—just use your food! Apples, oranges and pears can be piled in a see-through bowl for easy access when you’re hungry, and a beautiful centerpiece when you’re not (you can also add fall leaves for good measure!). Pumpkins are another natural décor choice that can double as food (or at the very least, some serious carving fun) when you’re ready to host a gathering. You can even create your own cornucopia for a true harvest-time flourish.

We hope that these ideas help you achieve a cozy kitchen for fall! Of course, for a dining experience that’s always warm, welcoming and delicious, head over to Peach Valley Café for breakfast, brunch or lunch. We’ll even take care of the dishes so you can kick back, relax and enjoy the season to the fullest!