By Kerin Van Hoosear, LuxEco Editorial Assistant and author of Seasonal Cooking with Kerin

Everyone loves small bites and finger food! This is a great recipe to make for dinner parties or your friends and family. It’s a simple filling that packs a lot of punch. So don’t be surprised when your guests swoop in on your dumpling platter and decimate it! If you’ve never made dumplings before, don’t worry. It’s like riding a bike. Once you get into the rhythm of it, you’ll be cranking them out at top speed.

By Kerin Van Hoosear, LuxEco Editorial Assistant and author of Seasonal Cooking with Kerin

The holiday season is in full swing and that means it’s time to crack open that canned pumpkin, right? No! Take the time to head down to your local farmers market and pick out a few choice pumpkins to use this season; they’re incredibly versatile! To break it down, cut the top off and then cut the pumpkin into workable pieces. I find quartering it works really well. With the side of a spoon, scrape away the seeds. To get the raw meat out, scrape against the grain and you’ll get nice short shredded pieces. This pumpkin bread is just one way to use your pumpkin; make sure you save your leftovers for another recipe!

By Kerin Van Hoosear, LuxEco Editorial Assistant and author of Seasonal Cooking with Kerin

Perfect for autumnal cooking, try your hand at Roasted Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese (and don’t forget to buy your ingredients local and organic!)

First, to roast the butternut squash you’ll need:

one hot oven
1 butternut squash (medium sized), peeled and cubed (about 1/2″ x 1/2″)
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp sage
salt and pepper
olive oil