This is the latest installment of my Powernap column. The series where I share quick, easy food that can be made for all kinds of situations. Powernaps are short and sweet, and so are these recipes. These are the things I make in a jiffy when I need a quick snack, am in the mood for a recipe experiment, or simply need to clean out the pantry.

This month I’ve been all about indulging my cravings for spicy food and it is beginning to show around here. I know a lot of you don’t mind a little heat now and then so hopefully I’m not going too overboard. Rest assured, I always include instructions on how to tone down the heat to suit your palate! In our Facebook chat earlier this month some of you indicated you want more slow-cooker dishes that are not beef or pork oriented. Lucky you, because now that the weather has cooled down, and I am slowing down I bit, I’ve been using my slow-cooker every chance I get and today I’ve got a great, lighter fall/winter soup for you!

Now and then I like to pop in to chat about some of my newest favorite things. This is the stuff I’ve been enjoying recently from around the internet and beyond. As you can probably tell, my baby nesting instincts are starting to emerge. Lately I’ve been flipping around home decor websites just as much as my favorite food rags. I’ve also been scooping out a few fashiony items, mostly concentrating on the things I can actually take advantage of now (i.e. shoes, bags, and make-up) while I can’t fit into normal clothes. I am also happy to report that I am far less absent-minded and wiped out than I was when I checked in last summer. Phew – I am glad that phase is over! Now I am just a normal pregnant lady who gets out of breath carrying groceries and craves chocolate like it is going out of style.

My Fall Favorites 2012:

Naptime Kitchen Gear: With apples coming in my the bucket load I am all about this slicer – so much easier when I need thin slices for tarts

Naptime Reading:  This new novel is SO good. I am crazy about all things Hemingway and this book is a fun look at his second marriage.

Naptime Retail Therapy: These boots are on my wish list…they are they perfect height for pregnant ladies!

Naptime Baby: I might put Jeni’s on my baby registry!

Naptime Websites: Love reading this site, loving shopping for accessories on this site, OMG Beurre & Sel is OPEN!!!

Naptime Beauty: This year I am obsessed with this for dark lips. (I mean, just because I can’t wear the fashionable clothes this month doesn’t mean I can’t make an effort!)

Earlier this month on Facebook I asked what you would like to see on The Naptime Chef this fall. I am so grateful that all of you wrote back with the most terrific answers! There were requests for everything from more chicken and vegetable oriented slow-cooker meals, family breakfast food and kids snacks, to toddler finger food, entertaining ideas, and easy Mexican dishes. I promise I am going to do my best to fulfill all of your needs this fall and, given my current obsession with all things spicy, today I am starting with this simple family-friendly make-ahead meal.

1. Halloween Cake in a Jar
2. 8 Ways to Enjoy Apple Cider
3. 7 Creative Ways to Eat Apples
4. 8 Ways to Make Veggies Look Good

5. 10 Healthy & Homemade Nut-Free Snacks for the Lunchbox

Today I am thrilled to be working with FAGE Total Greek yogurt. I have been a longtime fan of the authentic tangy Greek yogurt and I consider it a staple ingredient for many of my favorite recipes. Not only does it impart a delicious tang into anything I am making, it also adds a lot a protein while being low in calories and fat. I swear that using it to bind chicken salad is the only way to go. My husband swears it is best when served with granola and honey first thing in the morning. During my first pregnancy I ate tons of it which perhaps explains why my daughter is obsessed with it too!

I am thrilled that today my friend Phoebe of Feed Me Phoebe has come to share her recipe for homemade granola bars. These beauties are PERFECT for lunchboxes, snacks, and even pick-me-ups for Moms. (Confession: I keep granola bars in my purse. Do you?) Next month you’ll hear a little more about Phoebe when she hits the airwaves in the first season of Chef Race: U.S. vs U.K. on BBC America. You all had better set your recorders because this show is NOT to be missed! In the mean time, here is Phoebe’s delicious snack solution for kids and adults alike!

Last weekend I celebrated my birthday. As most of you know, I am not one to shy away from birthdays. For most of my life I spent nearly the entire year longing for my birthday to come around. As the youngest person of my peer group in school/college/life I was always excited to get a little older, to attain the age and status of those around me. These days I don’t really care so much about getting old, I just view my birthday as a chance to spend a fun night out with my husband and take advantage of the excuse to make myself an awesome homemade cake.

I am so excited to share the second installment of my Thailand Travel Series. As you may recall, I traveled to Thailand last February on behalf of Sea Cuisine and had a blast exploring the seafood offerings of this fantastic country with my friend Nicole. This week Sea Cuisine posted my articles about our second day in Bangkok and the AMAZING food we had at some out of the way restaurants after a cruise down the Chao Phraya.  Come to the Seafood Spot to Read More! ….

What’s Going on Today: Morning spent indoors waiting for heat to break! Trip to nearby aquarium for fun.

Tonight’s Menu: Roast Chicken with Paprika and Shallots, Crispy Rosemary Potatoes, Marinated Green Beans.

Last weekend a huge front of thunderstorms rolled through and took away the god-awful tropical rain forest-like weather and replaced it with normal crisp, cool fall breezes. To mark this long-awaited turn of weather events I celebrated by making our first roast chicken of the season. For us roast chicken is the king of cold-weather cooking comfort food. I’d take it over mac and cheese any day, especially when paired with some crispy rosemary potatoes and marinated green beans.

Last week a brand new copy of my friend Catherine’s beautiful new cookbook, Weelicious: 140 Fast, Fresh, and Easy Recipes landed in my mailbox. I was thrilled. Having been a longtime fan of Catherine’s blog, Weelicious, it was awesome to finally have so many of her great ideas in book form. This time next year I’ll be back in the baby puree stage and she has a whole chapter on feeding baby that has already given me tons of new ideas. I have a feeling those pages will be well worn by next fall!

This is the latest installment of my Powernap column. The series where I share quick, easy food that can be made for all kinds of situations. Powernaps are short and sweet, and so are these recipes. These are the things I make in a jiffy when I need a quick snack, am in the mood for a recipe experiment, or simply need to clean out the pantry.

One of the challenges of the school year is packing healthy, fun snacks for kids. I don’t want my daughter to turn into a serial snacker, of course, I never want snacks to replace her actual meal. But she has to take snack to school every day and really needs a mid-afternoon munchie to hold her over until dinner. Since I do my best to make all of her food from scratch I often make an easy kid-friendly snack bread on Sunday to last the week. Zucchini Applesauce Bread or Rhubarb Orange Snack Bread are two favorites and a slice of either makes a satisfying, healthy snacks for her preschool palate.

1. Apple Cider Donut Holes
2. Apple Pie Baked in Apples
3. 7 Snack Breads for the Lunchbox
4. Captain Crunch Cookies