The Fall Edit: What We’re Cooking, Reading, and Listening To Lately

Fall Is A Full-Body Experience

You can smell it before you see it: woodsmoke, apples, the faint metallic tang of crisp air. You can hear it, too, in the crunch of the leaves underfoot and the hush that follows the long buzz of summer. It’s the season that asks us to slow down, to linger, to soften.

This month, we’re leaning all the way in—through taste, touch, sound, sight, and smell—with a collection of favorite recipes, reads, and rituals that celebrate the cozy rhythm of fall. From warm kitchens to candlelit corners, here’s your guide to savoring the season with all five senses (and maybe a weighted blanket or two).

Photo courtesy of Pexels.

Read More: Our Favorite Friendsgiving Recipes

TASTE: What We’re Cooking

If summer was about exploring, fall is about returning…to the kitchen, to slower rhythms, to the smell of something simmering on the stove. The flavors are deeper now: earthy, spiced, rich. Below are a few favorites to mark the shift (and yes, they’re as soul-soothing as they sound).

Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric
New York Times Cooking
Comfort in a bowl. This golden, gingery stew has everything your immune system craves: turmeric, kale, coconut, and warmth that lingers. Vegan-friendly, endlessly adaptable, and perfect for those cozy nights in.
Crispy Chicken & Potatoes with Cabbage Slaw
Epicurious
My husband calls these “marry-me thighs.” And, he’s right—everyone will love them, and love you for making them. They’re simple, satisfying, and perfect for chilly weeknights or low-key dinners with friends.
Fall Orzo Salad with Delicata Squash and Kale
Cooking with Car
A lighter, brighter option for cozy gatherings or your potluck Friendsgiving. This orzo salad proves that comfort food can still feel fresh. (Vegan-friendly if you swap the cheese, and trust me, the dressing alone is life-changing.)
Spicy Pork Meatballs in Brothy Tomatoes and Toasted Fennel
From Alison Roman’s “Nothing Fancy”
A warm, fragrant hug in a bowl, especially when made with late-season tomatoes from the garden. You could make the sauce alone and put it on everything (and I do). These are such a crowd pleaser—I guarantee you’ll have guests licking their plates clean.
Rack-Roasted Chicken with Gravy Potatoes
From Carla Lalli Music’s “Where Cooking Begins”
My go-to Thanksgiving centerpiece. It’s so much easier (and more delicious) than turkey, and cozier than any takeout. Hot tip: Add garlic and apple slices to the veggies to have the whole house smelling amazing.

Avocado Pairing: There’s no cozier kitchen companion than a comfy robe. Soft enough to cook in, stylish enough to answer the door when your Instacart driver drops off the sugar you forgot.

TOUCH: Layering Up for Comfort

Fall is the season of texture. The soft brush of flannel, the weight of wool, the smooth curve of a mug between your palms. As the temperature drops, your home becomes an invitation to nest.

Start by swapping out your light summer bedding for layers that breathe but still cocoon. Organic linen sheets add just the right mix of crisp and cozy, while a wool throw feels like wrapping yourself in a warm hug (that also happens to be responsibly sourced).

When you’re off your feet, trade stiff jeans for stretchy and soft loungewear and feel your shoulders drop two inches instantly. It’s that moment when you realize that touch isn’t just physical, it’s emotional. Every texture, every soft layer, tells your body: phew, we can rest now.

And if you need a little sensory grounding? Make a ritual out of it: a hot shower, fluffy towel, and body oil that smells faintly of something warm and woody.

Consider it tactile therapy.

Photo courtesy of Avocado.

SOUND: What We’re Listening To

Sound shapes the atmosphere of the house we have to hunker into for the next few months. It’s the clink of spoons in soup bowls, the rustle of leaves, the low hum of a favorite record.

Music:
- Jazz Fruits Radio – mellow lo-fi jazz that makes any kitchen feel like a café.
- Ram Dass Musical Meditations – perfect for grounding yourself after a long day or a lively family dinner.
Podcast:
- The Moth – true stories, told live. Equal parts hilarious and healing.
Audio Book:
- The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin – the audiobook is a meditation in itself. I highly recommend listening versus reading and putting it on while cooking or winding down.

Avocado Pairing: Turn on Do Not Disturb, roll out your organic yoga mat, grab your meditation pillow, and move a little: stretch, flow, breathe. It’s the perfect way to balance cozy stillness with mindful motion.

SMELL: Setting the Mood

A single scent can shift the whole atmosphere of a room. Fall smells like cinnamon and smoke, cedar and cardamom, baking bread and rain on dead leaves.

Create your own aromatic retreat: light a candle with warm spice notes, diffuse essential oils like sandalwood or clove, or create a simmering pot on the stove with apple peels and cinnamon sticks.

Even scenting your bedding with a natural linen spray or washing it with unscented, eco-friendly detergent can make bedtime feel like an act of mindfulness.

Avocado Pairing: Cozy nights call for extremely snuggleable Organic Bedding, because clean, breathable fabrics let natural scents linger, well, naturally.

SIGHT: Books, Shows, and Little Escapes

Cooler evenings mean more time to curl up and unwind. Whether it’s a good book or a comforting movie, storytelling is its own form of self-care.

Books to Read:

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer – a love letter to the natural world and a meditation on reciprocity.
The Best of Me by David Sedaris – sharp, funny, and full of heart.
The Scholomance Series by Naomi Novik – for those craving a bit of magic before bed.
The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer – an introspective read that will have you turning inward this autumn.

Things to Watch:

Paddington (and Paddington 2 + 3)—pure serotonin for the whole family. Trust me on this one. Available on Netflix.
Ocean with David Attenborough—Equal parts awe-inspiring and eye-opening, it’s a stunning deep dive into the beauty and fragility of marine life. Available on Hulu.
One Battle After Another—for anyone keeping tabs on awards-season contenders. In theaters now, or available for rent at home on 11/20 at Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and more.

Avocado Pairing: Curl up with a Weighted Blanket and let your body mirror your mind—slow, still, grounded.

Autumn in All Five Senses

Autumn invites us to engage, not rush. It’s the season of sensory mindfulness, where even the simplest rituals can become grounding: stirring soup, turning a page, hearing rain tap against the window.

Each sense gives us a different way to connect—to ourselves, to our homes, to the world just outside our doors. The warmth of the kitchen, the texture of a favorite sweater, the sound of laughter drifting from another room. Even the quiet has its own richness this time of year.

So pour the tea. Press play on something gentle. Let your home smell like the holidays and your couch hold you a little longer.

And as you settle into the slower rhythm of the season, notice what grounds you. The things that bring you back to your senses. The rituals that remind you that rest, too, is productive, and joy doesn’t have to be loud to be felt deeply.

Because when we let ourselves fully experience the season—taste it, touch it, hear it, see it, and smell it—we’re reminded that the simplest moments are often the most sustaining ones.

Photo courtesy of Pexels.

Read More: How to Make a Holiday Simmer Pot

Have feedback on our story? Email [email protected] to let us know what you think!

Kyle is a freelance writer based in Portland, OR. She loves writing about health and wellness, sparking creativity, travel, and the outdoors—especially when there's room to add a little humor or heart.