This time of the year seems to sneak up on me. With young children, I find myself decorating our home, running around completing costumes and finishing treat bags for school amidst preparing for my son's birthday, which is the day before Halloween.

If I want to enjoy Halloween too, making a sweet and simple evening is key. You could call your local pizzeria for a really easy dinner. But whether you are taking children trick-or-treating or staying home to hand out goodies to little ghouls, preparing a delicious one-pot meal is easy too.

Making your favorite chili, soup or maybe a great fall stew, even a day ahead, is an option.  Popcorn is always a favorite and a healthy alternative to chips. If you like sweet-and-salty snacks, the recipe below for cinnamon pretzels is a fun take-along if you're headed to a party.

While some might be bobbing for apples at their Halloween party, I like making apple desserts. I'll admit, I've only made apple pie a few times over 10 years, so apple crisp is my easy option. This could be made a day ahead, and then warmed when ready to serve but my family enjoys it out of the oven.

I really love the abundance of apples around town. A visit to Jerry's Fruit and Garden Center at 7901 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Niles will score you some Fuji, Red and Golden Delicious. Store manager Ron Uhlig reminds me that Jerry's carries apples all year, but the seasonal Michigan and Washington apples are plentiful now. Stored in the refrigerator, apples can last for about one month.

If you're driving by Fresh Farms, 5740 W. Touhy Ave. in Niles, take in the colorful seasonal display outside the store. Fresh Farms also carries a variety of apples such as Michigan Golden Delicious, Gala, Granny Smith, Red Delicious and Honey Crisp. Store manager Marino Rosales mentions the pumpkins, corn stalks and hay bales are quickly diminishing with the holidays approaching.

When cooking apples, there are varieties better suited to use than others based on how the apple will be cooked, its texture, how it holds its shape during cooking, how much juice the apple gives off and final flavor. I also prefer mixing varieties within a dish to capture a mix of textures and flavors; try mixing Granny Smith apples with Fuji.

When serving apples, cooked or raw, cheddar cheese makes a great companion. If you haven't tried this pairing, it might not register mentally. Give it a chance. There's a smoothness and saltiness that the cheese lends to the apple's crisp texture and tartness. The apple crisp recipe uses cheddar cheese, but you can try fresh grated Parmesan in the topping also.

Other locations for seasonal apples and squashes:

• Assi Plaza, at 8901 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Niles
• Super H Mart, 801 Civic Center Dr. in Niles

Cinnamon Pretzels

•  6 tablespoons butter, unsalted and melted
•  ½ cup turbinado (raw) sugar
•  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•  1 teaspoon ground cardamom
•  16 ounces pretzels (one package)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. In a large bowl, stir butter, sugar and spices. Add pretzels and toss until well coated. Place on baking sheet and bake, uncovered. After 10 minutes, stir the pretzels around. Repeat again after another 10 minutes. Remove from oven after baking for 30 minutes. Let cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Apple Crisp

Filling

• 4 to 5 large apples, cored, peeled and cut coarsely
•  2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice
•  3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•  ¼ cup brown sugar
•  ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
•  ½ teaspoon nutmeg
•  ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
•  ¼ teaspoon salt

Topping

•  ¾ cup all-purpose flour
•  ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
•  1/3 cup brown sugar
•  ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
•  ¼ teaspoon salt
•  6 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into pieces
•  ¼ to ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, mild or sharp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place apples in a large mixing bowl and pour orange juice over the apples, mixing to coat. In a separate bowl, combine all other filling ingredients and mix well. Pour spice mix over apples and stir, coating the apples. Place mixture in baking dish (9-inch by 13-inch or 8-inch by 12-inch). For the topping, mix all dry ingredients (do not include cheese), then using a pastry blender, food processor or your hands, cut in the butter until the topping mixture becomes crumbly (pea-size crumbs). Sprinkle over the apples. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until topping is brown and apples are bubbling. During the last five minutes, take the dish out of the oven and sprinkle cheese over the topping. Put back in oven just long enough for cheese to melt, 3-5 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.