Fall into a bowl of butternut squash soup.

Sure, the stores have already set out their Christmas wares in the hopes of wearing down your resistance to buying purple tinsel and light-up candy canes. But don’t panic: this is fall, not winter, and it’s way too soon to be decking anybody’s halls. These selections from the Rodale Recipe Finder will help you savor the things that make October so much more than a stepping stone to the winter holiday season. Try a different treat each night, or combine your favorites for a family dinner or neighborhood monster mash.

Monday: Nothing fits a crisp fall day as well as a bowl of soup. And if the weather your way isn’t all that brisk, you can still experience the colors of autumn by serving up a Butternut Bowl o' Soup or some Fall Squash Soup. Along with seasonal oranges and golds, butternut and other squash types offer lots of vitamins A and C.

Tuesday: With trick or treat just days away, candy is everywhere. Preempt your sweet tooth by making a Saute of Sliced Apples and Almonds; have some for dessert tonight and save the rest for snacking. Each serving is a harvest festival of flavor, with half the calories of the average candy bar.

Wednesday: Harvest-themed eating continues, with a simple use for any apples loft over from bobbing: Bake them. They’re sweet eating, and your kitchen will smell better than the inside of an apple pie. If pears are more to your liking, poach them.

Thursday: Is Jack-o-lantern carving on your agenda? Spare one pumpkin to use for a Pumpkin Shell Dessert. Serving food out of a pumpkin shell is a perfect October surprise for any autumn dinner. By the way, save the pumpkin seeds to make pepitas on Saturday (see below).

Friday: If you’re accompanying your little monsters on a candy quest tonight, or doling out treats from your own front porch, fortify everyone against the nighttime chills with a cup of homemade Frothy Hot Chocolate, Hot Mulled Fruit Cider, or Hot Apple Cider with Ginger.

Saturday: South of the border, they call today “Día de los Muertos”—the Day of the Dead. It’s not as scary as it sounds; the holiday is filled with color, music, flowers, and remembrances of friends and family who’ve passed on. Also skeletons. Add Mexican flavors to your meal plan with some Tamale Pie (also available in meatless form), Tortilla Soup, Maple Pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds), and Mexican Cobb Salad. Invite some friends over, and tell them to bring some chips, because you’re making Guacamole.

Sunday: Perhaps today is a good day for raking leaves…or just lying on the couch with the Sunday paper and a ball game on the TV. In either case, it’s also a good day to enjoy the Autumn Leaves casserole. Pop it in the oven and let it bake while you’re doing your yard work (or whatever). See the Rodale Recipe Finder for more suggestions.