For October, I’d definitely replace our peach and burrata recipe. Let’s give the newsletter something that looks, smells, and tastes like fall but still connects naturally with spending time outdoors.

You don’t need an elaborate outdoor kitchen for this one. A grill, a cast-iron skillet, and a few simple ingredients will do it.

You’ll need: about 5 apples, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¾ cup old-fashioned oats, ½ cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 6 tablespoons cold butter cut into small pieces, and a small pinch of salt.

Start by peeling and slicing the apples. Toss them with lemon juice, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then spread them across the bottom of a cast-iron skillet.

In a separate bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Work the cold butter into the mixture until you have a coarse, crumbly topping. Spread it evenly over the apples.

Place the skillet on a grill set up for indirect heat , close the lid, and cook at around 350°F until the apples are tender and the topping is golden, roughly 35–45 minutes. Grill temperatures vary, so check it as it cooks rather than relying only on the clock.

Serve it warm.

And yes, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top is absolutely the right move.

It’s simple, seasonal, and exactly the kind of dessert that belongs on the table when an October evening is finally cool enough to make everyone want to stay outside a little longer.

For the October newsletter, this gives us a much stronger mix: seasonal homeowner advice, an educational materials article, Texas fall lifestyle, a direct NTL service spotlight on fire features, and a recipe that actually feels like October.