I'm Dreaming of Apples...

I am going to come right out and say it. Fall is absolutely my favorite season of the year, hands down.

I know all seasons have their reasons and each season has parts that I look forward to in each, but there is just something about fall that really makes my heart happy. It’s the only season that I mentally wish into hurrying along and just getting here already! Once the kids go back to school and Labor Day has passed, I am in full on fall mode, even if the temperature is not with me.

For me, fall just has so much to love! The end of summer brings those mornings that are crisp and cool and no matter how warm the day may get, by the end of it you still feel that nip in the air letting you know that soon the warmth will be gone. Leaves give a wonderful sendoff, turning orange, red, yellow and just bursting from their branches waiting to be raked up, walked through, stomped on and jumped in! The pumpkins begin their final spurt of growth to go from gentle green to blazing orange, just waiting for the right people to come along and make it a Jack (or a pie!) And lastly, my favorite thing about fall is apples. More specifically, apple picking and all of the wonderful things that come along with it.

Growing up in the part of the Midwest I did, apple picking was not known to me at all. We did not have any orchards and apples just came from the grocery store. But once Jim and I moved to Boston, he introduced Sean and I to apple picking. Since this was something he had done with his family growing up in Massachusetts, he was able to take us to the same orchards he had picked at as a child which added something really special to this family activity. Perhaps this is part of why I am sentimental about apples:)

We would know we were at the orchard when the smell of fresh apples, sugar, and spices wafted over to us, making our stomachs instantly growl. The anticipation of fresh apples from the tree, fresh pressed apple cider and the best ever, hot fresh apple cider donuts was almost too much to take! If you have not had an apple cider donut do yourself a favor and find one! These moments with my favorite people in the world, doing something together as a family, is probably the best thing I can think to do on a bright fall day.

Since apples are my loves this month, I’m going to be sharing with you a few of my favorite apple recipes over the next few weeks. I hope you decide to give them a try! Better yet, I hope you find an orchard close by with fresh apples and use those to make them. If you have any great apple recipes, apple questions, or just want to share how much you love apples and fall too, hop over to Facebook and send me a message! Happy Fall Everyone!