Fall on the Farm

Two weeks ago we were in Liberty to say bon voyage to Katie, Eric and Henry before they relocate to Amsterdam for a year (!). We also celebrated Cameron's birthday by giving our best shot at Breakout KC (we were 2 minutes away from completing the Szechuan Secret room. A super fun experience though (I won't say anything...don't want to give away any clues!).

We topped it all off with an evening at the farm on Saturday, complete with pumpkin carving, soup and chili, early birthday celebrations and a bon fire. Fall, please don't ever leave!

Homecoming 2015

M-I-Z...

...Z-O-U.

Campfire Dutch Oven Apple Crisp

Every fall, one of my favorite traditions since being married is going apple picking at Eckert's Farm in Belleville, Il. The first year we went, we naively came away with two bags filled with apples. They lasted us months - I'm pretty sure we moved into our second apartment with some of those apples in tow. They stayed fresh and delicious, mind you. But still, we overdid it. The second year we were smarter; but then we fell hard for their massive mums. Great price, so I felt less than guilty.

This year, year three, we were experienced and ready. We went early on a Saturday before we headed out for a camping trip. It was the chilliest it's been since we started going, but in the best kind of way - the sign that fall is really here. We got right onto the wagon, picked four varieties of apples (Braeburn, Cameo, Sun Crisp and Golden Delicious) in the right moderation and then made our way to the pumpkin field.




In years past we actually never picked a pumpkin, but this year, we happened to go on a weekend when pick-your-own pumpkins were half off. So there it was, our trap for the year. By Jonathan's guess, we had picked ourselves a 25-pounder. By the scale's more accurate measurements, she was 37. You got us again, Eckert's!

Later that afternoon we met up with our friends near Marble Creek Campgrounds. "Near" because the campgrounds were closed for renovations, but our friends had friends whose parents have some land and a small house nearby. So the afternoon was spent layered up by a campfire, breathing in fall and just relaxing. The perfect setting to christen our new dutch oven and make use of a few of our apples.

Campfire Dutch Oven Apple Crisp

• 5 Braeburn apples, sliced about 16 slices per apple
• 1/2 package (1.25 cups) Eckert's Apple Crisp Mix
• 6 tablespoons butter
• cinnamon and brown sugar
• a campfire (optional, but highly recommended)

We lined the Dutch oven with aluminum foil, which I highly recommend for easy cleanup. Jonathan melted a tablespoon of butter for the bottom, and I layered in the apple slices.

I sprinkled the apples with cinnamon, because the more the merrier in my book, before adding the apple crisp mix on top. Place the five tablespoons on top, evenly distribute, and top with brown sugar. Cover with lid and place on a layer of coals in the fire. Top with coals.

Rotate the Dutch oven after 10 minutes. After 10 more minutes, remove from fire. If you've got a nice caramelized topping forming, you've hit the jackpot! Allow the crisp to stop bubbling, or your mouth will be sorry; trust me.

If you have a pup nearby to eat up any fallen apple slices, all the better.

Fruits of Our Labor

"Not that there is anything intrinsically wrong with supermarket apples. They still have more or less the same health benefits and versatility in the kitchen. They just aren’t going to make your heart beat faster." - "The Pick of the Apple Orchard," New York Times

That's right, people: picking apples makes your heart beat faster. Or at least makes you feel closer to the food you eat and the harvest of this season. Jonathan and I picked apples for the first time this weekend at Eckert's Farm in Belleville, IL. It was finally a cooler fall day and we didn't have much planned for Sunday so we drove out to the farm -- along with 100 other families in the metro area, I'm sure. There are plenty of other activities at Eckert's for kids and families, but we focused our energy on the apple trees and the pumpkin patch. We picked Honey Crisp and Fuji ... 22 pounds to be exact! Yeah, we went a little bit overboard -- blame that quickening heart beat!

But almost more fun than picking all those apples is the subsequent creative fest of cooking and baking with them. We came home, ran to the store and then got cooking on the following:

Apple Pie

Chunky Apple Sauce (and Pork Chops)

Cinnamon Pecan Apple Muffins

But we're just scratching the surface! Today must have been national apple day or something (no offense, Columbus Day) because I was bombarded with apple recipes from friends, family and social media. Hey, I'm not complaining. Here's my shortened list for now:

Cheddar Apple Biscuits
Apple Ginger Soup
Pulled Korean BBQ Pork Apples
Apple Pie Fritters
Poached Pear (Apple) Salad

Have a favorite apple recipe you think we should try? Send it my way! Seriously, this is our bottom refrigerator drawer right now (only after Jonathan took about five pounds of apples to work). 

Get out your pumpkins

Happy first day of fall, y'all! Today was supposed to be the day I got out all our my fall decorations and went to town on our home. Then I searched the basement and realized, whoops, those are still in Houston...

So as I wait for my lovely mama to send me those things this week, these new additions are tying me over. The print is a page torn out from Midwest Living and I picked up the materials for the pendants and skull at Michael's today. Some burlap, twine, orange fabric, and white paint pen for the pendants (you can probably find a more creative word to spell out, I wasn't feeling adventurous). I tend to stay away from the morbid/scary Halloween themes, but when you add bling to a skull it kind of loses its scariness, right? Plus these glittery skulls at Pottery Barn inspired me, so I went for a gold paint pen and unfinished skull to get a similar look.

Voila -- fall is in the air!

Seasonal Denial

Fall is just around the corner, I can feel it.

That's the side of my brain talking that is in denial of the 80+ degrees outside, the ice-cold sweet tea in my mason jar glass and the AC still blasting in our apartment. The side that was fooled by the crisp 70-degree weather we had only a few weeks ago that left as quickly as it arrived. It's the side of my brain that can't really feel fall just yet, but tastes it and smells it.

It's the side of my brain that switched out the lemon verbena scents of summer for the harvest Yankee Candle and Williams-Sonoma spiced chestnut hand soap. The same side of my brain that has been duped by stores displaying sweaters, boots, pumpkin-embroidered pillows and chunky cable knit blankets. The part of me that is giddy with excitement to spend fall back in beautiful color-changing tree country for the first time in three years. It's that side of my brain, along with my soul (and if I'm being honest, my tummy) that are screaming, "Fall is near!"

So as the logical and nostalgic sides of my brains duke it out for the remaining days (weeks...) of summer weather, my autumnal spirit looks forward to these things:

Chunky cable knit

I love everything about this outfit. I've never rocked the cape/poncho look, but this just might be the year. I remember considering it while in school but being flustered by how I would carry a book bag or back pack. Now, the idea of a cable-knit poncho basically sounds like the excuse for an office-friendly blanket. Sign me up.

Comfy cuddles

I'm counting down the days until the temperatures drop low and I can unpack our down blanket from storage and sleep in a comfy cloud again. And for cozy nights on the couch curled up with something soft and beautifully patterned, like this braiden throw.

Rich, home-cooked meals

Bring on hearty soups and freshly baked goodies. I plan to get a lot of use out of our cast iron skillet this season, too. And since I always want dessert, I'll cut right to the chase: this decadent caramel pecan skillet brownie is the first thing on my list.

Travels

With fall comes our first real vacation since our honeymoon last year. We've booked a four-day weekend around my birthday at a bed & breakfast tucked away in Napa. It's our first time in wine country, and my first stay at a B&B, so I'm already dreaming about endless wine, cheese, delicious meals and beautiful scenery as far as the eye can see. Can't wait to see how they do Halloween in wine country either.

See you soon, fall. I know you're almost here.