Around the House - It's Apple Time!

Hi all!

We are finally starting to feel (and look) like fall around here and that means APPLES.  Now I realize apples are freely available all year yada yada but fall is supposed to be apple time.  I think there are even places around here where we could go and pick our own apples but we have never done that before.  Recently my buddy Suzanne posted pics of homemade apple chunky apple sauce and I had to give it a try! WHY I have not done this before is beyond me since I have always loved to cook!  So my first go 'round I took 3 kinds of apples (Fuji, Gala, and Golden Delicious) - using several kinds adds depth AND some break down more while others stay chunky so it depends on what you want.  And no I do not know which ones break down and which don't but I THINK the Golden Delicious stay the firmest.....Anyway, I cut them up, threw them in a crock pot, sprinkled with cinnamon, apple pie spice and sugar and let the crock pot do it's thing.  A HUGE hit with everyone!

Of course, it led me to thinking of apple pie because I LOVE PIE.  Hubby brings me flowers AND PIE as treats:

He had been out of town and this is what he came home with for me!

But you know what goes good with apples y'all???

Red Hot Cinnamon Candies!!!

One of my fave pies as a kid was my mom's red hot cinnamon candy apple pie.  Yup.  Apple pie that had red hot cinnamon candies in it.  So I decided I needed one!

SO so good.  And then I was thinking what if I made the applesauce WITH the red hots....

So I went and got some more apples - 3 kinds remember - and cut them up and threw them in my crockpot.  I had maybe 7-8 apples.  Then I mixed about 1/4 sugar (probably not needed though) and 1/4 tsp. or so of nutmeg - sorry I don't measure anything.  I mixed that in to coat the apples and then poured in somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of red hot candies (Red Dye #40 be damned!)

And we got this:

OH SO GOOD!  Especially when you do this:

On top of vanilla ice cream it is dee-LISH!!!  I put half in the freezer for later and we have half in the fridge for now.




AND for those that want it - the pie recipe.  I have NO idea where this came from originally - I got it from my momma!

Deep Dish Apple Pie

• 1/3 c. red hots
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. water
• 6 c. apples
• 1/4 c. flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/3 tsp. salt
• 1 tbl. lemon juice
• 2 tbl. butter
• pie crust

Melt candies and 1/2c. sugar in water.  Combine apples, flour, other 1/2c. sugar, nutmeg and salt.  Add lemon juice to red hot syrup and then pour over apple mixture.  Blend until coated and pour into pie shell.  Dot top with butter.  Bake at 450 for 10 minutes and then at 350 for 40-50 minutes until apples are tender.

I have mixed success with this pie filling thickening and it frustrates me no end!  But either way it sure does taste deeeeeeVINE!