THE APPLE OF MY PIE

The October weather here in Minnesota has been fluctuating from cold and damp to sunny and warm, but one thing is certain, there is definitely a crisp coolness in the air.  Yes, fall has arrived.  I love this time of year as it heralds warm sweaters, bonfires, pumpkins, and APPLES! 

Arriving at the orchard.

The apples await!

One of my favorite things to do in early October is to go apple picking.  I love being out in the cool autumn air as I wander up and down the rows of apple trees at the orchard.  This year was an especially good year for apples and the trees were abundant, and full. 

The Corn Maze at the orchard . . .

. . . Was well guarded.

Yes!  This is REAL!

The Twin Cities area is blessed with several apple orchards and last weekend I went apple picking with a couple of friends at Apple Jack Orchards just west of Minneapolis.  My goal was to pick apples to be used in my first ever attempt to bake a homemade apple pie from scratch.

The Cow Train was great fun for the youngsters.

The day turned out to be somewhat rainy so I was worried about how our adventure would turn out.  Luck was on our side though, as it rained on the way to the orchard and on the way home, but not while we were at the orchard.  As far as the pie, I picked Haralson, Hoenycrisp and Macoun apples that would find their way into that wonderful delicacy. 

A visit to the gift shop was a delightful way to end our day at the orchard.

Like I said this was my first attempt at baking an apple pie from scratch, and I think it turned out pretty well.  I owe a huge “Thank You” to Muffy Aldrich.  Her blog, The Daily Prep, is one that I follow religiously, and a few weeks back she posted her favorite apple pie recipe – including the crust.  While I made a few slight adjustments for personal taste, the basic recipe came from her. 

My Grandmother's pie plate, mixing bowl, and rolling pin.

The end result!

There are still a couple more weeks left for apple picking, and if you haven’t done so already, I suggest you load up the family and head out to an orchard near you.  There truly isn’t a better way to spend a wonderful fall day.  Happy Picking!