Amy's Gourmet Apples - Cedarburg, WI

Amy's Candy Kitchen in Cedarburg creates the best caramel apples ever. Like ever, ever. Sure they sell just about every other kind of gourmet candy too, but your eyes probably won't look past the giant apples lounging in the display window. My favorite kind is the dark chocolate sea salt (bottom right). Other flavors pictured are dark chocolate pistachio (bottom left) and triple chocolate dunked caramel (top middle). Amy's makes other amazing flavor combinations too. They vary from a simple caramel coated apple, all the way to dark-chocolate dunked caramel apples dusted with Aztec chili powder.  What kind of toppings would you try?

Pine Hill Orchard

If ice cream is the best dessert of summer then caramel apples are the favorite treat in fall. Seriously, fall is the only time that I actually eat an apple a day. Only when they are smothered in caramel, of course! 
On the way home from the Art Farm, last weekend, we stopped at Pine Hill Orchard, to pick some apples up. Their road side stand has definitely upgraded. The first time I was there, They sold apples from small, portable tent. Recently, their stand has become such a hit that they built a permanent building and offer space to other vendors for more tents next to the apple building.
After sampling Pine Hill's cider and fruit, we purchase a few caramel apples.  I got plain caramel. The kids had "dirt cake" style apples, which were caramel apples rolled in oreo crumbs and topped with a gummy worm. It was hard for any of us to resist eating them in the car.
Tell me, what are your favorite caramel apples. Do you like them plain and simple like me or with nuts, sprinkles, or maybe even Oreos?

Not Your Grandma's Pumpkin Pie

Hey remember that time I dropped the whole mixing bowl into the pie crust I was trying to fill? It seems like it just happened. Oh wait, thats probably because it did just happen. Just kidding! But for a split second I was afraid  it was going too!
Autumn is here. The world has begun it's annual pumpkin craze and so have Layla and I. The first  pumpkin  treat we chose to make were classic pumpkin pies. There was no scraping out pumpkin guts for these girls, though . We made them from a can. Well, two cans actually, one thirty ounce can of Libby's easy pumpkin pie mix and half a twelve ounce can of carnation evaporated milk.  Also, two eggs and a crust that you unroll from a box.
I know your grandma is probably turning over in her grave at the thought of not  baking from scratch, but its ok. These weren't her pies and I have no problems taking a shortcut sometimes. Our home still smells as wonderful as if I had started these pies from scratch and each slice taste will taste just as delicious. Especially  the piece I'm going to have for breakfast tomorrow. (Don't lie, you know you've had pie and coffee as a 'healthy' breakfast before too).
Even Layla couldn't  wait to try the pumpkin pie. I caught her with her finger it it soon after I set it out too cool.