Fall Feast {the recipes}

The first official day of Fall {Autumn} this year was Sept.23. It snuck up on me. Our desert weather has been in the 90's - very unfall-like. But, we celebrated anyway, because, as you all know we LOVE fall.

So on the 23rd - we celebrated the fall equinox with Caramel Apples. They were AWESOME. We tried to recreate the APpLe PiE flavored ones from Rocky Mountain Chocolate. Pretty close, I think. So if you want to give your guys a treat try these. They are the perfect thing to make with the kids.

Apple Pie Caramel Apples:

5 green apples

1 bag Kraft Caramels

5 popsicle sticks (I used cut down skewers because that's what I had)

1/2 bag white chocolate chips

2 TB margarine

2 TB powdered sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Follow the directions for caramel apples on the back of the Kraft Caramels bag. Let caramel set. Melt white chocolate chips with margarine. Dip caramel apple in chocolate. Mix together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle on apples. Allow apples to cool on wax paper for one hour.

{I had a bit of caramel left over because I didn't dip my apples all the way to the stem. I thinned the leftover melted caramel with half and half and it made the PERFECT apple dip - the kids loved it. Seriously. We ate 6 apples that day.}

On that Sunday we celebrated with our 3rd annual Fall Feast - a great idea from a great mom I know. Our family loves Fall Feast. We eat something very fall-like, last year a turkey, this year a roast. And we always have pumpkin pie and apple cider. We use our "fancy" glasses and our not-so-fancy fall table cloth.

My favorite Pot Roast Recipe:

3-4 pound roast - I use chuck roast in this recipe because the meat is extra tender - use a leaner roast if you want to do French Dip sandwiches with the leftover (something we do a lot).

1 choped onion

chopped potatoes and baby carrots - however many your family will eat

1 TB choped garlic

2 bay leaves

1 can beef broth

1 tsp coarse ground pepper

1 tsp coarse ground salt

Place roast in crock pot {you can sear the sides in a pan of olive oil first, if you want - it does make a bit better but I usually don't take the time to do that}. Put vegetables around the roast. Add bay leaves and sprinkle the garlic over vegetables. Pour the beef broth over the vegetables. Sprinkle roast with half the salt and pepper and an extra crushed garlic clove, if desired. Sprinkle vegetables with the remaining salt/pepper. Cook on high for 6-8 hours.

And as long as I'm sharing recipes, here's one I gave to the ladies I visit teach. I love this bread:

Apple Cranberry Pumpkin Bread {muffins}:

3 C flour

1 TB + 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 1/2 C sugar

1 15 oz can pumpkin

4 eggs

1/2 C apple sauce

1/2 C oil

1/2 C apple juice

1 C sweetened dried cranberries (I used the new pomegranit flavor cranberries)

preheat oven to 350. Grease two bread pans or line muffin cups

combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, bkg soda, and salt. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, apple sauce, oil, and apple juice in large bowl. beat just until blended. Add flour mixture and mix until moistened. Fold in cranberries. Spoon into prepared pans. bake for 60 minutes (check at 50) {19 minutes for muffins} or until a tooth pick comes out clean.