Fall in these parts tends to bring on a more contemplative mood...reflecting on life, thinking on how to prepare our bodies, minds and houses for winter ahead.  We begin our nesting, and our to-do lists, we have our first fire in the fireplace and we start baking...it is, after all, apple season.

  I'm sure I've shared this before... The  Barefoot Contessa's Apple Crostata.

It is, by far, my favorite apple dessert ( other than my mother's apple pie or her apple crisp recipe)...with a slight modification. I do not add the orange zest or allspice. I'm not one for flavoring my apple anything with  anything but cinnamon. No nutmeg, no allspice. Just cinnamon. I'm telling you, this tart is so loaded with butter...the pastry alone has a whole stick of butter and it is the flakiest, meltiest tart crust EVER!

Today I was also in the mood for candy apples. In fact, for the last three weekends, I've made my husband take me into three counties to find cinnamon candy apples. Wouldn't  you just think that here in WNY, the Apple Capital of the World, someone, somewhere in thier apple farm market would have cinnamon candy apples?  (since we missed the local Apple Festival because of our little get-away...I missed out on my cinnamon candy apple)  So this afternoon, instead of making JR tote me around once again, I made him buy me a candy thermometer at the local Ace Hardware store ( they have everything, don't they?) and doggone it, I made my own cinnamon candy apples.

 

I also settled down and finished the Shawl Collared Cowl,

 
which I knit with a gorgeous hank of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted. It took only a  couple of evenings to knit, but it took me a week to sew the buttons on.

 

  Super cute, quick, fun pattern. If you are wondering, "hmmm, what could I knit for fall that's super cute, quick and fun to make?"  I would very much advise you knit this neckwarmer. Oh, my gosh, make this neckwarmer!

Meghan and I had a long book talk this morning, discussing what we're reading, what's on our fall reading lists, and checking out some book reviews. So, next for me is Jonathan Franzen's "Freedom."  ( like most of the rest of the Oprah-watching literate world) and then, I'm really thinking about  "The Passage" by Justin Cronin. While it's not my usual genre' (  I understand it's supernatural, scary vampire-y stuff) it sounds pretty creepy, exciting  and well-written.

So, I start the day pondering  the big Fall questions of life...what to read, what to knit next, how to create a cozy, restful home for winter. 

And just now, before I get ready for bed, I'm considering how to answer the  last big question  on my mind... 

 

Is it okay to eat a cinnamon candy apple after I've just had a piece of warm apple crostata?



 

Comments

[Dianne]

Oh, I love the neckwarmer! Delicious color too! And the desserts...definitely making me hungry here!

[Karin]

Oh go on! Have both! I would, yum!

Your neckwarmer is wonderful the colour is perfect for you. It makes your skin look so bright and fresh.

[Elizabeth]

Don't ask me. I just ate pumpkin pie for breakfast. (It's Thanksgiving here, I'm allowed)

Nice cowl!

[Beth]

I love how your cowl turned out! Those buttons are fabulous.

[Dcuddy]

Apples are good for you, so one of each wouldn't hurt! I love everything about fall, especially the food! I made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins over the weekend and they were gone by this morning!

[Dorothy]

The answer to your last question - Yes. No, it's - Absolutely yes!