AUTUMN IN PA

Fall is my favorite time of year. The air is crisp, the colors are vibrant and then my favorite holiday,Halloween is in the midst of it all. For me there is nothing more relaxing than starring at a beautiful, colorful trees , sipping a caramel macchiato (my fall beverage of choice, next to Solebury Orchards apple cider) all bundled up in a hoodie. Ah, the hoodie I could wax on about my hoodie but surely you know how good planting your cold hands in the front pockets all bundled up feels. I dream of fall picnics under shady colorful trees, with plaid blanks and thermos filled with soup. My parents live out in Bucks county PA where they have the most beautiful fall as the images above show. They also have a wonderful Halloween event called Pumpkinfest. Pumpkinfest is the perfect way to enjoy the season, caramel apples, cider, and a carved pumpkin contest in the glorious setting of Font Hill. Font Hill was the home of the American archaeologist and tile maker, Henry Mercer. The home is made of concrete that is poured in place and the inside is filled with tiles that Mercer collected in his travels and tiles he made at the tile works that is on the property and which you can tour.
The tile works is where the Pumpkinfest takes place and seeing the orange glow coming from under each archway lighting up the many tiled chimneys is a spectacularly magical sight!

DRESS UP

Ever since I was a little girl I haven't been above dressing up my pets. My first cat and best friend Fluffy, who I had since I was three, used to suffer through his moments of "dress up" with dignity, and ever the gentleman, would merely refuse to move. He forgave me of course, seeing as we spent 18 glorious years together as partners in crime and eventually I realized I was pursuing the wrong animal for my styling needs. With age comes great knowledge, and with Halloween a great excuse to dress up dogs! My parents adopted Hugs and Kisses from the Humane Society on Valentines Day and luckily THEY LOVE TO DRESS UP! No joke, they have rain slickers and will sit for hours trying on clothes, surely they love the "so pretty, so handsome" fawning, but it works for both of us! So this Halloween we entered a Howl-o-ween ( How many of those happen around the country every year?!) and we took best in group;) as the King and Queen of Hearts, and if it wasn't for a doberman in police uniform and aviators pulling a pup in prisoner outfit in a cell behind him (we couldn't have seen that coming...well played!) we would have won best in show! Either way I was quite pleased, now if only I could trick or treat them around?!?
The entire costume was no-sew, seeing as my sewing machine was in a different state!

Apple Picking and Baking

New Hope, Pennsylvania is a cute artsy little town right along the Delaware river and just a little further in is a wonderful orchard called Solebury Orchards. I have been apple picking there for the past few years and I love it it there! They have the most delicious cider and cider donuts (sinful) and of course the apple picking it self.

This year I went with my cousin and her adorable little son, who is so smart that while we were on a hayride in the pumpkin patch he, who just turn one year old this summer, made it known he was ready for "apple picking?" RIDICULOUSLY CUTE! After apple picking I hauled my stash of apples and pumpkins back to NYC and began baking! I got the idea in my head that hand pies would be the best and since I tend towards the visual I decide to make them in the shape of apples!


I must say in my mind they where a lot simpler but it turns out it is hard to find the rolls of dough in my super markets and its not easy to roll out that pie shell (mini meltdown happened here!), so I ended up using empanada dough. It actually worked pretty well and I think if I had fried 'em it would of been very much like a fast food apple pie (I didn't fry them though, no need to do that to my poor heart!). Either way they came out adorable! Next time dough from scratch though! I promise MARTHA!
FYI: filling is just 8 apples, 1/2cup sugar, a little lemon zest and a tablespoon fresh cinnamon in a skillet with a tab of butter, till tender.