Well, my wish for Fall came true – I went apple picking!! And not just once, but twice! I feel like a true New Englander now.
A few weeks ago, my cousin, Erica, (who I went to dinner with at ION) invited me out to brunch followed by apple picking with her friend Lauren.
How cute are those two with their flannel shirts?
We went to Bishop’s Orchards in Guilford which has it’s own marketplace stocked with lots of goodies. It reminded me of Trader Joe’s. You know, just with a whole farm in the parking lot instead.
We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day with the sun shining and the temperatures hanging out in the low 70s. We were all persistent about our fall apparel though and insisted on wearing boots and long sleeves when it probably wasn’t all that necessary.
Have you ever been apple picking before? Is it just me, or does the media portray it differently than what it actually is? For some reason, I thought that we would have to climb ladders to actually pick the apples off the trees. I think I’ve seen it done like that before in a movie before. For anyone with a fear of heights, rest assured, you do not have to climb ladders to pick apples. In fact, apple picking wasn’t that much different from berry picking actually.
I didn’t have any plans to use my apples for baking, so I only ended up picking seven – just enough to snack on throughout the week! Despite not picking many, I had a great time and was so happy to have my cousin with me for my first apple picking experience!
Oh, and just because I didn’t have any plans for making any apple baked goodies didn’t mean that I was about to pass up on trying someone else’s apple baked goodies. While checking out, I picked up a pack of apple cider donuts while my cousin sprang for the caramel popcorn. All I’ll say about the donuts is that they were gone in a matter of three days. Let’s just leave it at that, alright?
Apple picking session #2 was with Mister E this past weekend. The orchard we went to, Scott’s Orchards, was much more rustic looking since it bordered a forest and only had a fruit and vegetable stand opposed to a full-fledge market. Also, this time around the weather was noticeably cooler and much more Fall-like.
The trees were pretty bare compared to a few weeks earlier when I went with my cousin – I’m not sure if that was the difference in orchards or if the season is already coming to an end. Quite a few apples were already on the ground rotting. This meant Mister E and I had to search hard to find decent quality apples, but we really enjoyed the excuse to walk up and down countless rows of apple trees and spend more time enjoying the Fall weather and scenery. Just check out some of these views!
How do you like them apples? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
As you can see, we made sure to pick quite a few apples since this time around, I am definitely going to be doing some baking with them.
Oh, and on the way out we stopped to have a little fun in the pumpkin patch.
When I asked a gentleman to the take the photo above of Mister E and I, he replied that he would be happy to, but mostly because he thought it would be embarrassing for us. Psh, he doesn’t know who he’s talking to if he thinks that a little Fall sign made for kids is all it’s going to take to embarrass me. Try walking around the mall with your dress stuck in the back your underwear for five minutes, Mister, and then come talk to me about embarrassing.
So what would you guys make if you had a big pile of apples sitting around? I’m thinking possibly apple butter, caramel apples, apple donuts, or maybe attempting an apple cinnamon coffee cake. I’ll keep you guys posted as to what comes out of my oven!
As a lazy new englander, I haven’t gone apple picking in years. Bishops is always crazy crowded and swamped with little kids on the weekends.
I think you look great in your gingham shirt, and you hair in that photo is AMAZING. I wish I could have a hair day like that, ever.
Thank you, but I wish I had YOUR hair days – it always looks fabulous! I’ve actually been meaning to try some of the braids that you do. This good hair day was just a fluke. I’m not sure if it was just the lighting or breeze or the fact that I didn’t smoosh it all down by sleeping on it. Whatever it was, the hair gods were on my side that day!
I disappeared from the blog world and when I come back you are in a different state! Hope you are enjoying New England (I sure miss it)
That’s what you get for disappearing! I can see why you miss NE, it certainly does get pretty in the Fall!
I love that blue shirt you have on in the last few pictures! Mind revealing where you got it from?
Of course!! The button up gingham shirt is from J. Crew Outlet and is on sale online this week (http://bit.ly/uoANAU). The cardigan is also from J. Crew, but I can’t remember if I got it from the outlet or not (it’s a few years old). It’s the Jackie style, but for some reason I can’t find it on their website. Maybe you’ll have luck in the store. Hope this helps!
There is nothing that says Fall like a nice warm apple pie. I have found a great way to make this all time favorite even better. Personal peices of pie:) All you do is make your pie as normal but instead of it getting put into a pan to bake you simply put the shell and stuffing into a cupcake pan. Only 6 are allowed at a time for spill over. This way there is no cutting and everyone gets just the right size/hand held peice of apple pie:) Or any other treat you don’t want to spend time cutting!
That’s a great idea! I don’t think I could I could finish an entire pie by myself anyways. I might try that this weekend!