Crunchy Carmel Apple Pie....Mmmmmmm...

Delicious, sweet or sour, crunchy apples - red, yellow, green, or combo...no matter how they come, they are a staple.

My 91 year old Grandmother has an apple tree in her backyard and I have sweet memories of my mother harvesting them from the tree and slicing them for us all to eat. My children have even enjoyed Granny's apples - all the more special.

Years ago, my mom sent me a link to the MOST delicious carmel apple pie recipe. I used to make it all the time, then had children and put away much of my baking skills until the last year or so. I see so much more the importance of baking with our children and enriching their senses with the sights, sounds, and smells - not to mention taste of our scrumptious creations.

Just before I got married, my mom generously hosted a Pampered Chef party and we had so many guests purchase things that Tony & I had our kitchen all set! One of the funnest things we got from the party was the "Apple, Corer, Peeler, Slicer". I had such fantasies of making apple pies with my children, but alas, it sat in its box for nearly 10 years!

Tony recently set it up and the girls had such fun cranking it and Tony marveled over and over how it was one of the greatest inventions he had ever seen - LOL!

Now, I can easily return - with no excuses - to make more of these most delicious Crunchy Carmel Apple Pies. I don't have a picture of one of mine, but the recipe can be found here. It won the Best Pie contest in 2001 and was showcased on ABC News (Good Morning America). I highly recommend trying it - add ice cream on a warm pie and you'll be in Heaven!

I did recently make the Chicken Club Brunch Ring from Pampered Chef. This one is a fun one and delicious - though it's definitely not the healthiest meal in the world (mayo, cheese and those delicious Pillsbury crescent rolls)...still - makes for a great presentation if you're hosting a party. Recipe can be found here.

Finally, I had made a cherry dessert using the crumb topping from the Crunchy Apple Pie and baked it under canned cherries with our sliced apples. It was good, but not nearly as good as the Apple Pie. Still, fun to experiment :)

I'm happy to see so much math in baking. It not only keeps the mind sharp, but it soothes the soul, especially with all the TLC that goes into it :) At the online Earthschooling chat today, Kristie brought this up - how beneficial game playing and cooking can be to math skills. Plus, you gotta love the perks - eating your yummy creation after a mental workout!