The Best Apple Pie

This weekend, I rounded up the crew for apple picking. Saturday afternoon was spent strolling through the local fruit farm, in search of the best, sweetest, and crispest apples. One of us even fell out of a tree in pursuit of the perfect apple that was just a liiiittle too high up... that person may have been me. Oops.  

After we filled our bags, we rewarded ourselves with some of the best cider and doughnuts I've tasted, and headed home to start on an apple pie. Little did we know, apple pies only need about 5-8 apples. Needless to say, we've got some extras. I'm already brainstorming ideas on what to do with them... Right now I'm thinking my grandpa's famed applesauce, and maybe another apple pie. Yes, this recipe is that good. But don't take my word for it... ask the empty pie pan in my sink right now. Yup, we finished it in about 18 hours. The filling is amazing, thanks to a delicious brown sugar syrup poured over the top before baking, and the crust is the perfect amounts of buttery and flaky. This pie also doesn't scorch, which is an issue I've ran into with previous pies. I'm excited to share the recipe with you, and hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
For The Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter, chilled and diced
• 1/2 cup ice water

1. In a large bowl, combine butter and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. I find that it's best to use a food processor for this step, if you have one. Mix in water, a bit at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm.
2. Roll out dough to fit a 9 inch pie pan. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pan. Save remaining dough for top crust. 

For The Pie:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 5-8 apples (we used 6) peeled, cored, and sliced

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan, and stir in flour to form a paste. Add white sugar, brown sugar, and water; bring to a boil. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, fill your pie crust with the sliced apples. Gently pour the sugar and butter mixture over the apples. Cover with a lattice work crust. 
3. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. Reduce the temperature to 350 F and continue baking for about 40 minutes, or until apples are soft. 

Birthday Cake Shots

My good friend, Mallory, makes these wonderful things called Cake Shots. She sits in her kitchen, gets out a big bowl, and mixes together a bunch of magical ingredients until she creates what are arguably the best, tastiest (and most dangerous... you CANNOT have just one) shots in the entire world. I've been on the lookout for a recipe that tastes similar to hers for some time now, and I've finally found one over at Sweetapolita! I am dying to make these again for the next birthday on my calendar.

Click here for the recipe!

Welcome

Welcome mats certainly have their place. Neon striped, monogrammed, or my personal favorite, clad with a witty phrase (my neighbors have one that reads "r u lost?"). However, these days I'm into more creative approaches when welcoming guests into my abode. Namely, these adorable pumpkins. Cute, seasonal, and easy to make. You can stick with a simpler approach that requires minimal effort, like this:

Or, if you're like me and prefer more color....

This one requires a bit more effort, but I just love the idea of the pumpkin used as a vase. To view the full instructions, pop on over to this post  from Better Homes and Gardens. I think I found my weekend crafting project!

Fall Uniform

Hey hey everyone! Apologies for the hiatus. But I'm back, with more to talk about than ever, because it's the best season of all: fall. How basic white girl of me, right? But come on... what's more satisfying than crunching through leaves while shoving cider and doughnuts from the local cider mill into your mouth (wait, maybe that's just a Michigan/midwest thing)?  Anyway, I figured that today I would share one of my go-to outfits for the season. It's no mystery that you need a good coat for fall, and I found mine about 2 years ago. It's called the J.Crew Field Jacket, and it's amazing. It comes in a few colors, but the olive green version is dear to my heart. Throw some leggings, a good sweater, a statement necklace, a killer bag, and some boots into the mix, and you're good to go. I usually wear some variation of this outfit to class, meetings, or other occasions when I want to look polished, but casual. 

Jacket / Pants / Boots / Necklace / Sweater / Bag / Glasses

What's your go-to outfit for fall?

Shaken, Not Stirred

If you're like me, you're in need of a pretty place to store your alcohol collection. Enter the bar cart. I particularly love this one... it's got two of my favorite colors, gold and pink, and some gorgeous crystal touches. I found it over at Catherine's blog, and immediately fell in love. I'm currently on the hunt for a bar cart to place in our living room, so I can cover it in pretty glasses, pops of color, and cute trinkets. Here are some ideas I'm planning... particularly that pink vodka :)

Bottle Stopper / Cocktail Shaker / Coasters / Buzzed Napkins / Straws / Pink Vodka /  Skull Vodka / Bubble Cocktail Glasses

Spotlight: Oasis

Recently, I've come to love a Britain based brand called Oasis. It started when I came across this dress  on Pinterest, only to find that it was a few years old, and therefore gone. I was determined to find the next best thing, so I headed over to the Oasis site, and the rest is history. The brand offers lots of beautiful florals, adorable dresses, and breezy, feminine pieces. I've got my eye on these for my summer wardrobe:

Yellow Dress / Color Block Dress / Sandals / Necklace / Belt / Bag

Current Favorites: Bags

Happy Monday! Today I wanted to share the bags that have recently caught my eye... I'm particularly smitten with the Tory Burch backpack and Michael Kors satchel. Hope you had a great weekend!

Backpack / Blue / Pink / Leopard / Green / Tan