Fall in Love With Fall

Ahhhhh!!  It finally feels like fall up here in the Northeast.  It may have been a cool, rainy, and somewhat uncomfortable day for some, but I am just enjoying the fact that my favorite season is once again here.  I am also pretty excited that I am headed home tomorrow night and looking forward to trying something along the lines of a pumpkin baked good :)

Another thing fall gets me excited for is, of course, the holidays!!  I know that you all probably do not want to hear anything about snow, cold weather, Christmas, or anything of the sort but, as it turns out, there are only 87 days left until Christmas.  Around early September I started listening to Holiday music so I am well prepared to start off the holiday season.  Not to mention all the baking and all the posts I can do!

Sorry for the short post, but I am headed to bed!  Have a fabulous Friday all!

Rainy Day and Quilting Stores

So, I'm sorry to all of you that like this delayed summer weather up here in the Northeast but I, however, am all but thrilled about it.  It was rainy this morning only to lead to a rather hot and sticky day.  To me, fall should be crisp, cool, with a hint of musk in the air, better to enjoy sweaters, hot cider and cozy gatherings around the first fires of the season.  Call me sentimental, but that's what this time of year is all about.  Enough with the humidity please, Mother Nature.  Even just a little cooler would be much appreciated! 

Today was the annual Seacoast Shop Hop in the quilting and crafting world.(www.seacoastshophop.com) Besides having a lot of food at each shop, they also were doing raffles, having sales, and just in general enjoying the company and enthusiasm of other quilters and crafters alike.  I know that this years shop hop is almost over (tomorrow being the last day), but it was a lot of fun and I highly recommend going to future events!  Not to mention, you can get a nice jump on holiday sewing where a lot of these shops are now getting in their fall and winter fabrics!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Saturday!

Awesome Apple Pie Muffins

Fall is, by far, my favorite season all year.  Everything about it makes me happy.  Being a sophomore in college in an exceptionally pretty area of New Hampshire is one of the best ways to enjoy the changing weather.  Leaves are beinging to change and though it's raining, it cannot dampen my spirits about the beauty of fall.  One of my favorite activities in all of life is apple picking.  There is simply nothing I can complain about when it comes to the sweet smell of apples in the orchard or the juicy crunch of the first bite! And apple cider; liquid happiness. No contest! It has always been a family tradition and am I happy with just one apple picking weekend? Of course not! At least two or three weekends every fall have to be somehow related to apple activities; preferably more :)

A local apple orchard in full swing as you can see! Just the perfect image of fall!

So the first thing I made with some of these delicious apples were muffins to take back to school with me!  Delicious and warm way to start off a day!

Apple Pie Muffins

Topping

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Muffin Batter

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 egg
1/3 cup oats (optional)
1/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or half whole wheat and half regular)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups diced firm tart apples

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners or spray with Pam, either way works (but liners are more colorful). 

Mix topping ingredients together and set aside.

In a large bowl mix together the brown sugar, vegetable oil, applesauce, egg, and vanilla. In another bowl, mix oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Alternate mixing in buttermilk and the dry ingredients to the wet.

After combined, fold in diced apples and raisins.

Scoop batter and fill to the top of the muffin liners.

Sprinkle the yummy topping over all muffins evenly.  Be generous :)

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes and enjoy!

Just a note:  The origional recipe did not call for oats or raisins so they are completely optional but delicious! You could also add any nuts you may like as well!

Recipe was based off a recipe by another blogger, a personal favorite of mine and I highly recommend her!
The Hazel Bloom