Cranberry Apple Butter (Slow Cooker!)

Last Sunday, my sister and I took the kids out to Apple Hill. This "hill" is actually made up of over 50 family-run farms, including orchards, Christmas tree farms, and vineyards. The drive up there is so beautiful and relaxing on a Fall day, passing through an historic Gold Rush town and into the Sierra foothills of El Dorado County. When I was a kid, my elementary school used to organize field trips to the pumpkin patches and You-Pick ranches, and my family would go to cut down our tree for Christmas. Apple Hill brings back nothing but fun childhood memories, so it was exciting to bring my niece and nephew along for their very first trip!

It was also the perfect excuse to haul home a few pounds of apples and to make something delicious out of them! I was ready to enjoy the Autumn harvest! :)

Pumpkin Apple Muffins (Bishop's Pumpkin Farm!)

The food blog universe has been cranking out Fall recipes for awhile now. But me? I've been holding it off. Full. On. Denial. (Seriously, when the first chilly day came that I had to put on some pants and a hoodie, I almost cried.) In a desperate effort to extend Summer, I circled a particular date on my calendar and put off any Autumn-inspired cooking until then.

October 3rd. Jon's field trip to Bishop's Pumpkin Farm!

At that point, it would be too hard to ignore the season. We'd be surrounded by bright orange pumpkins, scarecrows, and corn mazes. Things like freshly pressed apple cider and deliciously spiced goods would be out for sale. I figured, alright, this would be quite the ceremonious way to say goodbye to my favorite season and say hello to the baking season. My first Fall baked good is inspired by this fun (and a bit chaotic) field trip!