This caramel apple recipe is so deliciously decadent. The sweet caramel with the tart apples is the perfect combo. All the fun topping options makes this the perfect party activity that everyone will enjoy. Hope you have a spook-tacular time making these! (And no, this recipe does not involve unwrapping store bought caramels.) 

2. 16 ounces brown sugar
3. 2 sticks butter, room temp
4. 14-ounces sweetened condensed milk
5. 2/3 cup corn syrup
6. 1/3 cup maple syrup
7. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8. 1/4 teaspoon lavender salt
9. 12 tart apples
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11. Topping ideas: sprinkles, chopped nuts, dried fruit, toffee bits, M&M's, candy corn, melted chocolate
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13. Directions: Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Stir over medium low heat until sugar disolves. To make sure no crystals form, brush the edge of the pan where the caramel meets the pan with melted butter every few minutes. Bring to boil, stiring constantly. Once your temperature reaches 240 degrees. Remove from heat. Place sticks in your room temperature apples. Roll them in the caramel and top with toppings immediatley. 
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Want to make a pie that will delight and spook your guests this Halloween season? Well have we got a pie for you. Its a simple and delicious apple pie recipe, with just one extra step of cutting out a Jack Skellington face in the crust prior to baking. This pie is a great way to use all those delicious in season apples that are around, while adding a little fun unexpected flare to your desert. 

PEGGYS PIE CRUST

2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. sugar

2/3 cup shortening + 2 tbs.

8-10 Tbs. Cold water

In a bowl add flour, sugar and salt. Cut in Shortening. To cut in shortening a pastry blender works the best. If you don't have one a few pulses in a food processor will do the trick. Anyway the flour mixture should resemble smallpeas. Add cold water and barley stir. To much working with the dough causes a tough crust. Gather dough into a ball, and refrigerate for 20 minutes or so. Cut the dough in half. If not using the other half for your dough for the top crust. I always roll it out into a pie pan and freeze. Roll out dough on a boardusing a small amount of flour so dough does not stick. Line pie pan with dough leaving enough extra around the edges for a good crusty edge. If you are putting a top crust on make sure you cut some slits for the stream to escape. Happy pie Making

If your dough doesn't come out perfect, no big deal. Just patch it with extra dough. Once it's cooked no one will care or know.

THE PIE FILING:

6-7 large apples

1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar

1/2 of the juice of a lemon

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tbs flour

Peel and cut apples into wedges. About 6-7 large apple. Toss the apples with sugar (depends of the tartness of the apples and how sweet you like things. I would say 1/2 -3/4 cups sugar). Now toss in a squeeze of lemon juice, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and about 2 Tbs. flour. A little trick I do is sprinkle a little sugar onto the bottom of the pie before adding the apples. This keeps the crust crisp. 

Now that your apples are in the shell. Sprinkle with a little more sugar and dot with butter. This means cutting little pieces of butter and putting them over apples, about 1/4 of a cube. 

Role out one more layer of crust and cover the top of the pie. Cut out your skeleton face. Cook your pie at 350 until nice and brown. If the edges get too brown you can add strips of foil, or leave it be like we did for a spookier vibe. 

Ok, I was truly inspired by this weeks lavender recipe inspiration post. Lavender truffles? I was seriously blown away by the idea. I don't use lavender and chocolate together much. I'm not sure why, because these were so so delicious. I found this recipe on a blog called Baking Magique. If you aren't familiar with them, you should be. Their photos are fresh and real and make you really want to try their recipes. 

It's a newer food blog, with a fresh instagram to match. A must follow in my opinion. Check them out and let me know what you think! http://www.bakingmagique.com/2015/01/lavender-truffles/ 

Ok folks, back away from that costume rack at the big box store. This halloween you can do so much better! Halloween can be so much more fun than the 5 mass produced action heros that are chosen by retailers this season. I love nothing more than a good home made halloween costume. Yes, it takes a little more time an effort than buying something off a hanger, but its so worth it! Let your kid use his or her imagination and come up with any costume under the sun. Most of the time, you can use items around the house and even save money too. This year, my 3 year old wanted to be prince charming. The result was cute and guess what? No sewing was involved!

Supplies: 

White button up shirt

Red pants

1 yard gold rope

1 foot fringe

1/4 yard red fabric

6 gold buttons

3 yards gold ribbon 

1 yard red ribon

Hot glue gun

Directions: Cut the top of the collar off, just leaving a mandarin looking collar. Glue red ribbon around the mandarin collar, then some gold ribbon on top of that. Replace the buttons on the shirt with gold buttons. Glue a red ribbon around the the waist and gold ribbon on top of that. Glue the rope in swirls out from the buttons. Glue the fringe around a peice of cardboard that you cover in red fabric for shoulder pads. Glue red fabric around the sleeve openings and add a gold button to each sleeve. Glue gold ribbon stripes down the pants. Add a cape if desired. 

This whole look took me about 2 hours and the only supplies I had to buy was the fringe, buttons, and rope. So inexpensive for such a fun and memorable costume. If you decide to tackle this costume this halloween, feel free to comment with questions. 

Good luck and Happy Halloween!