Fall Fun Series: All About Apples

Some of my readers may remember my epic apple themed posts from last year's Fall Fun Series: my apple creations and visit to Cover's Apple Ranch. Those were such fun experiences and would be hard to top, but I was excited to see apples included in this year's schedule as well.

I'm going in a slightly more simplistic direction with this year's apple post. I was interested in trying to make a savory apple dish this time around and so I searched my Pinterest boards and settled upon this decadent looking stuffed pork loin roast wrapped in crispy prosciutto with roasted apples.

This was my first time trying a new recipe in several months because it had been way too hot for elaborate cooking, especially with the oven, during the summer. The roast and dessert I made took me about an hour and a half of prep time total, and about two hours of cook time for each dish, cooking simultaneously. I really did enjoy the creative cooking process again and I love that these FFS posts challenge me to try new things. Plus there's nothing more satisfying than digging into a homemade meal.

I have to admit I cut a few corners and didn't take step by step preparation photos as I did last year, mainly because I was tired and hungry and just wanted to get this bad boy in the oven.

Here it is going in:

And coming out:

Most of my family was away from home for various reasons, but my father in law was at home alone so I shared a plate of roast with him that he really enjoyed.

My presentation is probably not restaurant worthy; visually I'd give it a solid C but the flavor is A+! The flavors all really came together to sing in a symphony of which apples were the star. I'm glad I liked it since I will be eating it for the next few days, and I would recommend anyone try this recipe if it sounds good to you.

Of course it wouldn't be apple day without an apple dessert, so since my oven was already occupied, I decided to make a super simple confection in the crock pot. I refuse to call this recipe "Apple Dump Cake" as that sounds supremely unappetizing, so from now on I will refer to it as Caramel Apple Cobbler.

This recipe couldn't be easier: just spray your crock pot with cooking spray, pour in a can of apple pie filling, mix your yellow cake mix with melted butter and pour it in on top of the apples. Set your crock pot to high for two hours and voilà! A scrumptious apple dessert that looks a lot more ambitious than it is. I have to say that this was as delicious as any made from scratch apple dessert I've ever had. I won't tell it was "dumped" if you don't...

Looks rather ho hum in the pot:

But magic in the bowl garnished with whipped cream and caramel sauce!

After I looked at the mountain of dishes on my kitchen counter I wondered for a split second if cooking was worth all the effort, but as my tiny home was filled with the aromas of baking apples, fresh rosemary and caramelizing meat, I was reminded of why it was.

Since this post is "All About Apples," I figured I'd better include a few quick apple scented body care and wax items too.

I was recently sent an "Applelicious" hair mist fragrance from bath, body and wax maker Cleanse Your Soul via a sweet friend. This hair mist is almost like a perfumes leave in conditioner of sorts and although the fragrance only lingers about 15-20 minutes it is a delightfully fresh and tart green apple aroma with just the right amount of sweetness. Not artificial at all to my nose. 

I've also really been enjoying the "Seasonal Madness" body butter from The Bathing Garden that I won in a giveaway last year. " smells of sweet cotton candy glazed apples, creamed corn, vanilla frosting and pumpkin pudding." 

This may sound like an unusual blend and it is unique, but not in a bad way. It's very apple bakery centric to my nose but not overly cloying. With a great light yet moisturizing texture, this butter is perfect for transitioning to fall!

Walmart's apple wax offerings have been so so for me this year. I've really enjoyed this 719 Walnut Ave Apple Delights candle with it's moderate throw and steady performance. BHG's unique cider blends were also a win for me although I have to say I feel like their wax isn't throwing *quite* as strong as it has in the past.

Their Apple Butter scent was a sad miss to me; it didn't really smell at all as I thought apple butter should.

Other recently melted and beloved apple scents include Epic Wax Pumpkin Apple Butter, Beezy DKNY Be Delicious, Candy Panda Spiced Apples & Peaches, and Glitterati Mac Apple Cotton Candy Frosting.

Do you start craving all apple everything this time of year? What are some of your favorite apple recipes and products?

Don't forget to check out all the other apple awesomeness going on with the other Fall Fun Series bloggers!

Amanda at Thrifty Polished (thriftypolished.blogspot.ca)

Angela at Angela Kay (angelazen.wordpress.com)

Jay at The Candle Enthusiast (thecandleenthusiast.wordpress.com)

Julie at The Redolent Mermaid (theredolentmermaid.com)

Michelle at Melting With Michelle (meltingwithmichelle.com)

Sandra at Finger Candy (fingercandy.ca or fingercandy.wordpress.com)