A is for Apple... First Place Apple Pie!! | Thanksgiving Prep

I am seriously feeling like it CANNOT be mid-November...

How is this all happening so fast??

Here we are...just 8 days away from Thanksgiving...

I'm feeling a mid-September vibe.

...my calendar keeps telling me I'm wrong... very wrong.

The yard looks like November.

...but my dining room...
Nope.

...not Thanksgiving ready yet!!

But...in 8 days...
We. will. get. there.

My internal clock...it's not keeping up with the pace of the days

as they shuffle by me... 

I LOVE Thanksgiving...I do.

It's a great big fun family day...
  and also a ton of work...but I love it just the same.

If you need a little nudge...*(like me) to get on with 

the Thanksgiving plans... well this post is for you!!

I was looking through my recipes...

and I am pretty sure I never posted a simple- no frills...

 apple pie...

Just in time for Thanksgiving... I give you...

Fist Place Apple Pie. (Recipe is at the bottom of the post)

I am also re-sharing all

my very BEST

Thanksgiving readiness posts...

If you need help with pie dough, decorating 

or keeping the kids busy... this is for you!!

For Late Bloomers Everywhere | First Place Apple Cranberry Pie | GF Apple Walnut Cake

Several weeks ago we visited a local

apple orchard.

First time pickers here!!!

I felt like I needed to wear a button on 

my shirt "First Time Apple-Picker"...

proudly announcing my 

late arrival to this new and wonderful 

world of apples, fresh and juicy

 falling right into our hands, directly from 

the branches.

When I shared with a friend that 

I had never been apple picking before...

Well...she was shocked... utterly shocked!!  

"How does someone like 

you NEVER go apple picking ...until now!???"

 she exclaimed.  

"You need to get yourself to 

the orchard...this season...!" she said.

She was right. 

How had I missed this 

amazing fall tradition?? (until now)

Because, yes, ...I've been to many a farm 

...and I have picked

fruits and vegetables of all kinds...right form the fields...

strawberries, blueberries, peaches and cherries...

blackberries, pumpkins, tomatoes, corn...

~

Even picking and harvesting 

from my own little backyard garden...

But apparently, I have been

missing out on some of the best

U-pick action around:

Apple Picking!!!

Actually...

This whole apple picking business... 

it ranks right up there with all

the other activities that

 I have come to discover,

 well after the masses

knew they were awesome...

...like FM radio...

Yes, that's right... 

for a very long time I had no idea about FM radio. 

100% no idea, at all.

Zero inkling about pop music... none.

 How could this happen??