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Oh my goodness.  I can.not.wait for FALL.  (All of you hissing at me…yes, I know what follows it but I’m still excited! 😉 )  The other day I was at the store and they had LOADS of apples.  It smelled so sweet and it got me thinking about all the years we have spent picking apples at the orchard and all the delicious fall recipes they make.

I had decided to have some of my neighborhood friends over for lunch to say “thanks” for all they do for my family throughout the year and since APPLES are in season it was the perfect flavor for the occasion.  Most of them work from home so it was a great excuse for a mid-day break!

I kept the decor simple.  I got almost everything from the grocery store!  Fresh apples and a few bunches of flowers were really all I needed.  I got 3 variety bouquets and split them up into different containers.  (Don’t think you ONLY have to use orange and brown for fall decor.   Add in some deep reds, purple and yellow for a great mix of color.)

The flowers brought in so many different colors, that it was easy to mix up the dishes and napkins.  I have ironstone dishes that I use for most parties but I  always add in color and texture through linens.

You know I can’t send anyone home empty handed, so I made some fun candy apples…encrusted with APPLE M&M’s®.

  You can never have too much apple!?

Even the main course included apples… Apple Beef over cheesy mashed potatoes!!

As a fun way to say “thank YOU” I had little wooden disks with special saying at each persons place setting.  I found these in the wood section of the craft store.

We had SUCH a nice time relaxing for a little while and just catching up.

Everyone loved the Apple Beef and there wasn’t much left…a good sign at the end of a party!

I am certain you will love these recipes!!!

Apple Beef over Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:  2 tbs. olive oil, 3 tbs. butter, 2 lbs. beef tips, salt/pepper, 1 large onion diced, 2 medium carrots chopped or bag of peeled baby carrots, 6 tbs.flour, 1 1/2 cups of Mott’s® Apple Juice, 1/2 cup Mott’s® Apple Sauce, 1/2 cup beef stock

You can find the apple juice and apple sauce in the boxed juice aisle at Walmart.

1. Add oil and butter to a Dutch oven and heat over medium heat
2. Season beef and to pan (brown)
3. Add diced onion and carrots. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
4. Add flour and stir to coat meat and veggies.
5. Add Mott’s®  apple juice, sauce and beef stock.
6. Bring to a boil, cover and place in the oven for 1-2 hours.
7. Serve over mashed potatoes topped with cheddar cheese.

Get the printable version of the recipe at the end of the post!

APPLE M&M’s® Encrusted Caramel Apples

Ingredients and supplies:  package of carmel apple wrapper/sheets OR (14 oz. bag of caramels, 2 tbs. milk, pinch of salt), bag of Candy Apple M&M’s® , wooden dowels, wax paper

The M&M’s® can be found in the seasonal aisle at most local Walmart stores.

Caramel Sheets:  If you are using the caramel sheets, follow the directions on the packaging to heat them.  While they are in the oven, crush the Candy Apple M&M’s®  and place them in a shallow bowl or small plate.  As soon as the caramel apples are removed from the oven, roll them in the crushed M&M’s® .

Traditional Caramel Apples:  Start by scrubbing each apple to get off any wax (you might need to use very hot water) then place them in the freezer while you make the caramel.  In a double boiler (a pot over a pot with boiling water) put the bag of caramels, 2 tbs. of milk and pinch of salt.  Stir continuously until it has a liquid consistency.   Remove apples from freezer and put wooden dowel through the center.  Dip each apple into the melted carmel, then roll in crushed M&M’s® and place on wax paper.

Do you have any favorite FALL recipes??  Be sure to check out more Flavor of Fall ideas.