I adore Fall and it is simply my favorite time of the year. My favorite season. My favorite weather. My favorite food. I'm so looking forward to all the delicious Fall recipes that are going to be enjoyed. Apple recipes - are favorite recipes in our home. Today, I'm excited to share with you some of my favorite Fall apple recipes.

I think moments of connections come when we enjoy life’s small moments. If we slow down a bit and enjoy the simplest of things, we would enjoy the small moments more. The busyness of our fast paced lives tend to lose sight of what is important -  - spending quality time with loved ones. The best gifts in our lives are enjoying our family. The blessings of eating and drinking together, listening and engaging with one another.

It's time to create fall apple recipes as fall is here and it is time to get cozy with our kids. You may or may not know that we adore apples in our house. So, today I am posting some of my favorite fall apple recipes.  It’s a visual feast to inspire you to use this season’s apples in many different ways! I hope you find an apple recipe that you will adore as much as my family does.

At my local Mariano's I can always locate the largest selections of the best fall apples. I was even able to speak with a member of the produce team to aide me with some of my apple purchases. My kids don't care for apples that are too spicy, so I want to ensure I was purchasing sweet and firm, tart and juicy, tart and crisp, and sweet and crisp apples. If you are not sure what an apples taste or texture is, just ask a member of the produce team and they will help you locate the perfect apple{s} for your fall recipes.  The Mariano's team member also provided me a great tip which I am going to pass along to you.

Apple Storage Tips For the best results, store apples in an airtight bag in the refrigerator. Keep a wet paper towel in the bag to help the apples maintain moisture and stay crisp!

Now, on to some apple recipes . . .

Apple Cinnamon Granola

This apple granola smells so good when it is baking it will draw everyone to peek into your oven. It is best to use sweet crisp apples for this recipe and I have found that Fuji's are one of the best for this recipe. If you do like a more spicy apple, you could use a spicy apple as well, just make sure they are crisp apples. 

• 3 Fuji apples, cored, peeled and quartered
• ⅓ light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup Raw Honey
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 1 TBSP Cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon Real Salt
• 1 large container of rolled oats
• 2 cups slivered almonds
• 2 cups walnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 300 F
2. Combine apples, brown sugar, honey, coconut oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a food processor
3. Blend until the apples are thoroughly pureed
4. Combine ⅔ of the oats and the nuts in a large roasting pan
5. Mix the wet and dry ingredients
6. Ensure that all the oats are thoroughly wet
7. Place pan into the oven and bake for 1½ hour, until the granola is no longer soggy, stirring every 20 minutes 
8. Remove from the oven and add the remaining ⅓ of the dry oats, stir
9. Cool and store

Baked Squash with Apple Stuffing

You may look at a squash and wonder what you could do with it. They are in season at the moment and overflowing at Mariano's. My husband gets excited when he sees them sitting on our counter. This is one of our family's favorite fall recipe. The Apple Stuffing is some delicious flavors to enjoy this fall.

• 2 large acorn squash, seeds removed
• 2 McIntosh apples, peeled and sliced
• 2 teaspoons of coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon of nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F
2. Wash and slice squash and peel and slice apples
3. Lay the halves of the squash open faced in a baking dish
4. Place sliced apples in a bowl and mix with the cinnamon and nutmeg
5. Place equal amounts of apple slices in the core of each half.
6. Drizzle one teaspoon of coconut oil on both sides
7. Wrap them up separately in aluminum foil, place them in the preheated oven
8. Bake for 1 hour.  Remove from oven, remove foil AND enjoy!

Roasted Beet & Apple Salad

Salads are actually one of my husbands favorite way to enjoy apples this time of year. This salad happens to be quite simple and some of the portions can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge to use during the week.

• 6 medium beets
• 2 TBSP Coconut Oil
• Real Salt & Pepper
• 1 cup of spinach leaves - stems removed
• 2 large Granny Smith apple - cut into strips
• 2 TBSP Walnuts

OPTIONAL: ¼ cup soft goat’s cheese to crumble on top

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

• 3 TBSP Coconut Oil
• 2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 TBSP Raw Honey
• 1 TBSP Dijon Mustard

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Wash, peel, trim & quarter the beets.
3. Place the beets in a roasting pan and toss with coconut oil, real salt & pepper.
4. Roast for approximately 1 hour.
5. Roasted beets may be stored in the fridge for up to one week.
6. In a large salad bowl, add spinach leaves, strips of apples and cooled roasted beets
7. In a separate bowl, mix coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, raw honey & Dijon mustard
8. Whisk vinaigrette and pour over the salad
9. Top with walnuts
10. OPTIONAL: top with crumbled goat cheese

SNACK TIME

During the afternoon, my children start craving a snack. Lunch is long over and it isn't quite time for dinner.

For healthy snacks, I try to get creative with my kids. Here’s some ways to turn apples into a fun treat.

Apple Chips

These apple chips are super easy to make and so healthy! Which makes it an even better choice. I really can't keep these apple chips in the house long enough. As soon as they are out of the oven and cool enough to eat, my kiddos gobble them up!These apple chips work best with a sweeter apple. My kids love the Gala apple chips best and I would have to agree with them.

• 3 Gala Apples OR any sweet apples (Fuji, Red Delicious or Empire)
• 1 TBSP Cinnamon
• 2 tsp super fine sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 200 F
2. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper
3. Slice the Gala apples very thin(use a mandolin if you have one)
4. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together
5. Place the sliced apples and the mixture in a bowl and toss
6. Place the apple slices on the prepared baking sheets
7. Bake for approximately 2 hours, turning the slices once halfway through
8. HINT: If your slices are thinner, they may be ready in less time, and if they are thicker, they may need a bit more time
9. Cool and ENJOY!

Caramel Apples

What could be more fun than a caramel apple? My children really look forward to making and creating a fun caramel apple every fall. I think a crispy, tart Granny Smith apple or a tart and juicy McIntosh apple make for the best combination in this simple recipe. However, my son's favorite apple is the Golden Delicious and this worked great as well. My girls actually like a sweeter apple, so they covered some delicious Pink Lady and Sweet Tango apples.

The crispy, tart Granny Smith apples, combined with the sweet caramel strike a perfect balance in this simple recipe. To make caramel apples you will need 1-2 apples per child, washed and dried, 1 11-ounce package of caramel melts, sticks, various decorations. Prepare caramel per package directions. Coat apples one by one with the caramel. Immediately coat apples with decorations. Place in fridge for a couple of hours.

Sliced Apples with Nutmeg

These are another simple snack recipe to hand over to your children that will make them smile. It will also stop their tummy's from rumbling as well.  Select your children's favorite apple for this recipe. I choose Honey Crisp apples for this snack.

Slice the whole apple horizontally, leaving the skin and the core as you can pick out the seeds from your slices. It leaves tiny little center stars that will make your kids giggle. Sprinkle with fresh nutmeg and add a couple of dollops of organic creamy almond butter. Hopefully that will hit the spot and hold your kiddos over until dinner.

Apple Sangria  

Fall is in full swing and there is no looking back. My fridge is full of apples, but fall apples recipes are not just about comfort foods and desserts and snacks. Don't forget to enjoy a fall cocktail as well. I have the perfect beverage for you to sip on this fall. Simply start with your favorite white wine, some sugar and loads of fall apples. This sangria has such a pretty color, it is hard to resist. My husband and his family really adore a refreshing sangria and this Apple Sangria has become a new fall favorite.

• 1 bottle of white wine
• ½ cup white grape juice
• ¼ cup super fine sugar
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• zest from 2 lemons
• 1 lemon sliced very thin
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored & sliced very thin
• 2 tsp super fine sugar
• 1 can of seltzer

In a large pitcher, combine the wine, juice lemon zest, and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice, apple slices, lemon slices and mix well. Place pitcher in refrigerator for up to 4 hours {you really want the flavors to blend well}. Just before serving, you can top the apple sangria off with some seltzer.

The leaves are changing. It's officially Fall! Time to enjoy Fall in all its glory. With glorious, juicy apples! Now you just need to get shopping for apples because I just presented you with apple recipes galore!