Freshly picked apples, just right for...

The Perfect Apple Pie (no kidding!)

This recipe is found on the box of Pillsbury's refrigerated pie crust and can be a very impressive, yet fairly easy, pie!

6 cups peeled & very thinly sliced Granny Smith apples
1 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Heat oven to 425 degrees and set out pie crusts.

Peel and slice apples. Put into a large bowl. Sprinkle sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and lemon juice over apple slices. Take a wooden spoon and mix by turning apples gently. Try to coat evenly but without bruising apples. Put one crust into pie baking dish. Gently place apples onto pie crust. Take 2nd crust and lay on top of dish. Trim any edges hanging over the sides of the pie dish. Take top crust and fold under bottom crust all the way around. Pinch edges together by using one finger on top and one finger underneath all the way around. This makes a nice fluted pattern. Take dough scraps from trimming and form leaves for top of pie. Be sure to make knife holes in a pretty pattern around the leaves, to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 425 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cover edge of crust with 2- to 3-inch wide strips of foil after first 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Cool around 2 hours, so that pie is set before serving.

Southern Waldorf Salad

2 Granny Smith and/or Gala apples
Bunch of red seedless grapes
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup pecan chunks
2 Tbsp. Kraft mayonnaise

Wash, core & chop apples into small bite-sized chunks and put into a medium mixing bowl. Slice grapes in half lengthwise and add to apples. Add coarsely chopped dried cherries and pecan pieces. Mix in mayonnaise. Serve immediately from pretty serving dish or place spoonfuls on baby romaine lettuce leaves.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash, peeled
(other squash will work well, too)
nutmeg (fresh if available)
2 tablespoons butter
sea salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
6 cups chicken stock

Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. Melt butter in a large pot. Saute onion in butter until caramelized. Add chicken stock and bring to boil. Add squash and cook until tender. Place chunks of squash in blender and puree. Add pureed squash back to pot. Still simmering, stir in nutmeg, sea salt, and pepper.

Serve in bowls with a small amount of grated fresh nutmeg on top, or garnish with a dollop of sour cream.

Spiced Cider

Just the right thing for those first few really cold days of fall!

1/2 gallon apple cider
2 whole cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup brown sugar
12 whole allspice
1 orange sliced into 5 rings
25 whole cloves

Using a large dutch oven or stock pot, pour cider into pot. Add next 3 ingredients and stir until sugar dissolves. Take orange slices and press 5 cloves into each. Lay carefully on top of cider and bring to boil. Simmer on low for an hour or longer. Serve in a pretty mug garnished with whole cinnamon stick or 1/2 orange ring.