“Honey, how many baking sheets did you buy again?” asked Jared just a few minutes ago as he saw the stack I had brought over from his mom’s earlier today.

I have to start this post off with a minor disclaimer…I AM a SHOPPER! I love, love, love, love, love, love, LOVE to shop. And…I love to get a good deal (remember the mixer?). You can probably imagine the thrill I have when I attend an auction and there’s always the possibility of getting a GREAT deal…and you can decide for yourself if that deal is good or not.

During the summer of 2006, Diane, Frank and I attended the Wild Berry Farm auction. Wild Berry was a fabulous eco-tourism place close to our orchard that had to close for personal reasons and everyone was very sad to see this happen. We were all lined up at the door the day of the auction. If I remember correctly, it was hot out (I was also pregnant with Cedi at the time) and there was a lot of stuff to get through. We had our eye on a few things for certain…caramel apple packages, sticks for caramel apples, some of the tractors if the price was right, stainless steel baking sheets for making caramel apple making easier and whatever else seemed like a good deal.

I got myself my very own bid number and was ready to go. Frank also had his number. We split up so we could cover more ground and there were two auctioneers running. I bought a few things (one of my best deals was a super heavy table for only $1 that we still use to hold apples today!), grabbed a hot dog from the food vending cart, and got ready for the inside auction – displays, appliances, and things to make baking easier. We had a couple of smaller stainless steel trays that we used for caramel apple making…but I thought a few big ones would be great. Diane had me prepared on what we paid for our smaller ones and I had a price in my head as to what to bid to.

Once the room filled with people it was a bit difficult to hear what exactly was going on, but I thought I would be okay. Finally…the baking sheets (everything else I thought I wanted was going way too high for me). The bid started out low, I raised my hand…it was mine. No one else was moving…going once, going twice, SOLD! Yeah! I won the bid. Okay, now they have to ask me how many I want…oh wait…they had said that you had to bid on TWENTY of them!?! What am I go to do with TWENTY commercial sized cookie sheets (that’s right…they don’t even fit into a normal oven)? Not only that but the great ‘low’ price I got on the cookie sheets was now times by 20! Time to go home – I was done bidding for the day. I loaded my baking sheets into my car and went home and took a nap.

To answer my husband’s question from earlier, “Twenty…I bought twenty…”

I made this yummy pie last week just before I rejoined Weight Watchers…so good! It comes from the WAGA Cookbook.

Brandied Apple ‘N Cream Cheese Pie

Linda Kolbach, Grafton

2002 Finalist

Pie Crust:

1/2 cup soft butter

1-1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cream Cheese Layer:

8-ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 shot apple brandy (non-alcoholic, use lemon juice)

Apple Filling Layer:

6 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

4 tsp cornstarch

2 shots apple brandy (non-alcoholic, use extra water)

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Mix pie curst ingredients together with pastry fork, except for the walnuts. Pat all but ONE cup of this mixture in a Pyrex pie pan [I think a longer dish might work a little better…my pie overflowed quite a bit…] To the reserved pie crust mixture, add the walnuts and set aside. This will be used as the topping to the pie.

Place pie crust in oven and bake for 8 minutes. During this time, blend the above cream cheese filling ingredients with mixer until smooth consistency. When done, place in the partially baked pie crust and return to oven for 15 minutes more.

Next prepare the pie-filling layer. Combine the cornstarch and sugar in a saucepan and then add water. Cook over low heat until it starts to become thickened. Then add the flavorings, brandy and prepared apples. Cook over low heat till apples are glazed and soft, but not mushy. Pour this over the baked cream cheese layer. Top with the remaining pie crust mixture and return to oven for 10 minutes.

Note: This recipe is rich and filling, so do not cut large pieces when serving. Can be served warm or cold.

Frank and Diane planted an amazing ‘little’ garden on their farm. Turns out…it produced A LOT and they want to share the veggies of their labor with you. We are offering a new adventure for you and your family at the orchard this year…a pick your own vegetable garden! If you wish to do this, stop in the store when you arrive to get some bags and a marker so you can keep the varieties separate for your own taste tests. We would love to hear what you think we should grow next year.

We have a variety of vegetables growing in the garden including Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, eggplant, giant kohlrabi, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes (wide variety: Agriset (Grape), Amish Paste, Bi Beef Beefsteak, Legend Red Meaty, New Yorker, Opalka, Supersteak, ultimate opener, Wayahead) talk more about those later), and peppers! A wide variety of peppers are growing and Diane did a really nice job of labeling each variety out in the garden for you. Painted stakes with the name of the pepper variety envelope the area in which those peppers are growing. I have a few pictures shown but you’ll understand better once you’re out there.

Here’s a little guide to the peppers you can find (I didn’t know this when I first read the veggie guide, but Scoville Units = Units of hotness…the higher the number, the hotter the pepper):

Variety: Big Chili

Hotness: Moderate (1,000 to 5,000 Scoville Units)

Uses: Fresh for salsa’s or salads, frying, drying, pickling

Variety: Gentle Giant Goliath

Hotness: Sweet (0 Scoville Units)

Uses: grilling, frying, or stuffing

Variety: Mucho Nacho

Hotness: HOT (5,000 to 30,000 Scoville Units)

Uses: fresh (salsa, salads), stuffing, drying, pickling

Variety: Banana Bill

Hotness: Sweet (0 Scoville Units)

Uses: fresh (salsa, salads), frying, roasting, pickling

Bell Boy – Sweet (0 Scoville Units), fresh (salsa, salads), stuffing, pickling

Variety: Fooled You (looks just like a jalapeño but doesn’t have the same bite)

Hotness: Mild (1 to 1,000 Scoville Units)

Uses: fresh (salsa, salads), stuffing, pickling

Variety: Habanero

Hotness: Extremely Hot (above 30,000 Scoville Units)

Uses: fresh (salsa, salads), drying, pickling

On a side note: One time a little girl grabbed a habanero from a our veggie table and bit into it like an apple…not good. She was fine after she ate an apple to calm the hotness down. Since that time, we have moved our pre-picked peppers to a higher shelf.

Variety: Sweet Havana

Hotness: Mild (1 to 1,000 Scoville Units)

Uses: fresh (salsa, salads) frying, stuffing, roasting

We’re really excited to hear what everyone thinks of the pick-your-own garden that we’re offering this year!

  A super fun couple stopped by the store the other day and brought with them their amazing Starfrit Apple Pre-Peeler with them.  They wanted to share with us their amazement of the wonderfulness of this product!I have to admit when I first saw it I thought, ‘How would this possible last through all the apple peeling we do…it’s so…so…plastic!” Well, I tried it out myself and I admit…it worked like a charm!  When I find some of these wholesale I can guarantee I’ll have them at the store with my voice backing the product.  During the couple’s visit we also discovered that we have a mutual love for Infomercial products!  What a hoot! 

I hope that if you have any great apple related products you feel comfortable to bring them in to share with us!  We’re always looking to have a variety of items to offer our customers!

One of the newest early apples at our orchard is the ZESTAR! So far we’ve had really good response from people about the wonderful taste of the ZESTAR! It also happens to be Cedi’s favorite apple at the moment…may have something to do with one of the goats being named after it.

From the University of Minnesota Website:

GREAT CRISP TASTE
The most outstanding feature of a Zestar!™ Apple is its sprightly sweet-tart taste with a hint of brown sugar. And, unlike other early season apples that are often soft or mealy, Zestar! is juicy with a light, crisp texture. Just one bite,and you will savor the zesty flavor and crunch.

ZESTAR! RIPENS EARLY
Growers and apple lovers will delight in this tasty apple that ripens so early in the season. Under Minnesota growing conditions, Zestar! fruit ripen in late August to early September, about the same time as Paulared®. It’s the perfect way to start the apple season on a good note.
EXCEPTIONAL EXTENDED STORAGE LIFE
Zestar! Apples maintain their great taste and crunch for 2-2 1/2 months in refrigeration. For consumers this means an apple that will give them a zesty crunch after hours in a lunchbox, days in a fruit bowl, or weeks in a refrigerator.
GOOD EYE APPEAL
Zestar! Apples are nice and round with an average diameter of approximately 3 inches. Their color is 60-85 percent red depending on exposure to the sun. Where the sun shines on the fruit, a bright rosy-red blush develops. Shaded areas are often creamy yellow. One Minnesota grower, who usually sees nice red color on at least half of each fruit pointed out, “My customers don’t care what it looks like, once it passes their lips!”

Make sure to ask us for a sample on your next visit to Lapacek’s Orchard!

It is true that we can’t allow you to pick your own apples at the orchard (insurance issues) but we do have a fun farm-ette for you and your family to explore. Below I did a pen sketch of a map of all the things at the orchard. Either click on the image to blow it up even more or grab a flyer when you arrive at the orchard.

Once fall comes around a bit more we’ll have pick your own raspberries and pumpkins. You can wander through the orchards and see the trees for yourself. Let your kids play in Sunflower Lane or on the tire swing at the Meadow. Check out our Wildflower Wonderland… Pick your own vegetables from our very own garden…each variety is labeled. We have goats in our Barnyard and of course there is the famous Mac ‘n’ Tosh emus for your kids (or you) to enjoy. There’s around 7 or 8 acres for your family to come and enjoy. Don’t forget a picnic lunch!

I made this last week and it was yummy!

This recipe is from the Wisconsin Apple Grower Association Cookbook.

Great Apple Dessert

Mary Biddick, Fennimore

2002 Finalist

1 yellow cake mix (18-1/2 ounces)

1/3 cup soft margarine

1 egg

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 T cornstarch

1 cup water

1 T. lemon juice

4 cups chopped apples

Topping:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup sour cream

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix cake mix, margarine and egg, pat into greased 9x13 pan.

In saucepan mix sugar and cornstarch, stir in water, lemon juice and apples. Simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into pan over cake mix.

Mix brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon. Crumble over apples. Combine sour cream, egg and vanilla and pour over top. Bake at 350-degrees for 40-50 minutes. Refrigerate.

Yield: 12 – 15 servings

Yes, we are welcoming three new goats to the orchard today! Cedi named them: Itsy, Zestar! (after her favorite apple at the time) and Tree (it was Galya, but then tree…we’ll see what she says tomorrow). The whitest goat is Itsy. We decided to go with goats instead of cows this year since the cows escaped early last year and in the process of coralling them, Jared fell and broke a couple of ribs. An injured picker/cider-maker/caramel-appler is not an option again. Of course, our lovely new goats have already escaped. Diane was running the store while the others picked apples when this happened. Luckily, some very kind, patient and talented customers, Susan and Edward Dotski helped wrangle the goats back into the Barnyard. (THANKS!) I hope you all decide to come and visit our new family members! While you’re there don’t forget to say ‘Hi’ to our other farmyard friends!

Our Emus Mac ‘n’ ToshOf course, there are a couple of chickens to be seen running around. Our newest canine addition, Jackson – a beautiful Newfoundland - Golden Retriever Mix. We can’t forget about Barney – our friendly St. Bernard – Great Pyrenees mix! And, the kids always seem to enjoy seeing how many of our farm cats they can find!

I’ll keep you all posted if we add any new animals to our little menagerie.

‘The Meadow’ is a new fun place at the orchard this year. If you are at all familiar with the layout of our farm, it is just south of the raspberry patch. ‘The Meadow’ was named by my daughter Cedi and it’s where her, Capri and Grandma had lunch (and breakfast and dinner) outside a lot these past few months. As you can see behind Capri in this picture, a nice picnic table is set up under a few trees. When we were going around putting our signs up Diane thought this would be a perfect place to hang a tire swing. The girls have such a good time on that swing! So, when you and your family head out to the orchard this fall don’t forget a picnic lunch or make sure to grab some caramel apples and head out to ‘the Meadow’ for a nice relaxing time.

If you want to see some more great pictures of the girls enjoying the tire swing in there perfect fall apple dresses from Kiki of allthenumbers, please click HERE.

Tuesday was the first market for me this season. I headed down to DeForest. First thing in the morning I make a ‘wish’ list of apples that I want sorted to bring. For the DeForest market I sort 3 bushels of William’s Pride, 3 bushels of ZESTAR! and 4 bushels of Paula Red. I also brought along caramel apples, cookbooks and a varieties of canned goods. I like having a variety of things at my booth…I feel that it draws people attention more and they’ll come and browse. I also hung up the fall banner that corrcreeatios from etsy made for me. She used all orchard and fall themed fabric. I think it adds a nice touch to my booth. When I’m not at the market I use it to decorate around the store.

Tuesday was a successful first market. I met a lot of new people and saw quite a few familiar faces from last season.

I also headed to Waunakee today for the market. Typically, Frank, my father-in-law will be attending that market but due to some other obligations I took over. Man, he chose a good one to miss…it rained for two of the three hours. I had on a tank top and shorts and of course didn’t think to bring a hoodie or jacket. I won’t make that mistake again!

I head over to Sun Prairie for the first time this Saturday morning from 7 until 12. This is usually a good market…lots of great vendors and a great deal of community support…the keys to a good market.

Improvements at the Kroncke Road Orchard continue to be made in preparation for the 2010 move of the retail apple store. Jared put together a gorgeous planter made from the rounded parts edges of the saw logs the Amish cut up for us. I just love the rustic feel and look of this new planter. I’m sure Diane will be excited about it too! The girls sure have fun playing in it too! If you would like to see more pictures of cedi playing in the planter make sure to check out: www.onebeermom.blogspot.com, I will be posting some pictures later today.

This come directly from the Wisconsin Apple Grower Association Cookbook.

Nature did what plant breeders couldn’t – produce a McIntosh-type apple that matures in late summer rather than fall.

Paula Red is considered a McIntosh mutation, discovered around 1960 near a McIntosh orchard by grower Lewis Arends of Sparta, Michigan. Mr. Arends named the new variety after his wife, Pauline.

Paula Red has the pleasing tartness of McIntosh and a similar appearance with a red blush over a yellow-green background.

Sink your teeth into this tart, crisp apple, with light to cream-colored flesh and you’ll know fall is just around the corner.

Paula Red is a short-season apple typically from August 10 through early October and is equally good for eating, sauces [makes a pink applesauce!], juices or pies.

Apples that mature before Labor Day won’t keep more than a few days, so enjoy them while they’re available. Why not kick off the apple season with a fresh, summer apple salad.

These are now available at our store!

Apple Cheddar Bread

Genny Derer, Madison

1999 Finalist

2-1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 eggs – beaten

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup margarine

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1-1/2 cups peeled chopped Wisconsin apples

3/4 cup chopped nuts

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add beaten eggs, milk and margarine. Mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon into greased and floured 9 x 9 loaf pan. Bake at 350-degrees for 65-70 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool.

This recipe comes from the Wisconsin Apple Grower Association Cookbook. Available for purchase online and at our Apple Store this fall.

Yup! You read it correctly…we made the first caramel apples last night and they are for sale today (and for the next few months) at our orchard!

Jared has perfected the art of dipping and nutting. I am the packager, labeler and general run around and stock things when needed person!

I hope you stop by soon to enjoy the first caramel apples of the season!

Hello everyone! If you’re on our emailing list you’ve already received the message that apple season has started! Our ‘official’ open date is August 15th (Saturday) but the store has been unofficially open for a few days now. We’ve had small quantities of apples and other things that we figure we might as well be open as we get the store organized and up and running.

One thing we’ll be having again are our baking mixes. These were very popular last season. We provide the dry ingredients…you add the apples and wet ingredients…hard to get easier than that! These are the mixes we’re offering this season:

• Apple Crisp
• Apple Crumb Cake
• Apple Spice Bread
• Apple Streusel Muffins
• Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
• Taffy Apple Cake

We also did some crazy canning in preparation for this apple season! We have some of the classics and some new things to offer this year. Here’s what you’ll find (at least early in the season…don’t wait too long!):

• Apple Butter
• Apple Jalapeno Preserves
• Apple Pie in a Jar
• Applesauce - chunky and smooth
• Caramel Apple Jam
• Hot Pepper Mustard
• Spiced Cider Jelly
• Sweet Apple Pickles

I’ll be featuring each of these throughout the season so you can learn a little more about them.

The craft section at the orchard has increased dramatically! I have made much more jewelry, have a new line of baby quilts, many more fun bags, and lots and lots of hand-dyed clothing. If you want a sneak peak at these things feel free to look through my etsy sites: http://www.kimscraftyapple.etsy.com/ and http://www.theapple.etsy.com/.

I’m excited for Saturday and hope to see you all this apple season!

If you’ve been to our orchard you know that we sell honey. We don’t actually extract the honey ourselves…one of the neighbors of the Kroncke Road Orchard does that. So, we have to jar the honey after we get it in really large buckets and put into sellable quantities. Jared is in charge of this and lately he has recruited a few helpers…have I mentioned my husband is adorable!

Cedi picks out the clean jar and hands it to Papa. Papa fills it with honey. Capri puts the lid on.

Cedi attaches the label!

And then we have honey to sell! It was so much fun watching them all work together…I don’t think I have Papa’s patience for that but the girls sure do love to help!

Once again, I’ve chosen a recipe from the Wisconsin Apple Grower’s Association Cookbook. There are just so many delicious sounding recipes for me to share with you!

Apple Chicken Salad/Sandwiches

Barbara Starks, Edgerton

1996 Finalist

Dressing

1 – 8 ounce can crushed pineapple (juice packed)

1 tsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup mayonnaise

Combine the first four ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Cool. Add the mayonnaise. Stir to mix well. Set aside.

1/2 cup chopped apples

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chicken (cooked and chopped)

Combine chicken, apples and walnuts. Add the pineapple dressing; stir to mix well. Store in airtight container.

Makes enough for 2 sandwiches.

Limited quantities of this cookbook will be for sale at our orchard when we open next Saturday, August 15th.

My mother-in-law, Diane, is an amazing gardener.  I would never take the time or have the patience to do what she does but man is it beautiful!  Here are a few images of what you’ll see while you walk around the orchard at Bohling Road.                       

Only about a week and you can walk around and enjoy the beautiful flowers for yourself!