We’ve had amazing weather this entire 2015 apple season … except for Apple Palooza.  Of course!  There was a wet mist happening most of the morning and into the afternoon.  It was definitely not perfect weather for an event at the apple orchard.  That being said – you folks still made it a great day!

We had 16 pies entered in the pie contest this year.  Everyone did a fabulous job – the pies were delicious! (I may have tried quite a few …)

Here’s a picture of our fabulous judges …

and our official pie cutter, Jason. 

Carolyn Brown was the ecstatic winner of this years pie contest!  She’s entered every year and has taken 2nd or 3rd every year … this was her year!  I was happy to award her the golden apple, a certificate for a FREE pie every month for a year from Monty’s Blue Plate Diner, a gift certificate to the Lapacek’s Orchard, and a copy of

First Prize Pies: Shoo-Fly, Candy Apple, and Other Deliciously Inventive Pies for Every Week of the Year (and More)!

 

2nd place with the silver apple and a gift certificate to the orchard went to Melissa Fischer!  Melissa also won the ‘Prettiest Pie’ prize. 

And 3rd place with a bronze apple and a gift certificate went to Mary Severson!

Most Creative Pie went to Emily Hefko!

Thank you to everyone who brought a pie and everyone who stopped to buy slices.  We raised over $140 for the Poynette PAD Parent Club in pie slice sales!

Along with the pie contest we also held a ‘Carved Pumpkin Contest’.  We had four gorgeous pumpkins brought and put on display!

The first prize pumpkin was by Maizie Waerzeggers!  She received a 1 X Brass and Walnut Pro Pumpkin Carving Tool Kit and a copy of Extreme Pumpkin Carving, Second Edition Revised and Expanded: 20 Amazing Designs from Frightful to Fabulous! 

 

Thanks once again to everyone for making this rainy day a fabulous and fun day at the orchard!

Apple-Palooza 2015 is this Saturday, October 24th!  I hope you’re all as excited as we are.  Have you purchased your apples for the pies you’re bringing for the contest?  Planned how you are going to carve your pumpkin for the carved pumpkin contest?  Prepared your family for all the fun they’re going to have at the orchard in just 2 days!

Let’s go over the final itinerary of the day and then I’ll feature a few of the special events that are happening too!

ITINERARY for October 24th:

Prior to opening … apple pies and carved pumpkins can be dropped off prior to opening but please contact me if you’re planning on coming before 9am.  608-635-4780

9:00—Store Opens for Business
10:30 – Kraut Making Station Opens
11:00 – Lonely Oak Farm, Matilda Jane Clothing, and Fuzzy Monkey will be set up and ready for business!
12:45—Deadline for Contest Pies & Carved Pumpkins to be Delivered and Viewing of the Apple Pies
1:00—Apple Pie Contest Judging Starts
1:00 – Voting starts for the Carved Pumpkins -
1:15—Old Fashion Cider Pressing Demo
3:00 – Lonely Oak Farm closes down
3:00-4:00* – Pie and Pumpkin winners are announced *this will happen as soon as the judging is finished and everything is tallied up.  Once the winners have been announced – pie slices will be sold for $1/slice with proceeds going to the Poynette School Parent Club. 
4:00 – Matilda Jane Clothing, Fuzzy Monkey and Kraut station close up
6:00—Store Closes
*this will happen as soon as the judging is finished and everything is tallied up.  Once the winners have been announced – pie slices will be sold for $1/slice with proceeds going to the Poynette School Parent Club.

 

Lonely Oak Farm – amazing brats and hot dogs!  Buy them fresh to enjoy right away – or frozen to enjoy later!

Matilda Jane Clothing –

Nicolle Ward, our local Matilda Jane rep will be bringing the Matilda Jane trunk to the orchard! 

photo by Karmen Lindner Photography of the Fall 2014 release

You and your children can try on these gorgeous, impeccably made clothing and see why they make everyone happy as soon as they put them on!

Some extra exciting news about the sales made from my trunk show is that 20% of the proceeds will be going to the Poynette School District PAD Club! 

Fuzzy Monkey

Cindi Haynie will be here with her fun upcycled sweater creations – including great mittens to keep your hands toasty warm for these upcoming chilly days!

Apple Pie Contest –

Pies need to arrive no later than 12:45 to be included in the pie contest.  The winner of the contest will get a free pie a month for an entire year from Monty’s Blue Plate Diner!  Other fun prizes will also be awarded.  At the conclusion of the contest the pies will be cut up and sold for just $1/slice.  100% of the proceeds will go to the Poynette School District PAD Club. 

Carved Pumpkin Contest -

Carved Pumpkins need to be here no later than 12:45.  The pumpkin with the most votes by the time the apple pie judging is complete will win a prize!

Old Fashion Cider Pressing Demo -

Jared will be doing a demonstration of how we used to make cider with a small wooden press at 1:15.  Be sure to head over and see how it works!

Kraut Making Station -

Stop by the station to see how Kraut is made or to make your very own bucket to take home and ferment! More info here.

 

As you can see – October 24th is going to be a great day to come out to the orchard!

The Apple Pie Contest is an event that is here to stay at Lapacek’s Orchard.  As we're gearing up for this year's Apple-Palooza on October 24th I'm going to take a minute to share with you some of the winners from the past and a preliminary itinerary for this year.


2014 Apple Pie Winner – Melissa Fischer
2013 Pie Winner - Josie Tollaksen with her ‘Apple Pie for your Soul’!

2012 Pie Winner – Brenda Endres
2011 Apple Pie Winner – Melissa Walsh

The judges will decide winners for – Best Pie Overall and three runner ups, Most Creative Pie, and Prettiest Pie.  The entire event is meant to be fun so I hope you decide to ‘throw your pie’ in the ring and give it a go!
 
If you are interested in baking a pie for the contest please send me an email: {lapaceksorchard at gmail dot com} with your name and pie baking story (if you have one – if you don’t have a story, no worries). Plan on arriving at the orchard by 12:45pm with your pie (earlier than that is just fine too …we open at 9 and I can make arrangements with you if you need earlier than that). Pie viewing and photo’s will take place at 1:00pm and judging will start at 1:30pm.

Once judging is complete - I'm guessing around 2:30/3:00ish... we'll be cutting all the pies up into slices and selling them for $1 a slice.  100% of the money made from the apple pie slice sales will go to the PAD Parent Group of the Poynette School District. Food Fight Restaurant Group is once again sponsoring our Pie Contest – a free pie every month for a year from Monty’s Blue Plate Diner!!!

Old-Fashioned Cider Pressing Demo:

“Come Squeeze Our Apples”

Jared will be demonstrating how we used to press our apples to make cider with an old fashioned wood cider press. This demo will take place at 1:15 and will take approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

Carved Pumpkin Contest

During the first Apple-Palooza, in 2011, we discovered that there’s quite a bit of standing around while the pies get judged.  We’re going to have a ‘Carved Pumpkin Contest’.  People of all ages can bring their carved pumpkin – anytime before 12:45, put it on display and then we’ll all walk by and vote for our personal favorite!  I’ll have a prize for the best carved pumpkin – still to be determined. 

Vendors!

There’s always a lot of milling about as pie judging is happening so now you’ll all have an opportunity to shop at some great booths!  Here’s a list  of folks you can expect to visit during Apple Palooza!

• Fuzzy Monkey
• Lonely Oak Farm
• Matilda Jane Clothing

Below is a rough itinerary for Apple-Palooza.  I will update it as necessary so keep an eye on the blog for any changes or additions to the day that may occur.

Final itinerary is posted HERE!  

Once winners have been announced – pie slices will be sold for $1/slice with proceeds going to the Poynette School Parent Club.

There are so many opportunities for you to have a fun at the orchard on this day!  I can’t wait!  I have an event set up on Facebook so be sure to share with your friends/family about this great FREE event too!

Last week I was asked to be an apple pie judge for one of Ms. Miller’s High School Classes.  There were four pies for us to try. 

We will be using an almost identical rubric for the pie judging on October 25th for the Apple-Palooza Pie Contest.

Things the judges will be looking for when tasting your pies …

Overall Appearance

Crust - Texture, Taste and Appearance

Topping Selection

Filling – Texture, Taste and Appearance

Food Styling – Creative, Neat, and lots of details

A Cinnamon Apple Pie was the winner of the four pies.  The topping blending perfectly with the filling and it was just an incredible pie.  I have to say though – all four pies were impressive and very edible.  I truly enjoyed my morning of pie eating!

 

Now – let’s see who’s judging YOUR apple pies this season!

Alan Otto

– Capri’s godfather, a good friend of ours and a pie eater for the past 34 years!

He has been an apple pie judge at Apple Palooza since this all began four years ago!

 

Darcy Miller

Have you ever judged a pie and/or food contest before?

No I have not judged a food contest, however I do have to critic my students on food they make.

Why do you think you’d be a good apple pie judge?

I love apple pie and I also  don't think I would ever get sick of apple pie so trying lots of it in a short amount of time sounds like a good plan to me.  I love to bake and have a fairly good idea of what makes a good pie.

What is your favorite thing about eating pie?

I think of pie making and pie eat both as an art form.  But my favorite part is savoring the taste.

How many years have you been enjoying pie?

Since Hector was a pup :)

What qualities do you look for in a good pie?

I look for texture, taste, appearance and the feeling that lots of love was put into the pie during the process.

Do you believe you could be a ‘fair and unbiased’ pie judge?  Yes

 

Trisha Frankland

Have you ever judged a pie and/or food contest before?

YES! I judged an apple pie contest for the area's Christian women's group about 10 years ago. But for some reason they never invited me back.

Why do you think you’d be a good apple pie judge?

I come from a long line of pie bakers and pie eaters. My dad's family is famous for pie: our Priewe family reunions aren't just "bring a dish to pass" - it's "bring a dish AND A PIE or don't even show up." Have you ever had groundcherry pie? Or passed over the normal creamy pumpkin pie for a double-crust sliced pumpkin pie (which tastes kinda like apple)? Well, that's just the tip of the Priewe pie iceberg! You know how graffiti artists have a "tag" they use as a signature? Well, the bakers in my family have been "tagging" their pies for generations with custom vent designs that are as individual as fingerprints and recognizable as the nose on your face.

What is your favorite thing about eating pie?

Umm, the pie part? Sugar and fruit - it doesn't get any better. I'll pass by chocolate anytime but don't let me even near a yummy apple pie if you hope to come away unscathed.

How many years have you been enjoying pie?

They say a real lady never reveals her age! And since that's not a concern, I can admit I'm 41 years old. And let's just say I've eaten a lot of pie in my day - in my family, it's one of the first solid foods we give to babies. The hips don't lie.

What qualities do you look for in a good pie?

Tasty crust is imperative - too many otherwise great pies are ruined by bland, pasty crusts that are nothing but a carrier for the luscious fillings. How many times have you seen otherwise-empty plates with a leftover pie rind? Too many! Why waste that space when you could make it YUMMY too?!?

Do you believe you could be a ‘fair and unbiased’ pie judge?

Probably not - I'm easily purchased with flattery and gifts. But I'm also extremely opinionated and know my own mind - just ask me, and you'll see.

Anything else you’d like to share with the voters about your pie judging dreams?

I think pie baking is an endangered art form. I think pie eating is an under-rated hobby. And I think you should agree with everything I say.

AND…last but not least…

 

Neil Stechschulte

Have you ever judged a pie and/or food contest before?

He has never been a pie judge before but he’s taken a lot of photos of pie contests.

Why do you think you’d be a good apple pie judge?

He’s a fantastic judge of flavors and textures.

What is your favorite thing about eating pie?

Neil loves EVERYTHING about pie.

How many years have you been enjoying pie?

Neil has eaten pie for 41 glorious years.

What qualities do you look for in a good pie?

Neil always looks for a pretty pie, but in the end, when it comes down to it, if a pie tastes good going down, he’s going to be a happy judge.

Do you believe you could be a ‘fair and unbiased’ pie judge?

Neil is the epitome of fair and unbiased.  He would never judge a pie by its maker.

Anything else you’d like to share with the voters about your pie judging dreams?

Neil dreams about pie in all its forms – apple, pumpkin, cherry, chocolate, strawberry rhubarb, raspberry, or chicken.  There are many times when he will yell “WOMAN, MAKE ME A PIE!”

 

NEW 2014 Judges:

Kari Olsen

Have you ever judged a pie and/or food contest before?

no

Why do you think you’d be a good apple pie judge?

I've had many slices of apple pie in my life, and I know what tastes good to me.

What is your favorite thing about eating pie? 

eating pie :)
How many years have you been enjoying pie?

all my life
What qualities do you look for in a good pie?

a good, tasty crust (not soggy!) the right amount of filling, and a good flavor

Do you believe you could be a ‘fair and unbiased’ pie judge? 

yes

Anything else you’d like to share with the voters about your pie judging dreams?

I've had my food judged before, but have never been in the judge's seat.  I love apples and I love pie, so this seems like the perfect job for me! 

Judy Frankel

  I am a big foodie and have a true weakness for apple pie.  I have judged food competitions before (most notably the Monona Chili Cook Off competition).

 

Elizabeth "Betti" Palmer

Have you ever judged a pie and/or food contest before?

No

Why do you think you’d be a good apple pie judge?

Because I'm a foodie, a locavore, and a pie afficionado! I am a Farmer's Market shopper and regular at Lapacek's Orchard. I am passionate about heirloom fruits and vegetables, and strive to cook with the very best local ingredients.

What is your favorite thing about eating pie?

It is a simple dessert that relies on the best qualities of the fruit; the apples are the "star" of the dish...

How many years have you been enjoying pie?

My whole life! My late mother was a fabulous from scratch pie baker. I learned from the best!

What qualities do you look for in a good pie?

Plenty of perfectly seasoned fruit, and a light, flaky crust, of course. And getting the apples perfectly cooked (not too much, not too little) is harder than people might think...

Do you believe you could be a ‘fair and unbiased’ pie judge?

Without question!

Anything else you’d like to share with the voters about your pie judging dreams?

I will recognize the skill and passion of the baking contestants. I expect that the competition will be stiff, but the best execution of this "art form" will rise to the top!

 

Our group of seven judges will decide winners for – Best Pie Overall and three runner ups, Most Creative Pie, and Prettiest Pie.  The entire event is meant to be fun so I hope you decide to ‘throw your pie’ in the ring and give it a go!

If you are interested in baking a pie for the contest please send me an email: {lapaceksorchard at gmail dot com} with your name and pie baking story (if you have one – if you don’t have a story, no worries). Plan on arriving at the orchard by 12:45pm with your pie (earlier than that is just fine too …we open at 9 and I can make arrangements with you if you need earlier than that). Pie viewing and photo’s will take place at 1:00pm and judging will start at 1:30pm.

Once judging is complete - I'm guessing around 2:30/3:00ish... we'll be cutting all the pies up into slices and selling them for $1 a slice.  100% of the money made from the apple pie slice sales will go to the PAD Parent Groupof the Poynette School District.

Food Fight Restaurant Group is once again sponsoring our Pie Contest – a free pie every month for a year from Monty’s Blue Plate Diner!!!

As you hopefully know by now (and if you don’t I’m glad you’re reading it now) this coming Sunday, October 30th, is the first Apple Pie Baking Contest at our orchard for Apple-Palooza 2011. Not only will everyone that brings a pie receive a free 1/2 peck of Baker’s Mix apples and a fun “I Baked an Apple Pie” pin made by The Glitter Workshop but there will also be a 3rd, 2nd, and of course GRAND PRIZE for the top three pie bakers.

Judges

First, I’m going to tell you who are judges are:

Becky Gutzman, WNEP Coordinator for UW Extension – read a great interview with her HERE

Alan Otto, Capri’s Godfather and he’s had 32 years of pie eating experience

Patricia Fischbeck, the inn keeper of a beautiful Bed and Breakfast – the Speckled Hen Inn

Bob Lapacek, Frank’s brother and LOVER of all desserts

Prizes

And now – onto the prizes.

Prize list updated 10/27/11

Grand Prize

The best pie maker will take home a new Apple Machine: Peeler, Corer, Slicer from Lapacek’s Orchard (if you already have one you can have $25 towards apple products at the store instead). These Machines make baking with apples easy peasy!

I have heard from many, many customers about how amazing Penzeys Spices are/is. I recently found out that there was a new Penzeys Spices store that opened up on the East Side of Madison. So, yesterday morning I headed out to run some errands and stopped at Penzeys to get another part of the Apple Pie prizes. When I told the folks working there about our Apple Pie Baking Contest they donated a Baking Mini Gift Box for the Grand Prize winner! What an amazing donation - thank you Penzeys! Baking Mini Gift Box includes 1/4 cup jar each of their Powdered China Ginger, East India Ground Nutmeg, Ground China Cinnamon, and Ceylon Cinnamon. Not only do you get the spices but you also get cards taht include handy tips for each spice. What a fantastic little gift box!

Also, I’ve noticed that a lot of the best pie maker’s in my life don’t necessarily eat the pie they’re famous for. So, the next part of the prize is a gift certificate to Market Street Diner in Sun Prairie that will get you one of their largest pies!This way you can choose your flavor AND enjoy a pie without having to make it yourself!

Second Place

Our second place winner will take home a gift certificate of $10 good for any Lapacek’s Orchard Apple products, a gift certificate for one of Market Street Diner’s smaller pies, AND a jar of Penzeys Cinnamon.

Third Place

Third place will take home a gift certificate of $5 good for any Lapacek’s Orchard Apple products, a gift certificate for one of Market Street Diner’s smaller pies, AND a jar of Penzeys Cinnamon.

If you want to enter a pie please have it to the orchard by 12:45 on Sunday, October 30th. Please feel free to email me {lapaceksorchard (at) gmail (dot) com} to let me know to expect you!

Thanks to everyone for their support of our upcoming Apple-Palooza!

The Apple-Palooza 2011 has turned into more than I initially thought it would. Because of that, I’m providing you all with an ‘itinerary’ for the day so you don’t miss any of it that you were hoping to see, do, learn about.

ITINERARY:

10:00—Store & The Glitter Workshop Open for Business

10:30—Old Fashion Cider Pressing Demo

11:00—Hard Cider Info Booth Opens until 2:00

11:30—Rock ‘N’ Wool Acres: A Wisconsin Winery Talk

12:00—Releasing of the Homing Pigeons (weather permitting)

12:30—Old Fashion Cider Pressing Demo

12:45—Apple Pies Arrive for the Contest

1:00—Viewing of the Apple Pies

1:30—Apple Pie Contest Judging Starts

2:00—Hard Cider Info Booth Closes

2:30—Old Fashion Cider Pressing Demo

5:00—Store Closes

I’m sure many of you have heard that we were planning an ‘Old Fashioned Cider Pressing Day’ on October 30th. Well – this event has blossomed into much more…here’s a summary of what will be happening on Sunday, October 30th.

Old-Fashioned Cider Pressing Demo:
“Come Squeeze Our Apples”

Jared will be demonstrating how we used to press our apples to make cider with an old fashioned wood cider press. These demo’s will take place at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm and will take approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

Apple Pie Baking Contest

We are hosting our very first apple pie baking contest. Each person that brings a pie to be judged will go home with a free 1/2 peck of Baker’s Mix Apples (to go towards future pies of course…). There will also be a spectacular grand prize for the winner…and I’ll be sure to update you all when I figure out exactly what that will be…

If you ware interested in baking a pie for the contest please send me an email: {lapaceksorchard at gmail dot com} with your name and pie baking story (if you have one – if not , no worries). Plan on arriving at the orchard by 12:45pm with your pie. Pie viewing and photo’s will take place at 1:00pm and judging will start at 1:30pm.

More details on prizes, judges, criteria to come – watch for a blog post soon!

Rock ‘N’ Wool Acres: A Wisconsin Winery – How & Why

At 11:30, our cousin, Shaun Lapacek, will be giving a talk about the winery he and his father are building in Poynette – Rock N Wool Acres. His talk will focus on three things:

1. Starting a winery
2. Creating a vineyard
3. Why a winery in Wisconsin?

Hard Apple Cider Booth

Our good friend Jay Walters will have a booth set up from 11am - 2pm to talk about and answer all your questions on how to make hard cider. Jay has been doing this for years and we’ve helped enjoy many of his products – this guy knows what he’s talking about.

The Glitter Workshop

Some of you may remember the spectacular ‘Craft-Apple-Ar’ that helped our season get off to a fantastic start. My friend, Naomi of The Glitterworkshop, is the reason this fabulous event happened and she’ll be joining us again at the orchard for this fun day. Naomi will be there putting in hair feathers for fun (or perhaps, a good prop for a costume…) and have some fun Halloween/Autumn hand made goods for sale as well!

All of this fun will be happening on October 30th so don’t miss out on all the ‘Apple-Palooza’ Fun!

View the full itinerary of the day HERE.