Apple – Francois et Moi

Communication Nirvana

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 16:51:27 +0000

Happy Friday! I’m writing this morning, not from my laptop, but from a different device: my first-ever, shiny, new smart phone! Up until about 4 days ago, I was still using my rusty, trusty non-internet, simple phone. Remember those? One that was used solely for old-fashioned phone calls and texts. I know it seems strange, antiquated, and almost sad, but the truth is I never felt deprived. Upgrading to a smart phone wasn’t something I felt compelled to do (until I started blogging), and since I never had one I never knew what I was missing. At home, I used my laptop. If we went on road trips, I’d bring the iPad, and if we were out and needed directions, etc. we’d just use Ken’s smartphone. I got along fine without one until my archaic phone kicked the bucket two weeks ago, and I decided if I was going to get a new phone, it was probably time for me to step into the 21st century and upgrade to a smart phone–especially with all the benefits it would have for blogging. So here I am this morning with my new iPhone 5s, and – big surprise – I love it! Since […]

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Flaky Apple Turnovers

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 13:39:30 +0000

A few weeks ago Ken and I spent an afternoon at Aamodt’s Apple Farm in Stillwater, MN. It was one of those rare, beautiful fall days where the sun was shining and the air was crisp and cool, perfect weather for wandering around the farm in a long sleeve and cozy scarf. By the time we left, we had gathered our fair share of apples, fresh cider and a bottle of Vignoles, a grapefruit and peach white wine, one of my favorites from St. Croix Vineyards, also located at the apple farm. On the coattails of a fun, apple-filled Saturday, I thought I’d make some apple turnovers for breakfast the next morning. I love this recipe from Big Oven. It’s husband-approved, and so perfect for this time of year. Not to mention, the phyllo dough makes you look like you know a thing or two in the kitchen (even if you don’t). The only change I like to make is to cut the amount of lemon zest in half, as I like to let the apple and cinnamon flavors take center stage. People often shy away from phyllo dough because they think it’s too hard to manage or perhaps above […]

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An Easy Way to Eat Caramel Apples

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 22:45:36 +0000

Caramel apples are really pretty to look at, but let’s be real, they are quite messy and tough to eat right off the stick, especially when they have added toppings like the apple pie caramel apples I shared earlier today. So allow me to share another little trick I picked up at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory a decade ago. With four little strokes of a knife, you have 8 apple wedges in a completely chomp-able format.

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Apple Pie Caramel Apples

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:05:05 +0000

When I was planning the menu for our Brew on the Roof Party, deciding to include these apple pie caramel apples was a no-brainer. The combination of the tart Granny Smith apple paired with the sweetness of the caramel and the warmth of the cinnamon brown sugar make for the PERFECT fall treat. I must say, making these babies really brought me back to my high school days working at The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Duluth, Mn. If you’re ever in town, you must stop in to the RMCF shop on Lake Avenue and try the Apple Pie Caramel Apple made by the pros. It’s life changing. Ingredients: 15 small-medium sized Granny Smith apples. 15 wood sticks for caramel apples. You should be able to buy these at any grocery store during the fall months or you can also buy them here. parchment or wax paper non-stick cooking spray 3 bags pre-packaged caramel cubes 20 oz bag of white confectioner’s chips. You can also use white chocolate chips, but the confectioner’s coating is what RMCF uses, so that’s what I’m sticking with. 3 cups (unpacked) brown sugar 2 tsp cinnamon. Feel free to adjust this amount depending on how pronounced you want […]

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