Signs that Halloween is just around the corner: the local seasonal costume shop’s sign goes up, Starbucks brings back it’s extremely addicting Pumpkin Spice Latte and Frappuccino, and the caramel and candy apples start appearing at the grocery stores. Not to mention the rows upon rows of candy bags with their fall packaging. But back to the important thing: the candy apples.

The important thing about candy apples (to me anyway) is that the crunchy coating your parents wouldn’t let you eat because of the cavity potential has to have some flavor. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love sugar. I am addicted. And rarely am I picky about how it’s done. But to me, apples coated in a plain crunchy sugar coating just doesn’t have that wow factor that I expect from Halloween and carnival themed goodies. My favorite candy apples are those with sweet cinnamon coating that’s so crunchy when you cut a piece off or bite into it, you inevitably end up with crispy little candy bits on your lap. The kind that would stick your teeth together and give your mum nightmares when you were a kid. Yeah…that kind.

Anyway, in an effort to be able to give myself and my friends this crazy addictive food all year round, I hunted down a recipe. A lot of them called for cinnamon oil, which is just silly to me. I can’t munch on cinnamon oil the same way I can little candies. I like the following because the apples get their nice red color from the cinnamon red hot candies, and also a wicked great flavor. To me, this is the perfect candy apple. Read More »

It’s about this time of year that I start to get a little crazy. I start to get a little obsessive and over-indulgent. This is the time of year I start my annual hunt for all things orange. More specifically, I start looking for and eating every pumpkin-flavored food I can get my hands on.

This year, on the day Starbucks started serving their pumpkin spice latte (also known as the best day of the year), it was 88 degrees in Boston. Not exactly pumpkin-eating weather. But did that stop me from ordering a large steaming hot pumpkin spice latte and sipping it in the sun? Obviously not.

Don’t let the all too short pumpkin-eating season pass you by! Indulge. Just don’t indulge so much you start to turn orange. What? Trust me, it happens.

There is more to pumpkins than pumpkin pie:

Pumpkin Coffee: Of course there’s the classic pumpkin spice latte that almost every coffee shop (worth my business anyway) serves. But lots of coffee shops are also coming up with other pumpkin-flavored drinks. All are worth trying, but if you’re concerned with the calories and fat in a latte, just ask for a regular coffee with a little bit of the pumpkin-flavored syrup. It’s perfect when you just want a cup of coffee with a smidge of flavoring. And it’s usually much cheaper than ordering a latte too. Read More »