I love making apple pies, but I also love to try new recipes. So when I saw a few recipes for these smash roll ups, I had to give them a try. 

They were good... really good.

A lazy Sunday afternoon in Maine in the fall calls for a crisp, sparkling, cider-based cocktail while we enjoy the football game. This one I'm calling the Mimosa Bourbon Cider Shrub.

If you've never had the cocktail version of a "shrub", you're in for a treat! 

A shrub is technically a "drinking vinegar". It's basically a syrupy liquid created by mixing vinegar, usually apple cider vinegar, with fruit juices and sugar.  Sort of like a vinegar simple syrup. 

This rustic apple cake is a variation of a cake I made this past fall as my very first entry into a cooking contest! I didn't win the contest, but this recipe is definitely a winner! 

Apple pie has long been a favorite of my husband's, so a few years ago, I convinced his father (a lifelong New Englander) to share his legendary recipe with me.