An apple pie without cheese...

Do you know the end of that phrase? If you're a Flowers, you probably do. It's what my Grandpa Flowers used to say.

"An apple pie without cheese..."

"...is like a hug, without a squeeze."

I don't know if it's a Bob original, or if he learned it from somewhere. Either way, I can't eat apple pie without thinking of it. More on this in a minute.

Fall has fallen around here, and it feels amazing. Crisp air. Cooler nights. Fresh apples!

We didn't get a chance to pick yet, but have a dear neighbor who offered to pick Honeycrisp apples for us in the very short window they are available. With two giant bowls of fresh apples, I knew just what I would make. Last weekend, included two loaves of banana apple bread. Sliced with cream cheese. Amazing. This weekend, with one giant bowl of apples remaining, I got my pie supplies, pulled out my Mom's recipe box, and got to work. 

These two pies have filled the house (and maybe the neighborhood) with the most amazing smell that a Yankee Candle could never rival. I hope they are half as delicious as they look and smell. And it was a lovely treat to see my Mom's dainty and precise handwriting (just like her) on her recipe card. 

And back to that saying...we don't serve apple pie in this house without a fresh slice of cheddar or Colby jack alongside it.