Crave-Worthy Candy Apples

I get really lost on the internet. I log on with the intention to check my email and print Rice Krispies coupons, but I end up watching penguins on youtube and reading about how Kate Middleton does here eye makeup. Last week, I somehow found myself perusing the web page of DeBrito Chocolate Factory, which ultimately leg to me spending fifty dollars on various varieties of caramel apples. I had buyer’s remorse almost the instant I hit “Order” but all of my guilt was washed away and replaced with total joy when my order arrived a week later.

            DeBrito has more than 36 varieties of candy apples in every flavor you can imagine, and all five of the flavors I ordered were awesome so I’ll bet the other thirty-some varieties are equally tasty. This family-run factory began with Arlene DeBrito, who began making chocolate dipped apricot candies for friends and customers of her husband’s farm implement business for Christmas but whose creations became so in-demand that Arlene decided to open up a candy factory to supply all her fans with the sweets they loved.

            Today, the factory still uses the best California fruit and premium ingredients to make all sorts of scrumptious sweets, including the decadent candy apples that are my new obsession. In an adventurous mood? Try the “Great Balls of Fire,” a caramel covered apple rolled in spicy chili-mango and chili-lemon peanuts and drizzled with milk chocolate. How about the sweet and salty “Peanut Butter Crunch” Apple, which is covered in caramel, marshmallows,  pretzels, and peanut butter drizzled with chocolate? My favorite is the “Earthquake” apple --  caramel, rice krispies, peanut butter, all dipped in chocolate.  Come to think of it, the rice krispies component of my favorite apple is probably how I got to the hunt from Rice Krispies coupons to DeBrito’s site – thank goodness for the digressive potential of the internet, or I never would have found my new favorite treat! You can get one of these yummy apples delivered direct to you from Debrito’s site. 

HELLO BABY! A New App For Moms

           There’s an app for everything these days. Now, there’s even an app to help expectant mothers get in touch with a group of people who definitely don’t have cell phone access – their unborn babies! Sure, preparing the nursery, reading baby books, and stocking up on diapers with Pampers coupons in anticipation of baby’s arrival is one way to get excited about adding a new member to the family, but the Pampers app is a way to track your baby’s growth that’s really revolutionary.

         The app is called Hello Baby, and it’s totally free in the Apple App store. When you open the app, you see the picture of a fetus and are prompted to scroll through to the appropriate gestational week. When you select your week, you’ll see the key anatomical features of the fetus during that week.

         Yes, it’s blatant advertising for Pampers – but it’s also a really cool app that helps parents visualize the growth of their baby in a new way. The app is doctor-developed and approved, and some doctors may even begin using it in their practices to help explain the development process to patients and family members. If companies are going to develop promotional apps, they ought to be functional and well-designed, like this one is. Check it out at Pampers.com, where you can also find parenting tips and Pampers coupons.

Cheerios Apple Cinnamon Crisp

My parents have a couple of apple trees in their backyard, and when the apples are ripe, we eat apple EVERYTHING. I love it at first – fresh apples, apple pie, apple cobbler, baked apples, apple chips …. after a few days, I’m appled out. This year, we’ll be using the apples from our backyard and Cheerios coupons to make this Apple Oat Crumble, courtesy of the recipe people at General Mills. Having one more recipe might stretch my apple-consumption capacity a bit.

INGREDIENTS

         4 cups sliced, unpeeled apples (3-4 medium apples)

         2 cups Cheerios cereal

         ½ cup quick cook oats

         ½ cup brown sugar, packed

         ¾ teaspoon cinnamon

         1/3 cup butter, firm and unmelted

HOW-TO:

         Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

         Arrange the apple slices evenly on the bottom of an ungreased 8 or 9 inch square pan. In a medium bowl, crush the cereal and then mix in oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter – small slivers work best. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples.

         Bake 30-35 minutes. Cover with foil and bake another 10 minutes.

        

         I like this recipe because it takes about ten minutes to throw together, and with ice cream, it takes about as long to disappear. With a few Cheerios coupons and the apples from my parent’s yard, this recipe is almost free to make – and it’s yummy enough that I’m actually excited for those apples to get ripe.