Caramel Apple Sundaes {Recipe}

So yesterday I told you that I would share one of our favorite ways to eat the homemade caramel sauce I showed you how to make here.  Did you guess it was on an ice cream sundae?  But not just any sundae, a Caramel Apple Sundae!  We love these and tend to bust these out after dinner in the fall, although really they are delicious anytime of the year :-)  

You only need a few ingredients and you have yourself a carmel apple but in sundae form...totally rad!

Caramel Apple Sundaes

granny smith apples

caramel sauce

chopped nuts

your favorite vanilla ice cream

Fill a bowl with a few scoops of vanilla ice cream.  Chop granny smith apples and sprinkle over top ice cream.  Add chopped nuts and caramel sauce...enjoy!

Apples and ice cream...the beginnings of greatness.

Nuts and caramel sauce...are you with me!

Chop those granny smith apples up in nice bite size chunks.  Granny smith apples are perfect for caramel apple-making because they are so darn tart.  The perfect taste match to the sweet caramel sauce!

Sprinkle nuts and chopped apples over your (many) scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Then grab your caramel sauce.  If you made my homemade version here and kept it in the fridge you will see that it ends up pretty thick.  Just scoop some into a microwaveable bowl and heat for 10 seconds.  Now it will be warm and gooey!

Drizzle...or pour ;-)  on your sundae.

Devine.

Delicious.

Dessert.

Enjoy your weekend!!

 XOXO,

Easy Caramel Sauce {Recipe}

Do you love dipping apples in caramel?  What about pouring that goldeny-sweet sauce all over a nice piece of apple cake?  Or better yet some ice cream?  Whatever way you like it, you'll like it even more knowing that you made it yourself!  With only a few simple ingredients you can make caramel sauce right in your own kitchen and in less than 10 minutes!  You game?  Okay let's get started!

Caramel Sauce -print this recipe HERE-

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

pinch of salt

1 tsp of vanilla

Melt butter and sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.  Stir in cream, salt, and vanilla and heat until gently bubbling making sure to continually stir so mixture does not burn.  Remove from heat.  Caramel sauce will thicken upon cooling.

Easy peasy, right!   You just need a little butter and brown sugar...

and some heavy whipping cream to make some crazy delicious homemade caramel sauce!

First we'll melt 1/2 cup of unsalted butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.  

Mmm, I think that is looking pretty dissolved to me!

Now go and add in 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream...

Then add in 1 tsp of vanilla and a pinch of salt.  

Stir everything together until you get a gentle bubble going and then remove the sauce from the heat source and let it cool.

At first your caramel sauce will seem very thin and watery...but that's okay!  As it cools it will thicken, I pinky swear.  I usually wait until it's warm to the touch and then I pour it into a resealable glass jar and place it in the fridge.  It will thicken up pretty quickly in there. 

Then when you need a little something sweet , just pour what you need into a microwavable bowl or pitcher and heat it up for 10-15 seconds.  Et voilà...utter perfection made 100% by you!

PS.  Tomorrow I'll share one of our favorite ways to eat this up!

XOXO,

Sponsored Giveaway: Fat Quarter Shop!

Be excited, be very excited!  Today I have a fabulous fabric giveaway from one of my super awesome blog sponsor's, Fat Quarter Shop!  The Fat Quarter Shop always has the newest pretty fabrics on the market, they seriously always have the best lines in stock, and you can buy them in lots of different cuts including but not limited to fat quarters, jelly rolls, and charm packs.  They have the perfect specialty cuts of fabric just waiting for your next project!

So guess what!  Today the Fat Quarter Shop will be giving away ONE jelly roll of Circa 1934 by Cosmo Cricket to one of you...how sweet is that!

Just look at all the great fabrics in this line!  I love, love, love the vintage feel and those colors...ahhh pretty!

A few other lines that I love in their shop right now are Ruby from Bonnie and Camille...

And Secret Garden by Sandi Henderson in Midnight...love the deep, rich colors in this line!  

Okay, so to win the Jelly Roll of Circa 1934 from the Fat Quarter Shop you can do any of the following just remember please leave one comment for each entry (up to 4 entries per person)

1.  Tell me what you'd make with this jelly roll pack, I love to hear all your creativity!

2.  Like Fat Quarter Shop on Facebook HERE and go introduce yourself, let them know you came from here!

3.  Like Smashed Peas and Carrots on Facebook HERE

4.  Be/Become a Follower of Smashed Peas and Carrots (found in the left side bar!)

I'll pick a winner on Saturday morning October 1st!

Good Luck!

XOXO,

A Bushel and a Peck and a Hug Around the Neck

One of our most favorite things to do in the Fall is go apple picking, I just love walking the grounds in a vest or a hoodie and taking in the chill autumn air.  We are lucky that right outside of Chicago we aren't lacking in apple orchards to visit.  So much so that we pretty much visit at least one every weekend.  Yeah, we like our apples :-)

What's my favorite type of apple?  I haven't a clue.  It seems that each time a take a bite of an apple I find it's my most favorite one yet...until I try the next variety...apple picking can be so hard.  

My favorite type of orchards are the straight up apple orchards, no fuss no muss, just apples.   We visited one this weekend...check out those trees!  I love the overgrown look with apples hanging off branches almost touching the ground.

It rained a couple of hours before we arrived, perfect timing.  

We had no shortage of little helpers to twist and pull the apples off of the trees.

They always seemed to pick apples that were sized according to their body's height...small, medium, and large. 

Sometimes they needed a boost from dad to get the ones that their eyes spotted from afar...from the very tippy-top of the tree.

Thanks dad!

 Sometimes they just needed to plop down and perform a taste test.

Lots of walking was done...and some hand-holding too :-)

And after all that hard work these kids needed a break!

And a snack!

Eloise had a great time being in charge of quality control.

Yup, these ones are good folks!

We better figure out where we are going next weekend, I think she wants to do this again (and again!)

Hope you all had a great weekend too.

XOXO,

Children at Play Fabric Giveaway...WINNER!!

So today I had Random.org choose the winner of the my Children at Play fabric sharing fun and the winner just happens to be #278...

Hooray Rachel!  Please email me at SmashedPeasandCarrots@gmail.com with your mailing address and I will get 2 yards of the Red Rockets mailed out to you right away!  I cannot wait to hear what you will be making with it!!

I'm so happy that so many of you enjoyed the giveaway, like I tell my kids, 'it's always fun to share!'  although for some reason I think they think I'm being sarcastic.  Hrmmph!  Maybe there will be more Maggie's-sharing-her-fabric type giveaways to come in the future?  I  have more pretty bolts being shipped this week  :-)

Have a great weekend and we'll talk soon!

XOXO,

Crockpot Italian Beef {Recipe}

It's that time of year...my crockpot is taking up valuable real estate space on my countertops once again, yours too? :-)  If you are looking for a quick and hearty dinner tonight, this weekend, or even for your menu next week I've got the perfect dish for you.  I received this recipe from a very sweet momma from my Mops group, thank you Michelle!  She brought our family this meal after we had Eloise last summer (along with the recipe) and it has quickly become a family favorite.  The leftovers alone are reason enough for making this dish, I pinky swear you will love it.

Crockpot Italian Beef -print this recipe HERE-

1 3-5 lb pot roast

1 jar peperocinis including the juice

1 packet dry Italian dressing mix

1 can beef broth

1 tbsp Italian herb seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

Place all ingredients in your crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Shred the meat and serve on toasted bread rolls with provolone cheese.  Enjoy!

Take one packet of dry Italian dressing mix, a jar of peperoncini (hot or mild depending on how you like your food) and a can of beef broth and place in your crockpot with a 3-5 pound roast.  You could use a chuck roast, pot roast, arm roast, etc, etc...they are all great!

Then add in 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.  

Place the lid back on your crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Then shred your beef and serve on bread rolls...toasted if you are not in a hurry!

Add some provolone cheese and you've got a delicious meal for you family with hardly any time spent in the kitchen, woot woot!

Happy Friday peeps!

XOXO,