In honour of the crisp autumn weather and harvest season, we thought we'd share some fun "apple themed" entertaining ideas that we have enjoyed.

Superfoods Hot Apple Cider This delicious blend of fresh fruits and spices will warm your bones, while feeding your body essential nutrients to help fight off these nasty fall colds/flu that are spreading around. The complete recipe can be found on our pinterestpage or directly on the Healthful Pursuitwebsite. While it's a noble pursuit to juice your own apples (as the recipe calls for), we opted for the pre-squeezed unsweetened apple cider fresh from Ontario farms, instead.  We simmered the beautiful ingredients, heated up a rock bottom vessel base in the oven, and enjoyed this spicy and delicious concoction.  And, though the recipe is "family friendly", we decided that a shot of rum adds extra warmth for an adult version.  We chose The Kracken Black Spiced Rum, found at the LCBO,  because of it's super cool bottle, and we are glad we did.  It was a delicious addition to our hot apple cider!

Apple Honey Scones This recipe was easy to follow and our 8 year old daughter had a blast getting her hands in the pastry to help!  Served on a studio50 board from our new "stone collection" with some fresh apple slices, these scones make a perfect partner to the hot apple cider. This scones recipe was found in the LCBO Food & Drink Magazine.  The magazine was just released and can be picked up for FREE at your local LCBO.  Here is the recipe, as it has not yet been uploaded onto the Food & Drink website: 3/4 c. buttermilk 1/4 c. + 2 tbsp liquid honey 2 1/4 c. all purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg or ground cinnamon 1/2 c. cold butter cut into cubes 1 1/2 c. diced Empire, Northern Spy, or Idared apples 1. Preheat oven to 425.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Whisk buttermilk and 1/4 cup of the honey until honey is dissolved. 3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until coarse crumbs form (or pulse in a food processor, then transfer to bowl). Stir in apples. Drizzle buttermilk mixture overtop. Stir with a fork until a soft dough forms. 4. Gather with floured hands and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Gently knead 2 or 3 times just until dough holds together. Pat into an 8-8nch circle and cut into 8 wedges. Place on prepared baking sheet, at least 1 inch apart. 5. Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until puffed and golden. Warm remaining honey and brush over scones. Transfer to a rack. Let cool slightly and serve for let cool completely. Makes 8 scones.

Hard Cider For those "adult only" moments, Steve has really enjoyed Angry Orchard Hard Cider, available at the LCBO.  Kept cold in a chilled rock bottom vessel, it makes for a crisp, refreshing beverage!

Apples and Cheddars To accompany Steve's hard cider, we put together an apple and cheese tray, featuring an 11 year old cheddar from Quebec and a delicious shropshire blue from England, that we picked up from Daniel's Cheese & Deli at the Kitchener Market.  Served on a studio50 board from the "stone collection", it makes a beautiful presentation with delicious flavour pairings. We hope you enjoy these ideas, and we would love to be inspired by some of your "apple harvest" recipes this season!  Please share your photographs with us on our facebook page!