One of my favorite things to do in the fall is stock up on apples—30 to 40 pounds of them, to be exact! There’s something so satisfying about spending a cool, crisp day peeling and slicing apples to make pie filling and applesauce. It’s a tradition I look forward to every year, and it always reminds me of the simple pleasures of homemade goodness.

My daughter recently asked me to make a "smash cake" for my granddaughter's 1st birthday party. I was thrilled!