Tuesday, November 03, 2015

Birthdays, Apples and Caramel



Dinner on Sunday evening was at Il Terrazo, tucked into a pedestrian alley downtown. Such a lovely place. Brick fireplaces, lamps, plants and pottery, and a corner where the music was not playing made for a great ambiente as Tim said later. The food was wonderful, in fact, I brought part of my dish home and enjoyed it for lunch. 


Home then for cupcakes made by the youngest daughter (not in the photo). Chocolate cakes with Earl Grey icing and a caramel drizzle. Mmm good! Thanks, Ashley! The three  (yours truly, eldest daughter and daughter-in-law) birthday girls blew out the candles together.


I'm very fond of table linens. In August, while helping our youngest and her husband move, Ashley and I visited On the Table, a new-ish linen and decor store near their home. Oh. my. So many beautiful things.

I guess I oohed and aaahed sufficiently that the children went together and purchased this Italian linen table runner for me. It's thick, with a bit of lace on each end.  


One of my favorite fall recipes is a caramel and peanut butter dip for fruit, usually apples, but pears and grapes work well, too. It comes together quickly; the most tedious part is unwrapping 30 of those individual caramels. Doing it with someone else makes it seem less tedious. Tim helped me.

Caramel Peanut Butter Dip

30 caramels (unwrapped, one by one)
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (I use the no sugar variety)

Place the caramels and water into a glass bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds or a minute until the mixture is melted. It may take some stirring to incorporate the water. Add the peanut butter and still until everything is a smooth unctuous mixture perfect for dipping those crisp fall apples! 

How are you enjoying the fall apples? 

28 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:42 PM

    Oh how very lovely the lighting at your celebration dinner was. That easy recipe sounds so good. I'm going to have to try that for our next get-together.

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  2. Happy Birthday to all the birthday girls! It looks as if a wonderful time together was enjoyed.

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  3. Awww 🎵Happy Birthday🎵 to all you beautiful ladies!! The cake sounds delicious and the table linen with lace...I'm sighing!! The caramel peanut butter dip sounds yummy! I've been warming up caramel sauce and putting the cored and sliced eight apple slices into it with some chopped peanuts.
    Your jacket turned out so great, Lorrie, and looks super cute on you!!

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  4. Your family is so thoughtful to pick up on that desire of yours! Happy Birthday to all and your photos tell a good story!

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  5. A belated Happy Birthday to you Lorrie! I hope the coming year is full of all the things that bring you joy.
    I don't know whether to thank you for the caramel and peanut butter dip.......I'll let you know!!!!....it sounds irresistible!

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  6. This is a lovely post but what brought me here was your sewing blog. I like to sew too and just finished a lace dress with some of the same problems as the top in your last sewing blog post.

    I just purchased my first a Marc Tilton pattern...a knit top, Vogue 9130 with some interesting variations. It should be fun to make.

    It's nice to meet a fellow seamstress. Happy sewing!

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  7. What a nice evening - pretty photos and family fun Happy Birthday to all the birthday girls. The dip sounds so yummy.

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  8. Happy Birthday! Looks like you had a lovely time. And thanks for the dip tip, I love everything with peanut butter and have been eating my apples bare up until now.
    Amalia
    xo

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  9. I wonder if one could do it without the peanut butter?

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  10. Sounds like you had a wonderful birthday, Lorrie...from the restaurant, to the dessert to the beautiful table runner. I'm sure you deserved every bit of it! Enjoy your week. Oh, and the fruit dip look and sounds delicious...thanks for sharing. :)

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  11. What a lovely, warm and happy post! Belated Happy Birthday greetings to all three!
    Your fruit dip looks very tempting. Thank you for sharing.

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  12. Happy birthday! It seems you are sharing this lovely time. It looks like you had a really lovely evening. That desert/fruit dip sounds delicious. I might have to try it. Have a wonderful happy week.

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  13. A wonderful way to celebrate a birthday. The cup cakes sound delicious and the dip. Oh my. But I won't be making it here unless there is a horde of people to finish it off. Too addictive.

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  14. Happy Birthday.Lorrie. You look younger every year! How special to share your birthday with your daughter and daughter in law!sunhine Always,

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  15. Happy birthday! The celebration looks wonderful, and so does your new runner! Gorgeous!

    Deanna

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  16. Sounds like you had a lovely time! Happy Birthday!! My friends went to Il Terazzo last Saturday, that place never disappoints.

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  17. The restaurant sounds wonderful with lots of character and charm. Your gift of the linen runner looks beautiful and is a special treasure. The Earl Grey flavoured frosting sounds intriguing as I love Earl Grey tea. And the caramel dip sounds good too. We picked one large bag of Cortland apples and they are all gone now. ;( I'll have to buy the ones in the stores now I guess. Have a great day.

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  18. This seems like a perfect Birthday! Great company, delicious food, happiness! Happy Belated... :)

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  19. Happy Belated birthday greetings. You seem to have celebrated in style!

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  20. Happy Birthday, Lorrie- to everyone there- what a beautiful thing family is! It looks like you had a wonderful time...and that linen table runner is fabulous. I LOVE linen!!!

    I saved that dip recipe. I am always looking for dip recipes for the kids for fruit. They will love this one. xo Diana

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  21. Birthday are so much fun! Even now I still love my birthday and am sorry when it's over. I love new linens for the kitchen too! That is a beautiful table runner!
    That dip sounds yummy!

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  22. What a wonderful atmosphere!
    And a very tempting recipe too.

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  23. I am just eating my apples plain but occasionally have purchased the little container of caramel dip in the produce section.
    That is a nice photo of the three of you and cupcakes look delicious.

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  24. Happy Birthday! Sounds as if you had just the perfect celebration. The apple dip looks very tempting. . . I do love the combo of apples and caramel and this looks more reasonable than trying to coat the whole thing, as I did just once, when the kids were young, just for fun...

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  25. Looks like a wonderful time...I love caramel and apples :)

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  26. The caramel dip looks scrumptious! Loved seeing you three blowing out the candles. What a fun way to celebrate with family. Apple pie for me just yesterday.

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  27. Happy Birthday to all three of you! Nice birthday gift--love the table runner! My favorite apple dessert right now are those gourmet caramel apples you buy (or make). I like to eat them over several days slice by delicious slice:)
    Blessings, Aimee

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  28. Happy birthday, ladies! It sounds like it was a wonderful one and I love the textured look of that pretty fabric!

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