Caramel Apple Granola

The leaves are beginning to change colors on the trees. I noticed this today in the thirty second dash from my apartment building to the car. The air felt cooler than usual and the light from the sun was golden. I wondered where the time has gone. While my life continues to be in a state of imbalance, these thirty second intervals from the door of my car to the door of another building have become my only real experience with the world outside of my immediate reality. In the last few weeks, consumed with an unusual amount of work and responsibilities, I feel lucky to get an hour to myself to eat a late dinner and catch up with an episode of Modern Family.

I wish I could stop and enjoy the weather, breathe it in and savor it for the long hours of work ahead of me, but the second hand on the clock keeps ticking, reminding me that I'm already late.

Caramel Apples continue to be a one of my favorite fall desserts. Every year I make it a point to make a batch. I'll usually leave a few apples with a simple caramel coating, but the rest end up rolled in crushed candy bars and pretzels until the apples seem to disappear under the chocolate pieces. Each year the caramel refuses to cooperate as I struggle to keep it on the apple, but in the end it doesn't matter. The caramel apples are for myself. They don't need to be pretty or dolled up; they don't need to impress anyone else.

The apples just need to be enjoyed beneath a tree under the autumn sky by someone who isn't afraid to get a little chocolate and caramel on her face.

It may be awhile before I can sit down and make myself a batch of caramel apples this year. The routine of the thirty second dash is a bittersweet reminder that the days keep passing by, even if I don't have the time to appreciate them. When the responsibilities of my life lessen and I have an afternoon to myself, you'll be able to spot me in the aisles of the local market, with a red basket full of candy bars and Honeycrisp apples in hand.

Until that day arrives, this Caramel Apple Granola fills the void beautifully.

Caramel Apple Granola is sweet treat transformed into a hearty breakfast. The granola consists of almonds and dried apples spiced with the flavors of fall. Most granola recipes hold the oats together with oil, but this granola is held together with a light layer of caramel. The caramel, combined with the dried apples, creates a granola with a fantastic texture and taste you won't find in a cereal box.

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Chocolate Caramel Crispy Bars

As the car barrels down the highway at a steady pace, I find myself sitting in the backseat, writing to you. The sun is shining through the window, sending a brilliant glare onto my computer screen; so bright I find myself needing a pair of sunglasses. Between reading books and staring out at the brown, snowless landscape through the window, I've successfully passed seven hours strapped in one place. I'm headed to the mountains for a weekend getaway filled with warm fireplaces, fresh snow, and a pair of skis strapped to my feet.

Everyone needs a vacation now and then.

As anyone who has ever taken a road trip knows, they require a different class of food altogether. There are traditions and rituals that must be followed, either passed down from parent to child or evolved from assorted friendships. For instance, I have a friend who insists on buying a bag of Fig Newtons before we take on the road. A healthy snack, she claims (but they are not quite so healthy after you've eaten your way through nine or ten).

Another friend and I always stock up on beef jerky and soda at the nearest gas station. We eat until parched from the salty meat and sick from the carbonation. Why we insist on doing this, I'll never know, but it is a sin to break a tradition once it has been set. Beef jerky and soda it will always be, whether I like it or not.

Growing up and traveling with my own family, road trips were one of the rare occasions my mother would fill the car with candy, cookies, soda, and other forbidden delights. With so many prohibited treats within reach, it made the fact that we were stuck in a car for countless hours bearable (and, thinking back, perhaps that is where my mother's tradition started in the first place). Even as I sit here now, surrounded by bags of candy and pretzels, I've found myself contributing to this madness. In preparation for the trip, I made a batch of these chocolate caramel crispy bars. After testing them out on the road, I can attest that they were a very good idea.

Nevertheless, the mountains have started appearing over the horizon. Living on the flat, golden plains, I often forget how tall they really stand. So, if you'll excuse me, it seems I have a bit more window watching to do.

What are your road trip food traditions?

These Chocolate Caramel Crispy Bars are crispy rice cereal bars with attitude. Made in the same method as the traditional, a healthy portion of chocolate and rich caramel sauce are added to the melted marshmallows to create the only variant. When taking a bite, the chocolate and marshmallow hit the tongue first, followed by a smooth caramel finish. These are simple to make and you may find them disappearing before you were ready to see them go.

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Rum Raisin Ice Cream

The first time I encountered rum raisin ice cream was on the coast. It was a warm afternoon and a small vendor nearby was selling creamy, homemade ice cream. From the sheer amount of people vying for a scoop, it seemed only appropriate to do just the same. Scattered among the classic flavors were more unique tastes, including a caramel swirled rum raisin ice cream that looked so divine I didn't look twice elsewhere. As I approached the counter with wide eyes, a wad of dollar bills scrunched in my hand, I told the man exactly what I wanted. However, because it was made with real rum and I was still underage, the rum raisin stayed out of my twenty year old reach.

Sigh.

I walked away, dragging my feet on the sidewalk, with a simple waffle cone in tow—my consolation prize. Nevertheless, my rum raisin woes were quickly assuaged by the melting, chocolate ice cream in my hand. Ice cream often cures all sadness and woes; even those caused by ice cream itself. I've never met a situation that ice cream couldn't improve.

Still, I find it fitting that the very first time I would be carded would be for something so innocent as an ice cream cone.

This Rum Raisin Ice Cream is to make up for that doleful moment of my youth. This is for all of the underage, twenty year olds who have been turned away from ice cream cones. This is for those who need a little extra cheer. This is for those who need a reward after a long, hard day's work. This is for those who deserve a sweet treat for absolutely no reason at all.

This is for you.

This Rum Raisin Ice Cream is everything I have dreamed (and more). Rum soaked raisins are diffused through a creamy, smooth ice cream (which has just a hint of rum itself). While it does taste delicious plain, I love to drizzle this ice cream with a warm, rich caramel sauce. I highly suggest you do the same. Rum, raisins, and caramel are a trio of flavors that, when combined, may leave you obsessing over them days (or weeks) later.

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