I was super fortunate to be able to join my daughter and her second grade class on a field trip to a somewhat local Apple Orchard called Riley’s Farm last week. Although I love every season except Winter (blah!), I think I’ve come to the conclusion that Fall just may be my favorite, and I think the field trip to the apple farm might have been what sealed that thought. Driving up through the country setting, you can actually see Fall starting to take place. The leaves were starting to turn such beautiful colors, and although the sky was still bright blue there was a slight nip in the air. It just felt so nice and smelled so clean!

Riley’s Farm is just one farm in part of a larger community called Oak Glen. There you’ll find farms, orchards, shops, fruit stands, restaurants, bed and breakfast, and camps. It’s a super fun place to visit. Right now it’s apple and pumpkin picking season there on the farms, where you can go and pick your own! My family and I picked our own pumpkins off the vine at one of the farms a couple of years ago. It was so great to see my husband hauling a wheel barrow full of pumpkins down the path, lol! However, I think the prices are a bit more pricey than say a giant Great Pumpkin from Sam’s Club for only $10…but I guess you’re paying for the nostalgia. We thought it would have been cheaper to do all the labor ourselves…not so. They have u-pick activities during the other seasons as well. Blackberries, plums, raspberries, etc. My husband would love to do a blackberry u-pick! Overall, Oak Glen is a really wonderful place for a fun family day trip if you’re in the So. Cal area. It’s a little kick back in time that your whole family would love!

So let me tell you about our trip to Riley’s Apple Farm! Although it seemed like there were miles of apples trees everywhere you looked, they also had a lot of really fun activities for the kiddles! It was like a step back in time as the children got to listen to old time music played on old time instruments. Some of the kids even got to play the washboard and triangles with the band, lol.

After that, the kids were able to explore a bit and learn how folks lived life way back when. They were able to write their names with a quill and ink, explore a small wood cabin, wash clothes in a bucket with a washboard, play old fashioned games, build a log cabin (seriously!), and my daughters favorite thing – she learned to peel apples, lol! She was so excited about that because every time I used my peeler to peel potatoes or what not, she’d want so badly to help me, but I never got around to showing her how to use it. There was also a tiny already picked pumpkin patch and corn rows to explore. Good times I tell ya!

It just isn’t humanly possible to leave an apple orchard without having a hankering for some home made apple pie! So I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I was a few days after the field trip when I came home to a package from Pillsbury and My Blog Spark! Guess what was in the package??? A Pillsbury Love the Pie kit!

Pillsbury is planning Love the Pie! baking demonstration events across the country, and they want you to bring your families and join in on the fun! While you’re at one of these demonstrations, you can learn pie baking tips and ideas from State Fair Pie Baking Champions, and pick up recipes and participate in other orchard activities. Want to know if there is a Love the Pie! demonstration at one of your local apple orchards? Click HERE to find out! Plus, actress and busy mom, Jennie Garth, is joining Pillsbury this fall to celebrate apple harvest season. She will share tips and ideas for dressing up apple pies and making kid-friendly treats that satisfy kids after a busy day at school. Footage of Jennie in the apple orchard, along with photos and other information is available at http://www.reporterville.com/love_the_pie__fall_2010.

Trust me, after you visit an apple orchard, you’ll no doubt want to bake up some apple pies too! So like I said, the timing of that package was perfect! The very same day it arrived I was all over the internet trying to find a perfect apple pie recipe. My family couldn’t agree on whether they wanted a crumb top or lattice, so darn it, I had to make both…such a bummer, lol! I found a recipe on my favorite recipe site allrecipe.com called Apple Pie by Grandma Ople and used that for both pies. Although the recipe had tons of positive reviews, I was a little disappointed in it. It was missing the spices that I usually taste in apple pies (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc), plus I either used bigger apples than I should have (because I used 8 as called for) or it simply needed more sauce. The pies were too dry in my opinion. Next time I think I might try Perfect Apple Pie from Pillsbury,although checking out Festive Apple-berry Pie, Topsy-Turvy Apple Pie, Easy Apple Pie Foldover, and Cinnamon-Apple Pie with Caramel-Pecan Sauce is making my mouth water too! It’s still early Fall so I just might have to try them all, mwa-ha-ha! Be sure to check out Pillsbury.com for more delicious recipes! I was provided with a coupon for a free Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust, however, you can download a printable coupon for $0.50 off a package of Pillsbury Pie Crusts today right HERE.

I used the apple cutter, the apple cutting board, the measuring cups, the glass Pyrex pie pan, and even the Pillsbury pot holder that was included in my Pillsbusy “Love the Pie” baking kit! The apple cutter was awesome, it cut so much smoother and easier than my Pampered Chef one, and I loved using that apple cutting board…it’s so cute and the perfect size! The measuring cups were awesome because they came with not only the usual cup sizes, but with two cup sizes that I never got with any of my other sets…a two thirds cup, and a three quarter cup, plus an egg separator! I didn’t use the super cute apple timer that was included because I have a timer on my oven, but I’m thinking it will be a perfect “time out” timer….hmmmm. I absolutely LOVE this set they sent me! I couldn’t be more thrilled or grateful to Pillsbury and My Blog Spark!

So I bet you would like to find out how you can win this fabulous apple pie baking set wouldn’t you??!! Then let me tell you:

PILLSBURY “LOVE THE PIE” PRIZE PACK GIVEAWAY!

So are you ready to see who the winner is for this super fun prize pack????  Picked via random.org, the winner is………………………………………#2

Cindy Crawford - ”We always plan a pumpkin seed party night and roast pumpkin seeds and have hot apple cider.”

Congratulations Cindy! I’ll be sending you an email shortly, please respond within 48 hours.

Thank you all for entering this giveaway. It was so fun reading through your traditions! I’ll have a few more giveaways up shortly, so stay tuned!

Included in this giveaway is A VIP coupon for a free sample of Pillsbury® Refrigerated Pie Crusts, a pie dish, and apple themed kitchen items!

The giveaway begins today Saturday October 16th and ends on Monday October 25th at 11:59pm PST.

There is only one way to get your entry in and that is to simply comment below sharing with us the fall harvest rituals you family has, such as going apple picking or baking a pie with freshly picked apples, etc.

Only one entry per person allowed. The winner will be picked randomly via Random.org. You must make sure you give me a valid email address to contact you with incase you win. If there is no email or the email bounces a new winner will be picked. If you’re the winner, please make sure you get back to me within 48 hours of my email being sent to you or again, a new winner will be picked.

Thank you for participating in this super fun giveaway, I know whoever wins will just love this Pillsbury “Love The Pie” prize pack!

Disclaimer: I was not paid to give this review or giveaway. Pillsbury generously provided me with the products, information, and giveaway through MyBlogSpark which I am super grateful for!

P.S. Check out all the apple orchard and pie baking fall photos and videos on Pillsbury´s “Love the Pie” Facebook page too! Join Pillsbury on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lovethepie and follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/love_the_pie.

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