The Apple Haus

post from Smokin' Chokin' and Chowing with the King on 24 September 2009 09:11:00 PM. © Smokin' Chokin' and Chowing with the King

Eating like a local: Regional food specialties
-With Fall comes the Apple Harvest

Ah yes the football season is underway and the leaves are falling and there is a crisp bite to the air and with all of that we know that Fall is here. I happen to be born in July so I'll always be a summer lover but Fall is right behind summer as far as my favorite time of the year. I love the hoodie weather and the food that comes with it leading up to winter. The only thing good about the cold to me is the food that makes it comforting. But before we get into winter lets get back to Fall because its here and that means so is the apple harvest. As someone who loves to ride and explore, Fall is a great time to cruise around and see whats out there especially in the Midwest where the trees turn yellow and gold and the apples are abundant. I had never been to the historic little village of Long Grove, Illinois until yesterday when the food gods smiled down on me. I had to go to Schaumburg to do a work related thing and as luck would have it Long Grove and the Apple Haus weren't too far away. I love historic villages and walking through them and Long Grove was a cool little spot where you could feel the history. Here are some photos of the village.

What's that you ask?

Long Grove is beautiful especially the historic part with a few sections of shops and food stops and a bunch of old houses and buildings built way back when people first started settling there. The original schoolhouse still stands and is now a confectionery company. Along with many boutiques and ladylike shops is a treasure that the people in the area know all about. The Apple Haus is located in the square and is a shop specializing in...you guessed it-apple goods. I got the recommendation to try this place out from a post I made on LTH asking about where to get all the good stuff that comes with an apple harvest. You know the pies, donuts, cider and cakes.

Make this your first and last stop when touring Long Grove

So when you approach the store the first thing that gets you is the amazing aroma outside the shop. The smell from the fresh fried cider donuts would have Homer Simpson in eternal bliss. That's what I felt, at first I thought someplace in the area was frying up some amazing chicken or something of that sort. It wasn't until I entered the store that I put two and two together that I realized the wonderful smell was coming from the cider donuts being fried. One thing I knew I would be leaving with were those donuts and so I did a quick browse of the store and checked out what else they had to offer. What did they have? how about everything you can make with apples and then some. Jam's, jelly's, butter, fresh baked breads and so many other baked goods including from what I hear, the best apple pie in Chicagoland. Luck wasn't with me, since it was the afternoon they had no more pie's but I told them I will be back for my pie very soon. I'm not big on pie but I love apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I know, who doesn't? I told the friendly staff that I would like a dozen cider donuts, a gallon of house brewed cider and since I'm a sucker for slushies that I wanted an apple slushie too.

Apple Haus makes a pretty cider and at $7.95 a gallon a good deal

The Apple Slushie was very appley and very good

But what about the donuts? Oh yes the apple cider donuts. The fried delight that makes a guy like me who rarely even eats donuts go crazy for them. Since I've never been big on chocolate I always liked my treats fruit based or to have something fruity rather than chocolaty. Well one of my secrets, along with ADD and always moving around, to not expanding into Kevin Federline form is that I stay away from the donuts and treats like ice cream and cake and it helps that I don't have much of a sweet tooth. But what really helps? The fact that I live nowhere near this spectacular little apple shop that makes one of the best treats in Chicagoland. Even as someone who doesn't eat alot of them I know that these are good and you will have no reservations about checking them out and grabbing a couple dozen next time your in the vicinity of Long Grove.

#1 for a reason-one bite, you'll know why

I hope you guys brought some for you cause these are for me

Dude stop drooling and growling, you sound like Homer Simpson

If you need a reason to get out to Long grove other than its near Ikea or something to do the 1st wkd of October then I got one for you. Long grove will be hosting its annual apple festival from Oct.2-4, 2009. "Many visitors remark about the memories they have of the charming village of Long Grove. Whether it is the excitement of a festival, a unique shopping find, lazy summer days, or traditional Christmas cheer you will be sure to create your own Long Grove memories." the website will tell you. Now I will say that aside from the Apple Haus there wasn't a shop I wanted to go into. If your girl has been bugging you about doing something fun or taking her somewhere then I suggest a drive to Long Grove to enjoy a crisp fall day. Just remember to "forget" your credit card and dont bring too much cash. There's a bunch of girlie shops that sell candles and dresses for your dogs and boutiques and such. Since shes sure to drag you in and out of them it eould be smart to not have any cash. Don't worry, it'll all be worth it for a couple of cider donuts and she might even give it up later that night. The romantic charm of the village will do that to girls.

The only other store that I might of hit up

Covered bridge...one car at a time please

Apple Haus of Long Grove
230 Robert Parker Coffin Rd
Long Grove, IL 60047-9539
(847) 634-0730
Website

Apple Fest (Oct 2-4 2009) info

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http://chibbqking.blogspot.com/2009/09/apple-haus.html

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Friday Combini Caffeine Inject

post from Oishii Oishii on 24 September 2009 06:08:47 PM. © Oishii Oishii

Friday Combini Caffeine Injection: Everyone loves convenience stores in Japan, unless you have to live right ne.. http://bit.ly/15MGqM

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You Betchers I Make Stuffed Peppers

post from Internet Cooking Princess on 24 September 2009 05:25:00 PM. © Internet Cooking Princess

My very cool second-cousin-in-law Shari has a great blog called Rotten Bananas. (Just click the title of this post to take a look.) It?s just got all kinds of fun tidbits and eye candy, plus she posts a fair share of recipes. I mean, the woman makes her own challah! Talk about instant credibility.

She recently posted a recipe that I was dying to make: taco stuffed 8-ball squash. I must have missed the window of 8-ball squash opportunity because I could not find those suckers anywhere. So, instead I made Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers with a Latin Stir Fried Rice. What I got was a yummy dinner that was super easy to make. And after this week, that?s what I really needed.

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground beef

2 Red bell peppers, halved

1 Yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 Onion, chopped

2 c. White rice, steamed

½ c. Matchstick carrots

½ c. Frozen peas

½ c. Salsa

1 T. Chili powder

1 t. Cumin

½ t. Cayenne

½ c. Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

Olive oil

Kosher Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a sauté pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil and bring to medium high heat. Throw in the ground beef, and once it has browned in the pan, add half of your chopped onion and chopped yellow peppers. As the onions and peppers begin to soften, mix in the chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and a few pinches of salt and pepper.

Spoon the taco mixture into the peppers and bake for 15 minutes or until the peppers look like they?ve roasted a bit. If you?ve already got steamed rice ready-to-go, have a glass of wine or something. Then, about two minutes before the peppers are ready to take out of the oven, add about two tablespoons of cold oil to a hot wok. Once you can see a little heat burning off, throw in the other half of the chopped onion and the carrots. Once the veggies look like their softening, add the frozen peas, rice, and salsa and stir together until the peas are completely heated through. Take your peppers out of the oven, top with some shredded cheese, plate up your rice, and eat up.

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http://www.internetcookingprincess.com/2009/09/you-betchers-i-make-stuffed-pepper
s.html

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Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins

post from Fun & Food Cafe on 24 September 2009 03:32:00 PM. © Fun & Food Cafe

If you love strawberry cheesecake, then you're going to love these Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins![...]

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Emoji Dick, a new genre graphi

post from Oishii Oishii on 24 September 2009 03:11:10 PM. © Oishii Oishii

Emoji Dick, a new genre graphic novel: Here’s something quite strange and a bit off-topic, but given my l.. http://bit.ly/154Yfc

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Japan Car Navigation: Taken a

post from Oishii Oishii on 24 September 2009 12:56:47 PM. © Oishii Oishii

Japan Car Navigation: Taken a few hours ago on the way to meet comrades at the Japan Times.First time there so .. http://bit.ly/lLd7o

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Keepin It Veal: Eating Weeds, Turnips and Hongos

post from We Are Never Full on 24 September 2009 11:45:25 AM. © We Are Never Full

New Jersey, it’s like a cross-section of the entire United States stuffed into a very small area ? fenced-in by heavy industry, ugly sub-divisions, peaceful tidal bays and relaxing shore towns ? but with its own very distinct character. And, if you drive around it long enough, you’re bound to see some pretty interesting stuff. This goes [...]

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http://www.weareneverfull.com/keepin-it-veal-eating-weeds-turnips-and-hongos/

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Nimbu ka Achaar

Pickles are Indian specialities, enjoyed at breakfasts, at meals, or as an accompaniment to a snack . Each household has their own twist on the pickles that they prepare yearly using freshly available seasonal fruits and vegetables. Among those pickles,[...]

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http://zaiqa.net/?p=942

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What do you really NEED

An article by Elena Ferretti, written for FoxNews a little while ago posed the question, who really needs a restaurant quality kitchen? After all, don’t most of us just defrost and reheat? I think she’s got an excellent point, several excellent points in fact. We know that having a state of the art kitchen will [...]

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http://feeds.b5media.com/~r/b5media/CookingGadgets/~3/pQKiMml3hMo/

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