You know it's summer when…

We have BLT's for dinner. There's something about this meal that just screams summer. Jason fries the bacon and he always burns the last few pieces just for me. The toaster can't keep up with us.

 You know it's summer when the babes need to take more baths than usual.

You know it's summer when we visit Festival Park in Elgin. Kole loves running around in the fountain and getting splashed by the water. This place is usually packed so you have to be a little careful about other bigger kids running around. Kole gets knocked down at least once each time we've gone, but it doesn't seem to phase him. It's also a fun place to sit and people watch. This time I saw a kid's diaper fall off. It was all huge and puffed up from the water, which was hilarious in itself, then the thing just dropped and he ran around all naked!

You know it's summer when there is lots and lots of iced coffee. This kind is my favorite!

You know it's summer when chubby little legs stick through the holes of a baby swing. We walk to the park by our house almost every single day. It's so fun to watch these kids play together. And Kole is only a little bit territorial of the slide. This photo and the one below it were edited using the A Beautiful Mess photo app. It's free and one of my favorite apps for photos! 

You know it's summer when this little man gets to golf. He is the cutest. He hits it and shouts, "in the hole!" You can tell he watches lots of golf on TV with his dad. 

You know it's summer when tiny babies wear big ole' hats. There is nothing cuter.

You also know it's summer when we make frequent visits to Van's Custard. Last fall they moved locations from Carpentersville to East Dundee, which happens to be right where we live! We can walk there in about five minutes. I used to think this was a good thing, but it's becoming kind of dangerous. Van's is family owned and they are the nicest people who really get to know their customers.  Their custard is delicious. Each day they have a "flavor of the day" some of which include Nutella, Toasted Coconut, and Birthday Cake. They even have special flavors like Guiness for St. Patrick's Day and Carrot Cake for Easter.

At their new location they now serve burgers and fries. My husband is a huge fan of their burgers. And I highly recommend the sweet potato fries. If you're looking for a new place to eat and enjoy good food, you really need to check them out!

And finally, you know it’s summer when we head up north! We’re up here now and soaking up every second. We had an amazing 4^th of July spent with family and friends. Here are a few pictures of our time so far. There’s more to come later! 

Brown Bag Apple Pie and Father's Day

To this day my husband will tell you it was this pie that won me his heart. Now there might have been a little part of me that was trying hard to win it, but nonetheless, I succeeded! But still, I too give credit to this golden gem of a pie. I think there's something magical about the way it bakes as the paper bag holds in all the apple and cinnamon flavors. And the smell as it bakes is smokey and sweet. 

Don't get me wrong, the first time I baked this I was checking the oven every two minutes thinking the bag would erupt in flames, but that has never happened. The oven temp is 425, so by Bradbury's rules we're safe! 

So in honor of father's day I baked this pie especially for my husband. We enjoyed the day cooking out with my family and then the boys left for the golf course. Jason couldn't have asked for a better day. Family, 18 holes, and brown bag apple pie. It was a good day.

 This little contraption makes the prep time go about 5x faster, no joke! It's an apple/potato peeler that can be found at any kitchen store. 

 It's so easy to make the crust right in the pie plate. No rolling out dough!

 Once you add the wet ingredients you start by mixing with a fork.

 Kole likes to "help" me. I'll take it.

 Not going to lie...it's hard to resist snacking on the apples once they're all coated!

 Then you soften the butter to make the top crust. 

 Then it goes in the paper bag and gets stapled up.

 You just have to make sure the bag isn't touching any parts of the oven.

 This is my favorite part! 

 I swear this pie comes out perfect every time. It's not fancy, just easy!

 Dad was a happy camper.

 Sonja too. First taste of apple pie, she loved it!

If you're interested the recipe is at the end of the post. Let me know if you have any questions about it! Enjoy!

Here are just a few more snapshots from our Father's Day!

Brown Bag Apple Pie

Remove one oven rack so only the bottom rack remains. Preheat oven to 425.

Crust:

1 and 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup oil

1 T milk

Mix and pat in pie plate

Filling:

6 large apples peeled and sliced

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 T flour

Coat apples and put into pie crust

Topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter slightly melted 

Mix and then crumble onto the top of the pie

Open a large brown paper bag on top of a cookie sheet. Place pie plate in the bag and staple shut. Carefully carry the cookie sheet and place in the oven making sure no part of the bag is touching the oven.

Bake for one hour at 425.