One really nice thing about living in Charlotte is that once or twice a week, we get to hang out with Rob's parents. It definitely makes North Carolina feel a bit more like home. Last night, we headed over to my in-laws' house with some snacks (Food Should Taste Good provided me with some of their awesome chips) and had a little appetizer party!

I brought the chips (sweet potato, blue corn, and multigrain), some salsa and garlic dip, pepperoni, manchego cheese, fruit salad, and a bottle of wine. We sat around the table, catching up and enjoying a little indoor picnic. Even Daisy the dog had a bite.

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Almost every Tuesday, Rob and I meet at our neighborhood Tupelo Honey Cafe for martinis (my favorite is the rosemary lime with gin).

They're $3 each and totally delicious, and we always say "Let's not get dinner," because this place is so southern that there's barely anything on the menu that isn't covered in cheese or rolled in some kind of batter and then fried, but also because we live an eight minute walk away and could easily just have a drink and go home (if we had any willpower at all). But every time, we get "snacks," which end up just being appetizers for dinner. Goat cheese grits are a thing and they taste like heaven.

I guess there are worse things that could happen.

I love fall as much as the next girl in Uggs, but to tell you the truth it can be kind of a bummer missing out on Pumpkin Spice Lattes and apple pie (I still maintain that the former tastes like a Yankee candle, but whatever) because of Paleo tendencies. Obviously no one is forcing me to give up dairy or sugar, though, so every year I try to make some kind of Paleo-friendly seasonal treat.

This year I went with a baked apple dish, partly because I had some gorgeous apples from our wedding florist's orchard, but mostly because I am the proud new owner of a mandolin slicer and I'll literally make a chip out of anything these days.

These baked apples are delicious, comforting, and make your house smell exactly like fall. Amen.

Ingredients:

• 4 apples, washed and sliced evenly--I use this handheld mandolin (affiliate link)
• 2-3 tablespoons of grass-fed butter
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cloves)
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Melt butter in a large bowl, add honey and vanilla, then the apple slices. Mix well. Sprinkle in pumpkin pie spice and mix again.
3. Layer apple slices in small pie dishes or a larger baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes.
4. Let cool for a couple minutes before serving, but have them warm! Enjoy.