Hair Therapy, Cheese Fondue, and Apple Pie

The title of my blog is what my weekend consisted of.
Lots of good, solid family time...my favorite thing...mellowing and playing as a family.
My hair was also finally repaired by a hip, cool hairdresser in Boston...Thank goodness. I'd been living with half-mullet/half bob for the past 6 weeks, and it was a relief to get it shorn...
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For some reason, I had an obsession with cheese fondue, so we bought a fondue set and entered the world of fondue-ness.
Let me tell you, fondue is hard to make!
Brian slaved at it--and it never was quite the right consistency. It was still yummy, but next time we'll skip the kirsh and go easier on the wine so Aidan can have some too. He didn't like the wine taste.
I also bought a chocolate fondue maker, so that should be interesting. Lately, I've been a choco-snob, eating gourmet chocolate by the pound. I had Cadbury's dark chocolate today and found it to be ho-hum, which cracks me up. That means I've been indulging in too many truffles and other delicacies!
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Speaking of which: we went to a chocolate factory tour, which was fascinating except that Kellen kept running around, stepping on bags of sugar, and basically wreaking havoc in that cute way that toddlers have! He is so cute. So needless to say, we didn't stay long, but we did get to buy some really fine chocolates by la tene, this company here...Amazing...The owner makes chili chocolate and edible silver chocolates and all sorts of interesting concoctions with plum wine...wow.
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Finally, we attended the heirloom apple sale at Arnold Arboretum, which was breathtaking. The Arboretum is so pretty--and we were there at such a great time: sunny, warm late October day...
The apple sale was so amazing though. This farmer from Vermont trucked apples down to sell at a special event. You got to taste--and purchase--the apples, most of which date back to the 17 and 1800s...one as early as Roman times! It was fun, eating the favorite apples of Henry David Thoreau and Thomas Jefferson...
We bought three bags of apples, and last night I made a pie. My observation is that heirloom apples are harder than the organic apples I get at Whole Foods. In the pie and apple crisp, the apples maintain some of their crispness and are incredibly tasty. I mixed the types, so we got an interesting medley of flavors.
May your days be filled with good friends, family, and good food.
And love of course!