Eat Shrink And Be Merry

I know Janet’s gonna give me heck for writing about my latest not-exactly-healthy food obsession, but we can’t always talk about flax and whole grains and antioxidants and krill oil and organic raw natural almonds, can we??? No sireee! I say, let’s talk about CARAMEL APPLES!! Yup! Caramel apples! (Not hard to tell which one of us is the “foodie sister” and which one is the “nutrition sister,” is it?) But not your ordinary run-of-the-mill caramel apples. I’m talking plump juicy huge granny smiths dunked in chocolate, then nuts, then caramel, then more nuts, then drizzled with white chocolate! Helloooooo! Can you say “yumtastically scrumptotally delectamazingly splurge-worthy?”

I’d like to tell you that I make these heavenly apples myself but, truth be told, I buy them at the mall, at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. (You can find this franchise all over Canada and the US; I’ve attached a link below so you can search for a store near you. You’re welcome.) The RMCF sells all kinds of caramel apples, but the one I described above is my favorite and has drawn rave reviews from EVERYONE I’ve shared it with. And, believe me, these apples are for sharing. Yes, the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” has some merit, but please don’t get me in trouble from my sister by rushing out and buying 7 apples and eating one by yourself every day for the next week! Sure, they have “fresh fruit and good fats from the nuts” (how I justify eating them when Janet gives me a hard time), but I wouldn’t classify them as a health food. Buy just ONE apple (about $8.00) and share it with a friend. It’ll be plenty for the two of you.

To serve the apple, place it on a cutting board with the stick standing straight up. Hold the stick and, using a large, sharp knife, cut the apple about 1 cm from the stick on all four sides (okay, I know an apple doesn’t have four sides, but pretend it’s square and you will know what I mean). You should be left with 4 large apple chunks and the stick, which will be conveniently stuck in the square-shaped apple core you just created. Now, take those 4 large chunks and cut them into wedges. You’ll end up with about 10 caramel-apple wedges. For a gathering or party, I slice up 4 or 5 apples and arrange the slices on a platter. They look amazing and people honestly go nuts for them. Make sure you slice the caramel apples right before serving, so they don’t turn brown.

Now, I need you to make a pact with me that once you try these apples, you won’t eat more than two per month. That’s the limit I set for myself and I need you to stick with me on this one so our bodies won’t end up looking like apples, okay? Here’s the link to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory so you can find a location near you: http://rmcf5.com/locations/find.lasso