Cool, crisp air, swirling leaves of reds and golds, and warm, fuzzy sweaters all remind me of Fall. Fall reminds me of Thanksgiving, and Thanksgiving reminds me of family. 
The house bursting with warmth and love, the holidays are what I love the most. I know some people stress out about hosting Thanksgiving dinner, but I actually love it. It makes me happy to cook a turkey with all the trimmings and whip up some creamy mashed potatoes and homemade gravy. It pleases me to bake a few desserts and just enjoy a meal with those who mean the most to me. This year, I’ve got the help of my brand new baby to make all the scrumptious dishes for Thanksgiving dinner. 
I got this stunning KitchenAid Ultra Power Plus Stand Mixer on sale at Target and am I ever in love! Yes, I’m in love with my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer! 
This KitchenAid Stand Mixer was on sale at Target, so I picked one up! I have to say that the Target in Sudbury really impressed me! The staff were so friendly and helpful, and the store was laid out well. The variety and availability of products also impressed me. I’m thankful for great shopping experiences! Now, back to my KitchenAid Stand Mixer! 
There will be turkey and stuffing, and cranberry sauce; Biscuits and gravy, and candied yam casserole too. Pies of all kinds will be served as well. Most of all, there will be lots of stories and jokes for everyone to tell. One of the things I will be whipping up is this Apple Cake made with apples picked from our farm. It’s been a great year for apples, so I will also be making more applesauce, apple pie and apple cake! 
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup Gay Lea butter
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla (I use my homemade vanilla, but vanilla extract will do)
- 2 eggs
- 4 medium sized apples, peeled and sliced ⅜" thickness
- 3 tbsp cinnamon
- ⅓ cup sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 inch round baking pan.
- Combine all dry ingredients in Kitchen Aid mixer bowl.
- Add butter, milk and vanilla. Using flat beater attachment on Kitchen Aid mixer, mix on speed 2.
- Add eggs and continue to mix on speed 2. Increase speed to 6 for about a minute or two.
- Wash, peel and slice apples (3/8" in thickness). In a bowl, add cinnamon and sugar, toss apple slices in the cinnamon/sugar mixture so that apple slices are lightly coated.
- Pour half the batter into pan and arrange apple slices in a circular pattern.
- Repeat layer of batter and arrangement of apple slices.
- Bake in 350 degree oven for 55-60 minutes. Cool 10 min and remove from pans. Let cool completely on wire rack. Enjoy!
With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I can’t help but think of all the things I am thankful for this year. I’m thankful for:
- Family
- Friends
- Health
- Being able to spend time with loved ones
- A bountiful harvest
- My first baby (canine baby!), Chance turning 12 years old on Thanksgiving
- Being able to feed my family with fruit, vegetables, beef and eggs from our farm
- Being able to provide a meal for my loved ones to enjoy this Thanksgiving.
People tend to focus on the things that don’t go right or the things they do not have. I’m guilty of not always stopping to smell the roses. I know I sometimes take this amazing life on the farm for granted. This year, I want to focus on the things that matter most. Family.
What are YOU #ThankFALL for?
You can win a $250 Target Canada Gift Card
Disclosure: I am part of the Target #ThankFALL influencer program run by The Influential Network. I am compensated for this post but opinions are always my own!
I am #ThankFALL for my health and my family. You cannot live life with health and family is what makes life worth living.
Love your post – and can’t wait to try your apple cake (it’s so pretty!).
I’m #ThankFALL for having such amazing friends, including you. 🙂 Thanks for your never-ending support, kindness and genuineness… I truly appreciate it.
GAH! Lisa, your comment made me cry! I’m #ThankFALL for you too.
Love the colour! Can’t wait to see all the deliciousness you whip up in that baby!
Thanks, Paula! I’ve been using it almost every day! I need to post more recipes soon!
I felt the same way when I got my KitchenAid Stand mixer as a gift. Love it.
Thanks again for yet another great recipe. Looks delicious and I have it saved.
Thanks so much, Elizabeth 🙂 I love your comments. Truly one of the loveliest people around. xo
so beautiful! just like you:) and what an awesome colour for that mixer!!! nice work lady! and so cute to see little one helping out:)
Aww! Thank you, Heather! Happy Thanksgiving to you!
I’m #thankfall kitchen aid stand mixers are on sale at target haha! I have to pick one up ASAP. Great price too! Your food photos always leave me feeling hungry!!
Thanks so much, Renee! Have I mentioned that you are one of my favourite people in the Twitterverse?? 🙂
You’re too cute! I love your pic, you’re smiling from ear to ear! I love your apple cake recipe… drool! Happy Thanksgiving :0
Jodi, I’m such a dork 🙂 THAT’S how happy I was to find my Kitchen Aid stand mixer on sale!
Oh my I love the color of you new Stand Mixer. You’ll be baking a lot this fall. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving week-end with your family 🙂
Thanks, Helene!!! Yikes. I do a lot of baking now, so I’m worried I’ll be doing heaps more now that I have my stand mixer!! Ha!
Yes, I am old school. I have been doing all the beating and mixing by hand (either by whisk or with a fork). I belong to a generation of long past, right?
I still do use a fork or whisk, once in a while, because it’s the way my mom was doing it. But you will love to make certain desserts with your Stand Mixer 🙂 So happy for you.
Helene, to be honest, it took me a while to get used to not using a fork or whisk! SO old school here 🙂 The KitchenAid certainly helps and is so efficient!
I’m jealous of your mixer….I so need to pick one of those up…lol. I love your post Christine and happy to say I’m also #thankfull to have you as a party of my blogging family 🙂
Thank you, Matthew! #ThankFALL to have you as part of my blogging family too! Thanks for all your support. xo
I am #thankFALL for my husband who works so hard to support his family and for being there right by my side through all the health challenges I have!
Judy, great things to be thankful for! Hope all is well where you are 🙂
I am #ThankFALL for so many things, my family, my friends, our new yorkiepoo, and especially looking forward to #Thanksgiving this year where we will share special memories of my mom who passed away earlier this year, our first Thanksgiving without her, and we will celebrate how much we all loved her. Happy Thanksgiving to All.. Always be ThankFall for those in your life..
Sending hugs your way, Carole Ann. xox
I am very thankful for my family.
There is so much to be thankful for from the roof over my head to the two little beings I co-created to the lucky ants we got to observe dragging back a dead cricket (neat!).
Love your post & can’t wait to make your apple cake! I am so thankFALL for my incredibly supportive family who has been by my side and has encouraged and enabled me to take a huge leap of faith this year and follow my dreams!
Ahh! Thank you! Feeling very thankful 🙂 This has been a huge year for you too! Here’s to a fabulous year ahead and remembering how fortunate we are to have the encouragement of loved ones to take some big leaps 🙂
I’m #thankFALL for my family, especially my wonderful daughter! I’m also #thankFALL that my family gets along and we all live within close proximity of each other. It means so much to spend time with them all!
I am thankful for my family and friends, health, that we have a roof over our heads, and food in our bellies 🙂 thanks for the Apple Cake recipe – looks delicious! i will for sure be making it this weekend! Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
I am thankful for my family and friends and that we’re all healthy and happy.
This recipe sounds so good.
I am thankful for my family which includes friends, and how them being there day in and day out, surrounds me in a buffer of love which Fall only seems to enhance….and I hope I am able to offer that to them also.
I love this #ThankFALL business! Very fun!
I am thankFall for family and friends. I am blessed with great ones! 😀
I can’t wait to try this cake! It looks beautiful and I bet it tastes delicious.
Luv ya, Peady! xoxo
I am thankful for my family and friends, our health and happiness
Angela, I love that! All wonderful things to be thankful for!
Fall is my favourite season!!
I love everything about it, as far as being thankful, I’m thankful for it all.. each day, the people in my life, the good, the bad… it all makes us who we are today!
Thank you for the awesome recipes too!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours gorgeous!!
btw I love the mixer!! I won one & it’s just a dream!!
Darlene, what I love about you is how positive and how thankful you are. It’s so refreshing. Thanks for always being a ray of sunshine! Thankful for people like you 🙂
this looks delicious! I pinned it for later and entered the target contest!
Thanks, Ashley! Good luck! Great prize, right? 🙂
I love the fall and Thanksgiving as well and I am very grateful and welcome the wonder filled moments of this special; season!
I’ll be making this apple cake for my family this week-end!
Thank you, Lynda! Please let me know how the cake turns out! 🙂
Fall is indeed a special season. I’m always aware of how blessed we are come harvest time. Just thinking of how our garden has sustained us this Summer makes me feel incredibly thankful.