After a solid week of hard work I’m celebrating with a caramelized apple pie topped with Havarti cheese. It’s cooling in the kitchen now and smells so ridiculously good.

While I wait for it to be ready I have a few moments to tell you about the projects I told you about yesterday.

The first is a blog for the farm where I live in Australia: Citadel Kalahari. It will be a place for stories about the gorgeous Kalahari and Kalahari Bohr goats I look after each day, homey recipes, and the adventures we have on an Australian goat farm.

You can visit by clicking here: Citadel Kalahari or Citadel Kalahari on Facebook.

Citadel Kalahari blog

The second is a blog for my dear friend Ann: thisAnnthat. You’ve heard about Ann here before. She’s been an incredible friend to me, welcoming me right into her family and teaching me a myriad of things about gardening, goats and cheese-making. I love her to pieces and am so excited about this new blog of hers where she’ll be sharing recipes and tips for everything from cheeses and breads to ethnic foods from her beloved Hungary.

You can visit by clicking here: thisAnnthat.

thisANNthat blog

My third project is still in progress, a blog for the Australian medieval enactor group I joined: Black Wolf Caravan. I love this group of crazy folks so much. They are the jolliest bunch and meet at the farm nearly every weekend to eat, brainstorm and make all sorts of fabulous things like chain mail, camel saddles, and weapons from the 12th century. This blog will feature stories of our adventures together, projects, medieval recipes, and educational materials on the life of a trader caravan on the Silk Road during the 12th and 13th centuries.

You can visit by clicking here: Black Wolf Caravan or Black Wolf on Facebook.

Black Wolf medieval group

My fourth project this week (phew!) is taking on the role of Community Manager at my beloved Travel Belles (yay!!). I’ve been writing for this wonderful site for nearly two years now and treasure the relationships I’ve forged there.

If you’re interested in travel, reading great books, eating good food or just like being inspired by the adventures of others, I’d love to have you join us. You can join the Travel Belles Community by clicking here:

Travel Belles Community

Travel Belles on Facebook

Travel Belles website

And that, dear friends, is that. 🙂

Now it’s time to head out into the sunshine with a slice of homemade pie.

cheese and apple pie

What’s your favorite way to relax after working like a trooper?

Caramelized Apple Pie with Havarti Cheese

Ingredients:

6-8 large apples, cored, peeled and sliced thinly
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp each of nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup brown sugar
4 slices Havarti (or extra sharp cheddar)
pie crust dough (enough for double crust pie)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. In large frying pan melt butter over medium heat.
  3. Add apples and saute 5 minutes until they begin to brown.
  4. Add spices and saute 5-10 minutes more until apples are browned and softened.
  5. Add brown sugar and stir until melted and well-mixed. Let simmer 5 minutes.
  6. While mixture is simmering, prepare pie pan but pressing half of dough into bottom of pie pan.
  7. Pour apple mixture into pie pan.
  8. Top with slices of cheese and top layer of dough.
  9. Brush with beaten egg or melted butter.
  10. Bake 30-40 minutes or until crust is browned.
  11. Serve warm.