It just seems that apples are a happy fruit. For one thing, most of them are red - one of the most vibrant and exciting colors to catch the eye. They can be easily eaten! You don't necessarily have to do anything like cooking, peeling, etc. to enjoy the taste. (However, you may want to wash them or at least wipe them off before eating). Also, apple trees can adapt to most any climate.

Secondly, apples are healthy for you - "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" - so they say. An apple can be baked in a pie, smashed into applesauce, baked whole in the oven with some sugar and cinnamon, or put on a stick and covered with caramel. There are recipes for apple cake, apple turnovers, apple pie, apple cobbler, apple tarts, apple Betty, apple butter, apple cookies, apple salad, apple relish, apple pancakes, canned apples.... the list goes on and on. We give apples to our teachers. We set a basket of apples on the kitchen counter for after school snacks. Personally, I want my apple sliced and served with caramel dipping sauce.

One of the fall season's favorite treats our caramel apples. Most apple orchards display caramel apples to entice you to buy. So after you purchase that bag of apples....

• Melt a block of superior caramel (made by Peter's Chocolate) slowly over hot water or in the microwave. (Be sure to use low power on microwave when melting, removing and stirring often.)

• Insert bright white 7" pointed paper sticks into apple. These are safer than wooden ones and the paper swells and bonds better to the apple to provide a cleaner look.

• After dipping your apple in caramel, roll in colored or chocolate sprinkles and place in caramel apple paper - that way you won't miss out on any of the gooey coating.

• Another variation of caramel apples is to redip the set apple into chocolate!

• If you are giving any of these gooey apples away - be sure to put them in a special apple box. This specially designed box will display the apple so that you can hardly wait to take the first bite.

Of course apples have earned a negative reputation in literature. Snow White slipped into a coma from the bite of a poisoned apple, apples were hurled at Dorothy and the Scarecrow in the "Wizard of Oz" and supposedly mankind went downhill when Eve took that first bite of an apple in the garden. But on the whole, apples are a wonderful snack for young and old.

Drive over to your local apple orchard or farmers market and pick out some luscious looking firm, crisp apples. Create the most delicious, sweet and gooey caramel apples ever!