The smell of pies baking is not coming from my house. That is the good news for my friends and family The even better news is that we only have to go a few miles away from our home in Belmont Bay to the historic town of Occoquan to find Mom's Apple Pie Company and General Store.

All of the pies at Mom's are made fresh with local ingredients. You can actually find someone peeling apples in the kitchen and you have your choice of the traditional two crust apple pie or the brown sugar crumb topping. Even though the store is called Mom's Apple Pie you will of course find a few other popular choices as well. Depending on the season you can find blackberry, raspberry and rhubarb fruit pies available. In the fall the pies change to the classics you would expect for Thanksgiving and Christmas with pumpkin, mincemeat and pecan.

Of course with any good bakery the pies aren't the only thing you can find when you walk in the door. If you time your visit right you can grab one of the great spinach and feta cheese croissants which are a great to share for dinner and there are always the cookies. Looking at the stack of coconut macaroons is enough to put you instantly into sugar overload.

Mom's Apple Pie Shop just isn't about the sweets. During the summer you can also pick up fresh veggies straight from the farm. In Occoquan, Mom's also has a General Store that carries a wide selection of wines, organic groceries and bait. Yes that is fish bait. Occoquan does sit on a river and you will see the locals out on their boats casting a line for dinner.

The next time you are headed to Occoquan take a few minutes to enjoy the sights and smells of Mom's Apple Pie Store. Your waistline might not be glad you did but your stomach will be very happy!