Weekend Apple Picking

The trees and ground were covered with apples.

Over the weekend, Ben and I went apple picking with my parents and younger brother.  We had an excellent time.  The rain finally let up for most of the day, the sun came out, and there was a strong breeze that kept the trees rustling.  There was lots of good conversation and laughter in between the trees of  Crane's Orchard in Fennville, Michigan. We ended the day at the Saugatuk Antique Pavillion, a huge place where we could have spent all day going through the treasures and had a late lunch at the Saugatuk Brewing Company.

I am sucker when it comes to traditions.  When I was much younger, my family would go every fall to one of the local U-Pick orchards in Berrien County and pick apples.  It was a great time of apple cider, tree climbing, and hay rides.  Now that we moved back to the West side of Michigan, we are fortunate to continue that tradition.

Ben and I picked almost a bushel and a half of apples.  There were five varieties that we were allowed to pick: the very popular Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Gala, Golden Supreme, and Blondee.  We picked every variety because we're not apple snobs.  You can eat, cook, and bake with virtually every apple.  Some people are much more picky about the type of apples they use for pies versus apples they use to eat as a snack.  I worked for a fruit farm for just shy of a decade and I would use all the apples we grew for anything and everything I wanted.  It is true, some apples are softer than others and it makes the homemade applesauce smoother but I think a lot of your choice in apple is based on your own personal tastes and desires for you food.

Anyway, we've been eating apples like crazy. Sliced apples with peanut butter, apples with cinnamon in oatmeal, and Ben's favorite, apple pie.  We've even been sharing with our neighbors.

I made my dough using our food processor, my favorite kitchen appliance, and had that sit in the fridge while I hand peeled the apples.  Again, the food processor helped cut the time as I used the slicing disc to get thin and even apple slices.

Our apple pie turned out pretty tasty.  You can check out the pictures below to see for yourself.  Not the most beautiful pie I have ever seen or made, but it sure hit the spot as the cooler fall weather hit Michigan.  It was the perfect dessert to end our homemade chili. The Michigan apples tasted even better with some Michigan made ice cream from Hudsonville.

The recipe I used is from the Food Network.  I followed this recipe for the most part, I might have added a bit more cinnamon, but it is a nice, easy to follow recipe that doesn't require a bunch of stuff that I normal don't keep stocked in the house.

Happy dabbling!

What Could Possible Make Mondays Better?

Happy Monday!  I know, I know, who could possible say Happy Monday?  That's a phrase to that will get you just as may dirty looks in the office as "Looks like someone has a case of the Mondays".  If you're like me, I'm sure you have a list a mile long on reasons why Mondays stink more than Limburger cheese, but why should that stop us from enjoying even just the smallest amount of Monday? 

One way that I have found to make my Monday mornings a bit easier is to have a wonderful breakfast.  Now when I say breakfast I'm not talking about whole wheat toast, bacon, eggs, hash browns, and a side of pancakes and I'm not talking about a bowl of cereal either. I mean, we don't need to get up any earlier than we already do to face our week of work.  I'm talking about my newly dubbed, Breakfast Biscuits.

Breakfast Biscuit is really just a sneaky name for a Snickerdoodle cookie.  There is nothing that puts a big smile on my face than a warm cup of coffee and a cookie for breakfast! A sweet treat always makes my mornings that I dread, like a Monday, so much better.  Now please don't replace your healthy breakfast every day with a cookie.  Continue to eat your fruits and veggies! I'm not condoning dessert replacements for every meal, just once awhile as a treat.  Even when I have a Breakfast Biscuit or two, I still have a banana and some yogurt. 

I love cooking and baking for the same reasons I love making ceramics.  I love the repetitive order that is needed to make a creation.  The mincing of ingredients and the kneading of dough can keep me thoroughly engaged for hours.  The repetitive tasks that I have to complete put me in a mental state of constant reflection.  Depending on how I feel or where my emotions are at, I can be reflecting on my third grade experience as a student or the job interview I had the day before. No matter where my mind takes me, I always enjoy the peaceful, quietness of my kitchen, the time I get to my thoughts, and my ability to stay in the present. 

Now that I shared my little secret of my occasional Monday indulgence, you are probably continuing to read through looking for a recipe.  Well folks, I do a very poor job sticking to a recipe. In fact, that is the one thing Ben dislikes when I cook. The food might be great, but if I'm always changing it is never the same dish and Ben tends to like the tried and true. So if you're looking for a the exact recipe I started with click here, or you can continue to scroll down and check out the small modifications and changes I made to the recipe try that out.  

I hope your Monday rocks and the day goes by fast.  

Happy dabbling!