It's Apple Season

Apple Crisp (recipe below)

We spent some time Sunday picking apples from the trees at our new cabin.  Thanks to the agility and strength of our nimble 9-year old son, we were able to collect quite a few without even dragging out the ladder.

He stood on branches, hung from branches, and shook branches until we could reach the apples from below...

...or until they fell down to the ground, sometimes clunking us on the top of the head. (It's amazing how much that hurts!)

We don't spray anything with pesticides, and no one had pruned or fertilized these trees for many years, so the apples are not aesthetically pleasing.  However, they taste great, and we're saucing and juicing most of them anyway, so the appearance doesn't really matter.

All of the bruised and fallen fruit went to a good cause too.  As soon as we approached the pasture, all of our goats and sheep came running.

Unfortunately, they do not have top teeth, so it takes them quite awhile to consume them, but it's rather humorous to watch.

Because it's apple season, it put me in the mood to make some green apple scented soaps in a fall theme.  I'm thinking that some teachers might receive a fragrant surprise this week. 

But what my family wanted most of all was my steaming hot apple crisp with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.  So we had it after dinner tonight, and I share the recipe with you.

Apple Crisp

(adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book)

Core, peel, and slice 6 medium apples and place in a Pyrex baking dish.  Sprinkle with 3-4 Tablespoons of granulated sugar.  Combine 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup unbleached flour (sometimes I use whole wheat), 1 tsp. cinnamon, and a dash of salt.  Soften 1/2 stick of butter and add to the mixture until it is crumbly.  Sprinkle the mixture over the apples, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, or it's great plain!  This feeds the seven of us, but barely.

Have a wonderful first day of fall, everyone!