All Those Apples

So after you go apple picking, you find yourself with a lot of apples! Then you start thinking, what am I going to do with all of those apples? And then you start thinking, I'm going to have to peel and slice most, if not all of them, and that's so time consuming. I still haven't finished that task!

Last week I decided to make cooked apples as a side for our dinner. There's nothing like pork chops and cooked apples. Anyone out there remember The Brady Bunch episode where Peter was a detective and he kept saying "porch chops and applesauce?" Even the writers knew the pairing was a hit. However, I wasn't going to be home in time to actually cook the apples like I normally would so I decided to take it to the grill. Joel was going to grill the chops anyway, so why not get all the dinner on it!

I washed, peeled, and sliced about five apples. You can use more or less depending on the size of your apples. And I used Granny Smith. I think they are the best for cooking and baking. Oh, and let's be honest, I didn't actually slice them. I used my handy slice and coring tool. It's the best tool in my drawer! 

From there, I threw handfuls of apples onto two pieces of aluminum foil. I eyeballed all of the added ingredients which consisted of brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. I then added a couple of pads of butter to each bundle.

Then just wrap them up and place in the fridge until you need them.

I would have loved to show you an after photo, but due to some miscommunication between me and the hubs, the apples never made it to the grill! He thought he I said that he only needed to grill the chops when he asked if there was something he needed to do to the apples. My response to that was, no just grill them. Not sure where the breakdown came from, but he grilled them after dinner and then took some for lunch with the leftovers. I forgot to ask him if they were any good!

I'm going to be sharing my apple recipes so you too can have ideas for all the ways to use your apples, especially before they spoil. Tonight, I think it's either an apple crisp or an apple shortbread bar! 

As they saying goes, "An apple a day."

XO,

Andrea

Fall Family Outing

McKinley came home last Thursday afternoon from school with a low grade temp. By midnight it was 103.5! Yikes! It came out of nowhere. He was home from school on Friday and was a puny little mess. Saturday was much the same. He ran a low grade to semi-high temp all weekend. That is until late afternoon Saturday. His temp was finally 98.6 and it stayed that way through Sunday morning. With his fever gone, and this household being stir crazy, we decided to have an easy going family outing. We packed up and headed to the apple orchard!

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. The weather turns crisp. You finally get to wear all those comfy sweaters. Pull out the edgy leather jacket you've been missing. Oh, and all the boots are on rotation! I can't get enough. But it's also pumpkin patch and apple picking time and we spend all of our weekends doing family fundays. McKinley requested the apple picking outing and we had a blast! Joel had never been and I'm pretty sure he had fun as well. With the exception for climbing apple trees to get the best ones that were hanging out at the top. We found ourselves scraped and scratched, but it was worth it to hear McKinley direct us to the best apples in the orchard. (Note to self, don't wait until apple season is almost over! Or take an apple picking tool with you for those hard to reach fruits!)

Before heading out, I packed us a little picnic lunch. We threw several blankets, the wagon, and bug spray in the car and off we went. What did I love most? Seeing how many families were out there doing the same thing. It truly is a family bonding experience. Here are some pics from our afternoon.

We have officially kicked off fall! What is on your family agenda? Up next for us is visiting Johnson Farms for a little pumpkin patch picking!

XO,
Andrea