The dear lady who writes wisps of words posted a lovely blog today which echoes my feelings about this time of year. It's such a cozy time of warmth in the home, a pulling in and gathering in preparation for the winter season, oven meals and thick soups which seem so delectable now, and even a pan of Apple Slices that I couldn't keep myself from sampling earlier today.
As you can see, I wasn't the only one sampling.
Speaking of apples, even though we've had two frosts already, the forecast for this coming Tuesday night is for it to get really frigid. So on the schedule for tomorrow afternoon is harvesting all our apples.
We've been sampling them for what seems like weeks now and saying they need "just a little more time." Well, time has run out and we can't dawdle any longer. It's time for all apples to be gathered. Our small orchard of the dwarf trees has produced abundantly and a couple of our big trees have some apples, but not many. Friends of our daughter's have offered us as many apples from their large, old tree as we want so we'll be in their yard tomorrow gathering some of that bounty.
What will we do with the apples? Make a lot of applesauce as we've been plumb out for well over a month now. Daughter wants to try making some juice/cider, we'll eat out-of-hand the best tasting ones, and of course there will be the occasional apple pie, apple crisp, pan of apple slices, etc. during the coming months.
What a glorious time of year. Candles, quilts, nights before an open fire reading a good book while sipping a warm drink. As words of wisps says, this is The Season of Quiet . . . and rest and enjoyment and visiting around the harvest table.
Addendum: I've posted about my Apple Slices before here on my blog and if you're interested in seeing the original recipe (as some of you here in the comments have indicated), go way down on my right hand side bar to the Search box and type in "Apple Slices" and it should take you to posts wherein the Apple Slices have been mentioned. Scroll down to the post dated October 12, 2010, titled "Only Because You Made Me Do It" and the recipe will be shown there.
A year or so ago, even though the crust in the original recipe was good, I finally gave up on it because it was so hard to work with and roll out. I started using my regular pie crust recipe and feel it's just as good.
This time around I simply used my pie crust, about 10 apples (they weren't too large), added 2/3 cups sugar (apples were a tad under ripe), and a rounded teaspoon of cinnamon. Much simpler and just as tasty.
Thanks to you all for your interest.
20 comments:
Oh I have my cozy spot on the sofa for reading, writing, and watching TV. One year I froze apple slices for making treats thru the winter. Blessings to all, xoxo, Susie
Hi, Susie - Thanks for commenting. There seems to be so much one can do with apples. Dried apples are good to snack on and I cut them up to put in granola, too. Don't know if you could tell from the picture I posted of our couch, but it has a chaise lounge on the one end and that's where I'm most comfortable . . . with my legs stretched out in front of me. That's probably because I got shorted in the length of leg department and my feet don't reach the floor when sitting in most chairs! Have a wonderful week!
In our more temperate climate there is not really a quiet season – plus I have a teen in high school. But this is still my favorite season!
Your apple slices look like the apple bars I make. My Mom always made them, and now I make at least 1 pan every fall. Friends and relatives remark how my mom would make them, and I like that!
The "Quiet Season"... I like that. Actually, I always look forward to a slowing down, and to those special days when one just must stay inside. Your apple slices look delicious!
It is coming! Quiet tonight and cool again. Thankful for tomato red pepper soup with some leftover lamb shank tossed in .
The season is coming.
I so agree, a season of quietness, people, and nature rest rejunvinate. Soups, baking, candles...oh for the love it all.
I made and canned nine pints of applesauce last week too except I had to buy my apples. I was going to make bean or minestrone soup for dinner yesterday but the temperature went up to 80! What the heck?!
I agree with above, dehydrate some slices. You can package them up later for stocking stuffers!
Thank you for the "Blog Shout Out," Dear One. _You_ understand about how to sink into the warmth and coziness of Winter Home, for sure!
Pan of apple slices! Encased in pie crust, yes? Maybe just put apple slices, on a crust... Sprinkle with some sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cover and bake...? Please do tell us the real way to do this!!!
Hope you get all those apples in.
I so ENVY you, a hard frost!!!! -sigh- We need one, so badly. Everything has stopped growing anyway. Well, all but tuberous begonias. They seem to be determined to keep on being lovely, up until the very last minute. -smile- But food growing is done.
Need a hard frost, to kill off the nasty little things, which waft through the air, and cause sneezing and coughing. Grumble-grumble-grumble-
Happy Hibernating!!!!!!
🔥 🏡 📚 🔥
Well, I do have to say that you take cozy to a new level. You are the Queen of Cozy, my dear. I think I will ask for an entire pan of your apple slices as my last meal, when I won't give a hoot about GF! Sending you and the Peas loads of warm hugs... xo
what a great post! I'm very cozy here waiting for a contractor to come and install a new floor while it is 24 degrees out! with the Colder Weather the last day and a lot of wind a lot of our leaves started really coming down. there's snow forecast nearby in the next day or two since a big cold front is swooping down from Canada. Stay warm!
Wisp of words is a wordsmith as I was once.
I think of winter as a time to rest your weary head as the bustle of the other seasons have worn you down. My grandmother used to tell us of wrapping apples in newspaper and placing them in a barrel to eat fresh most of the winter. Every week they'd unwrap each apple to check for rot. The ones that started to rot or get spongy were converted into yummy for desserts. The "laborers" were rewarded with a fresh apple to eat as they rewrapped each apple and put them back into the barrels. The papers from the spongy or rotting apples were placed beside the wood stove. As these papers were burned, the whole house smelled of apples. My great grandmother would throw little bits of cinnamon sticks in the fire also to freshen the air.
Winter is the time spent in a cocoon of warmth and rest awaiting the spring to be reborn. Cockeyed Jo
If you had a Foodsaver you could just peel the apples and the bag them and freeze them until you need them for pies or whatever. This is not a spam. I'm just saying since I got mine I've been able to store and save so much money. Apple fritters are making me want to go pick a few from my neighbor's apple tree and make them. This time of the year is sooooo nice.
After spending the morning raking leaves and then soaking in a nice warm tub, I am relaxing on the couch with a quilt on the cushions. I have a pretty crochet blanket over my legs. Warm knit leggings along with a soft warm sweatshirt feel especially nice today. It is indeed autumn!
Just what the doctor ordered for you ! rest and relaxation after all the hard work in the garden this year. well deserved. Will of the Wisp got it right. Smart lady!! The apple squares look so good. Your dwarfed apple tree are quite bountiful. Seems like a good year for them. Could you tell us the receipe for the apple squares? xo
Michelle - Sorry, dear, but I laughed out loud of your mention of having a teen in high school. Oh, yes, I do remember those days!
ytsmom - What a lovely tradition to carry forth! I remember when a bakery in the neighborhood I grew up in made them every fall. That was a treat.
Hill Top Post - Papa Pea and I said almost the exact same thing today, how we are looking forward to having to stay inside. Ah, bliss! Except for those days when it takes us four hours (or so) to plow, shovel and clear all the snow!
Goatldi - Oh, oh, oh! Your tomato soup sounds WON-derful!
Faith - All the things you mentioned are why I love this season!
Katie C - Your temp went up to 80 yesterday! Oh, that's not good. Dehydrated apple slices to put in Christmas stockings . . . what a good idea. And healthy, too! Wonder would like some left out for him instead of a plate of cookies? I know his reindeer would munch on them!
wisps of words - Oh, yes, the pan of apples without the top crust would be good, too. Sort of like a French Apple Pie.
We got ALL the apples in today . . . and boy howdy, was it COLD out there. But the deed is done and none will be harmed by the dip of temps into the low twenties tomorrow.
Check out my Addendum added to this post to find the recipe if you wish.
Susan - Well, the tears have started again just reading this comment from you. Your post today was beautifully written and, of course, with your wonderful sense of humor thrown in. I don't know how you do it, but you make so many people smile even when delivering such sad news. Please know all of us are with you in thought.
Nancy - You've been having colder temps than we have already! We did have a little bit of snow flurries today but nothing amounted to anything. Stay cozy and warm . . . and get that bathroom finished!
J.L. Murphey - What a great memory of your grandmother and the apples. I can't imagine going through all those apples once a week but it must have been a labor of love and darn good way to insure the family had the nutrition of the apples for many months!
Leanna - We're fortunate to have a jim-dandy root cellar where our apples (and other goodies) keep well through the winter. But we do sort through them periodically as you know the old saying about one rotten apple! I've never personally made apple fritters but they've always sounded very good to me. Hmmmm, there's a first time for everything . . .
Elizabeth - Oh, your description of coming inside to a warm bath and then time snuggled on the couch . . . you have no idea how much I could have used that today after our harvesting apples. Didn't ever look at the temperature but we did see a few snowflakes and the day was totally overcast so that my hands got so cold they almost hurt. I just love descriptions of coziness and warmth and relaxation at home as you described!
Lynne - Please see the Addendum I added to the end of my post for a way to see the original recipe for the Apples Slices and how I made them this time. Happy autumn!
laurie - I may have started an Apple Slice epidemic. I was telling a friend about them yesterday, she went home and made a pan last night. Got an e-mail from her first thing this morning saying how wonderful she thought them to be. 'Tis the season for all things apple, methinks!
Mama, My grandmother was born in 1899 and raised her children (all 12 of them)through the Great Depression. My mother lived the worst portion of her teenage years during WWII in Japan. Their stories and journals keep me on the right track in striving for self sufficient. A lot of valuable information was passed down to me, my children and eventually my grandchildren. While the powers that be may not agree with their canning and preserving methods, I'll stick by their family knowledge. 200+ years of experience can't be all wrong.
Hello, came over from Wisps of Words blog. Loved reading all of this! Your life has similarities to ours, watching the weather and the deer, fighting plant disease, and all the other joys and challenges of country living. I am going to try that apple recipe, it looks delicious.
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