Baked Apples

After the long week that we've all endured, I decided I'd put my slow cooker to overuse. I honestly could not muster the energy or concentration to cook anything. I wanted to churn out meals that required as little prep and focus as possible. So, my slow cooker resumed its fixed place on my counter top and I started my week of slow cookery with Baked Apples. I specifically remember Mom making baked apples often during those cool fall days. However, she baked them in a beaten up cake pan in our oven, not in the porcelain pot of an electric … [Read more...]

Fall Harvest Recipes

What do you do when you get back home from an afternoon of apple picking , open the doors to your apartment (or house) and realize that between the pounds of apples picked and sheer girth of the pumpkins you've purchased, you’ve got no counter space left in your kitchen? Sure, you get a rush when you’re actually selecting and picking the apples in the beautifully vast orchard  blanketed with crystal blue skies. However, when you’ve got the filled bags sitting in your kitchen, it’s a little overwhelming. Hoping to put a serious dent in my … [Read more...]

So Long Summer, Hello Whatever-Comes-Next

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart. ~Celia Thaxter  It seems like just yesterday we were kicking off Memorial Day weekend with the traditional burgers-and-dogs barbeque, watching our pale-faced kids enjoy the warmth of the sun and the extra day light hours.  Last night we were doing the same, except we were toasting to the end of Summer 2011 in our fleeces, watching our sun-kissed children roam around in our neighbor’s backyard!  As with the end to every summer, I’m left scratching my head wondering where the time went.  Last … [Read more...]