I can't believe it's been over 2 weeks since I've written in this blog! The school/work schedule has kept me runnin', in more ways than one. I have been very grateful for the Jewish holidays, (altho' our school only gave us 1 day off last week, and then this Thurs. coming up.) Have to be back on Fri, then off Mon. Isn't that crazy? Why can't they just give us Fri. off, too, since most of the kids won't show up anyway and the teachers won't really do a full teaching day, due to that, and give us a 5 day weekend. Would that kill anybody?
DD, Little Sir and I had a glorious day on our day off, apple picking. We crammed so much into that one day, but it was absolutely worth it. We went to our favorite apple orchard, White Cap Farm, which belongs to the Milk Pail's Halseys.
After picking (and eating!) our favorite varieties, we headed back to the Milk Pail. They were just making fresh batches of their incredible apple donuts, so, of course, we bought a bag. We also got a few gallons of their fresh pressed apple cider and amazing cheddar. DD liked the softer one, and I love the hard, sharp cheddar. Both go great with fresh sliced apples. We also bought something new, an apple cinnamon maple syrup, with a cinnamon stick floating in it. I can't wait to try in on apple-stuffed french toast. Mmmm.
We enjoyed some apple-peach cider and warm apple donuts in the car on the drive home. (Little Sir ate 3! Guess he really worked up an appetite.)
I went back to work refreshed and feeling like I could deal with all the stresses there again.
I've also noticed that Little Sir has been happily eating those apples. He was never great about eating fruit, but since he picked these, they seem more appealing to him. Nice perk.
Happy Autumn, everybody. Enjoy these beautiful days ahead, luxuriate in the foliage, and bask in the sunshine while you can, before the daylight hours shrink down too low. I feel like making a happy little pumpkin arrangement. How 'bout you?
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6 comments:
What a nice post :-) So refreshing! I have been feeling yucky, so I haven't had the pleasure to appreciate the fall and all of it's beauty yet.
As life has gotten busier, I am making a conscious effort to get out of doors during daylight hours as much as possible. I find it helps my mental outlook a lot! I park farther away from the buildings at school, make my schedule so I have to walk back and forth between buildings a lot, that sort of thing. It really seems to be making a difference! And, for some reason, the clouds seem to be particularly interesting these past few weeks. Even the kids have been remarking on them.
you should try Pumpkin Apple soup. If you need a recipe let me know... SOOO YUMMY!
It is also a well known fact (atleast in the agriculture education world - that kids who grow their own food in a garden tend to eat what they grow!). Kudos to you for being a good mom!!
Thanks, 'Tash...
:)))
And yes, I'd like the recipe.
Pumpkin Apple Soup
In the spirit of the season, here’s a great recipe!
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 pounds pumpkin puree, fresh* or canned
(Note: if using fresh, purchase a “cheese” pumpkin from your local farmstand)
5 cups of chicken stock
¼ cup white vermouth or dry sherry
(note: we recommend the sherry)
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
(note: we used light cream – still tasted great!)
pinch of mace
2 medium tart apples (Granny Smith, Pippins etc)
(Note: Of course, NY apples would add a great local flavor to your dish!)
*To cook fresh pumpkin or any winter squash, rinse shell well and slice crosswise to form halves. Scoop out seeds and strings. Place fresh side down on a heavy-duty baking sheet. Cook in a medium oven (350 degrees) 1 hour or until pumpkin is fork tender. Scoop out flesh and puree in a food processor, blender or food mill. It is now ready for addition to your recipe.
In a medium soup pot, sauté onion in butter 3 minutes. Stir in flower. Add pumpkin puree and stock. Add optional vermouth or sherry at this time. Add apples, peeled, cored and sliced with pumpkin puree. Cover and simmer until apples are soft, about 30 minutes, then add spices. Add bourbon, whiskey or brandy.
Combine egg yolks and cream. Spoon a little of the hot soup into the egg-cream mixture (note: this will prevent coagulation of the egg mixture). Return mixture to the soup and blend. Heat soup until hot but do not allow to boil.
Makes 6 servings.
Mmmmm. Sounds yummy. Great for cold weather dinners!
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