It is the eve before Thanksgiving. My bags are packed and placed at the front door and I my heartbeat quickens with anticipation. I am going home. I couldn’t be more excited.

As I lean in to close and lock the drafty window above my bed I notice that familiar scent – of pies being baked – that floats up the interior courtyard of my apartment building. A bouquet of apple, pumpkin, sweet potato and pecan tease me as they gently crawl up the curtain of my bedroom window. The aroma is so alluring I am tempted to stay and beg the family in 5F for a dinner invitation. But I have a train to catch and I have somewhere to be.

I spent last Thursday in Hampton Bays in the home that I was born and raised with family, friends and food. I was also lucky enough to get a glimpse into another very special family – The Halsey Family – who have lived (and farmed) in these parts for over 350 years.

Halsey Family Apples - an antiqued photo

With my belly full from my large thanksgiving feast (two feasts actually – we ate twice!) I ventured East to the area known as Mecox, in the town of Water Mill, in the heart of the Hamptons. This is not the Hamptons of bikini bathing suits and summer houseshares. This is the Hamptons that I know. A Hamptons filled with fields of grapes and green pastures, of open skies and orange pumpkins, of farmers markets and fruit stands – and of backyards filled with apple orchards and peach trees.

I spent a few hours of my Thanksgiving weekend at The Milk Pail Family Farm & Orchard which has been under the watchful eye of the Halsey family for generations.

The Milk Pail Country Store in Amagansett, NY

Over 30 years ago, The Halsey's ran a Dairy & sold milk at their farm stand, hence the name, The Milk Pail

U-Pick pumpkins and apples in Fall

Driving down the long and windy Mecox Road – lined with farms and fields, and bordered by corn crops and pumpkin patches – I feel a sense of provincial peacefulness as I arrive at #723. The grit and stress of those NYC streets are both a distant memory now. As I walk up to the house, along the stone steps, I am greeted by the newest and youngest member of the Halsey family – a blond haired and blue eyed little guy named Will. Will is only 14 months old but – as the 13th generation in a family of farmers – he is already taking a liking to the outdoors, just like his mother, Jenn Halsey.

We wave goodbye to Will, and Jenn takes me on a gentle drive through her 20 acres of apple trees as we chat about apples and about family life on the farm. In the US there are over 100 varieties of apples that are commercially grown and New York State is the 2nd largest apple producer. The Halsey orchard is filled with a small but well chosen 26 varieties. All of the apple trees here are semi dwarf trees reaching only about eight feet in height – perfect for apple picking – no ladders are required! And at 5′7″ I could eat apples for days without ever going hungry.

It is a windy and rainy day and off in the distance the water level from the picturesque Mecox Bay is rising as we ride along. Jenn and I retreat inside the country store to warm up and to get a glimpse of the fruits born from these orchards. A sea of apples in every variety – sweet, crisp fujis and tart, juicy Jonagolds - are propped up and packaged in small white bags with a handle atop. Perfect little briefcases of Braeburns. Everywhere I look are apples in every form imaginable; homemade apple crumb pies, freshly dehydrated apple slices, jugs of apple cider by the gallon and apple cider donuts sizzling hot and fresh, just out of the fryer. Biblically speaking, apples are a symbol of temptation. They remind us of the innocence we once had. They are also that perfect present for your favorite teacher. They are wholesome, hearty and sweet – just like the Halsey’s.

Perfect little briefcases of Braeburns - and peaches too!

I am standing in the most coveted corner of the country store where I am put in charge of monitoring the apple cider donut making process – a fairly simple process where donut mix is blended with apple cider instead of water to give it that unique flavor. Simple or not, the moment that delicious dough hits the hot oil, the chimes on the front door of the shop begin a continual track of music as customers come running to my corner to collect their hot, fresh treats. I feel like the most popular kid in the class as the donut hungry shoppers glance through the glass window to get a glimpse of me and my donuts. Although I am sure that between the two of us – the donuts definitely win the prize.

Apple Cider Donuts

Almost ready...

Time to eat!

In between the ringing chimes and the rush of customers – and off in the corner by the the Granny Smiths and the Golden Delicious – I can hear Jenn and her sister Amy discussing plans for Amy’s upcoming wedding. They’re so busy they didn’t even see me sneak a nibble of a donut – hot out of the fryer. This is half the fun of my job. The pace is steady but slow inside this little shop: the 40-year old donut machine continues to drop perfect rings of dough into the boiling hot vegetable oil and the girls continue to chatter about the upcoming nuptuals – both filling the shop with a sense of sweetness. And I realize… the lines between work and family are blurred here – and that’s the way the Halsey’s like it.

The Halsey’s have been farming for over 350 years on this land. Generations #11 and #12 – John & Evelyn Halsey and their two daughters – all live within 20 paces of one another on the orchard. It seems as if everything they need is only steps from their back door. It makes me think about my own far and wide search – when sometimes what I am looking was already within reach.

I have traveled the globe in search of new friendships, when my very own sister is a 50 minute train ride away. I have looked for wisdom from my neighbors who pontificate on the stoops below my building, when my own wise aunts and uncles are just over the Brooklyn Bridge. I have sought the solace of a father figure when my own father is only a phone call away. I even ask netflix for advice on which films might perfectly fit my personality, when my very own brother-in-law always seems to know better. This gets me thinking – about my efforts to Google every answer to every question when my own unlived life awaits. In fact, maybe everything I need is right in front of me – just waiting to be harvested.

Of all the things I experienced in my day on the farm, I am most awed by the process by which apples are transformed into apple cider. Red, ripe and perfectly round apples are hand-picked, washed and ground – seeds, core, stems and all – into a mash or pulp called pomace. Layers of apple pulp are wrapped up by hand like christmas presents, packaged in cloth and placed between metal racks – 13 layers in all. A hydraulic press squeezes down -  2,200 pounds of pressure per square inch – and the juice flows free. It takes alot of apples – about 36 – to create just one gallon of apple cider.

With my hands still scented with the sweetness of those cider donuts – and as we are layering and pressing the apple pulp – I learn that apple cider is essentially apple juice that is unfiltered so it retains all that apple-y goodness – course pulp and sediment included. Most juices also add additional water and other ingredients to maintain a lighter flavor and a clarity of color. Trust me, once you taste the rich and hearty taste of apple cider – watered down juice will simply not suffice.

Pure, unadulturated, unsweetened, unfiltered, undeniably good apple cider is born. But 2,200 pounds of pressure is a significant amount of stress on those sweet shiny apples. Which gets me thinking about pressure and how much of it we place on ourselves and on our loved ones.

I sometimes seek a stress-free life. In the past, when my friends and family would place demands on me I felt weighed down by the pressure of those obligations and responsibilities. But as I watch those 2,200 pounds squeezing the life from those apples, and I taste the sweet apple cider that results – I am reminded that in order the get to the good stuff – those deep and meaningful relationships – sometimes we have to endure a little pressure.

In apple cider making – much like in family life – even though it might sometimes feel like you are being squeezed by a force of 2,200 pounds, you have to remember – that’s how you get to the juice. The Halsey Family knows this well.

My afternoon is winding down. I covered alot of acres and learned alot of apple lessons today. And although those apple cider donuts are calling my name, there are thanksgiving leftovers waiting for me from my own family. But the next time you find yourself way out east on the end of that very long island you must promise me you’ll swing by The Milk Pail, say hello to John, Evelyn, Jenn, Amy and little Will - and stay for a while. You will surely satisfy your craving for fresh squeezed apple cider, hot apple cider donuts and for family-time too.

————————————————————————-

A little Seinfeld apple/farm reference – watch the first 2.5 minutes!

I love that time of the afternoon on a warm fall day when the sun begins to set. The waning rays of sunlight stretch so far across the horizon that they have a way of making everything: the grass, the trees, the changing leaves, look illuminated from the inside. Like the color saturation knob is turned up full blast right as the sun departs.

I found myself last year at this time of day in the middle of an apple orchard with my very favorite 4 year old, Aela. I had been feeling particularly down that week and for some months prior and I thought apple picking, fresh air and some fresh cider and donuts could easily bring me out of my slump. Though my companion that day was only 4 years old I recall one of my favorite memories of her in that orchard and her imparting a strange wisdom to me.

Once we had jumped off the back of the wagon that brought us to the trees I found it funny that Aela, wasn’t overly concerned with picking fruit. After a trip back and forth to the basket she was more content to find a nice shiney apple and sit next to me on the side of hill and look out across the brimming sunset. She talked to me then about what she wanted to be for Halloween. I assumed I’d hear about an anticipated princess or mermaid costume. She instead told me that she would be dressing up like God. Hmmm? I thought. Aela went on to tell me that she thought God was a girl (I assure this is her own belief and not her parents.), that she wore very pretty dresses, and that sometimes, though it was sad for us on Earth, this party dress clad diety called people to live with her in Heaven in her big beautiful house.

I liked how simply Aela described life, God, and that somehow in her short 4 years she already knew the importance of not picking as many apples as one could, but to instead sit and admire an orchard at sunset and appreciate a finely ripened fruit. I think we learn lessons all the time from all sorts of people whether or not we want to. So to celebrate the end of apple picking season, and to commence Thanksgiving week here is an apple pie recipe, to remind us all to take a slice of life and to slow down and enjoy the sweet things.

This recipe comes from The Taste of Home Cookbook, and was submitted by Mrs. Woodrow Taylor.

German Apple Pie

Crust

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c shortening (somtimes I thrown in some butter with this

1 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp ice water

Combine flour and salt and cut shortening in with pastry blender.  Add vanilla and water.  Kneed with your hands once dough forms a ball.  Roll out to about an 1/8 ” thick.  Using a rolling mat will make rolling your crust to the proper circumference.  It also makes transferring your crust to a pie dish easier because you can just throw your arm underneath the mat and flip it into the dish.

Patch any rippsin your crust by pinching small pieces off the edge.  Pinch the edges of the crust to flute.

Pie

1 c sugar

1/4 c flour

2 tsp cinnamon

6 c Apples, peeled and sliced chunky 

1 c heavy whipping cream

Combine sugar flour and cinnamon.  Sprinkle a layer on the bottom of the crust, layer sliced apples.  Sprinkle sugar and repeat.

Drizzle heavy cream over pie.  Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 an bake for 50-60 minutes.  Apples should be tenders.  Cool on wire wrack, and store in the fridge.  

Its typically suggested that you use tart apples for apple pie.  Honestly I’ve made this pie countless times with sweet Macintosh apples, and this time in particular I used granny smith.  When I used sweeter apples I found any excuse to dig into a slice of pie.  With the granny smith I found I enjoyed the pie most with a scope of ice cream.  I think all dessert is better a la mode, but the tart apples were best complemented with a scoop of Butter Pecan.

This week will bring biscotti, and the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had– from the master herself Martha Stewart.

Tomorrow kicks off the 1st Annual Foodbuzz Featured Publisher Festival in San Francisco.  I can’t wait for this exciting event and I am thrilled to meet the other 249 food bloggers, taste delicious food and enjoy beautiful San Fran.

Enjoy your weekend everyone and I’ll be sure to post about San Fran and the Foodbuzz Festival next week.  In the meantime, take advantage of this beautiful fall weather and explore the outdoors with pumpkin and apple picking.  Here is a useful website to discover a farm near you.

Check out www.pickyourown.org for local farms to ‘Pick Your Own’ in your area.

West Coast…Here I come!

All right so I know I’ve been slacking on my post but hopefully I’ll get a little more consistent.

My husband signed up to run the Blue Ridge Burn Trail Run in Charlottesville, VA so we took that opportunity to have a fun-filled day trip. We started our morning off with the race, and husband did a great job. He placed 3^rd in his age group and was also awarded “furthest distance traveled” to the race.

After the race we went over to Carters Mountain Orchard to pick apples. I had never picked apples before but it was a blast! They had warm apple cider and apple donuts to warm you up. After stuffing our face with pure yummy-ness we were off to walk around the Orchard. We mainly focused on picking Fuji apples, since they are our favorite. Luckily, they had JUST opened the Fuji section of the orchard that weekend. So we had a fresh apples and an untouched section to choose from. We only got a dozen since there are only 2 of us to eat them, but they were so good we finished them in a week!!

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the day. See more pictures from that day here!

 

Autumn Tree, originally uploaded by jchin1.

Amanda and I went apple picking last weekend. It was a great Autumn day, and the leaves on the trees were perfect. On the way out of Hartland Orchards in Markham, VA – I snapped a pictures of this perfectly orange tree at the top of the hill with a clear blue sky as the backdrop. Check out all the pictures in my Apple Picking set on Flickr.

As I grew up in California, I had never heard of apple picking before. I overhead two of my Massachusetts friends talking about it and I was utterly confused by the concept. My response was “you go to pick apples?” They replied “yea, it’s awesome.”  I was shocked that it was actually an activity. Last week, my friends and I drove to Smolak (or Smokylak, as I like to say) farms.  I’ve finally realized the greatness that is apple picking… or the greatness that is apple cider and donuts…

Today we picked apples up at the orchard, and I felt like a world war two land girl! The kids attempted to help, and we attempted to encourage them by singing a song!  The apples will be taken over to Five Penny farm  to be juiced and bottled. I’m looking into how to make Cider Vinegar too. This wonderful stuff has eased my poor ol’ achin’ bones, and I swear by it…. recommeneded reading; Margaret Mills Cider Vinegar.

AFTER APPLE PICKING             by Robert Frost ( 1914 )

My long two-pointed ladder’s sticking through a tree
Toward heaven still,
And there’s a barrel that I didn’t fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn’t pick upon some bough.
But I am done with apple-picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.
I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight
I got from looking through a pane of glass
I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough
And held against the world of hoary grass.
It melted, and I let it fall and break.
But I was well
Upon my way to sleep before it fell,
And I could tell
What form my dreaming was about to take.
Magnified apples appear and disappear,
Stem end and blossom end,
And every fleck of russet showing clear.
My instep arch not only keeps the ache,
It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.
I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.

And I keep hearing from the cellar bin
The rumbling sound
Of load on load of apples coming in.
For I have had too much
Of apple-picking: I am overtired
Of the great harvest I myself desired.
There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall.
For all
That struck the earth,
No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,
Went surely to the cider-apple heap
As of no worth.
One can see what will trouble
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.
Were he not gone,
The woodchuck could say whether it’s like his
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,
Or just some human sleep.

Elinor has been faithful in rendering each day of our trip, but I felt that I ought to take responsibility for October the Seventeenth, as it is, after all, my birthday.  Rather than attempt to recall it from several days’ distance, I shall simply transcribe my journal entry, as I set it down that morning and evening. You will note my affinity for parentheses; I apologize in advance.

“Today is my twenty-sixth birthday.  I think I cannot possibly be so many years, when I still feel so unripe and life’s possibilities are so utterly untested.

This frosty autumn morning is made to order for my delight, and when I woke in this quaint room at Twin Maples, my eyes went right to the window, where a sunrise was giving the sky the tint of a bowl of peaches.  I suppose I was too sleepy still to enter into morbid philosophizing, as I am more than apt to do on birthdays, and so the sunrise meant nothing but Beauty, changeful but constant as I know and love it to be.   Next I observed a small assortment of presents at the foot of my bed (wrapped in colors and papers which just suited the setting and thrilled my aesthetic sense no end), and Elinor sat by as I opened them in bed, feeling very luxurious indeed.

I will dress and go downstairs to a farmhouse breakfast, and then my best friend and I are off for autumn adventure–there will be painting, poetry, and apple-picking!

9:15 PM:  This has been a glorious day, truly.  At breakfast we had the serendipitous pleasure of meeting the other guest at Twin Maples, a middle-aged woman who turned out to be German, and when she mentioned this fact, I mentioned my love of Rilke…Well, she laughed and swept aside the morning paper which lay over her own well-worn volume of his poems, and it was immediately felt that we were all three kindred spirits brought together by Fate (“Call it Italy if it pleases you, vicar.”).  Breakfast was a delight, the morning was mist and gold, and I felt already that the day would be a peculiarly blessed one.

Our first stop on a startlingly beautiful drive was at the very top of Mount Sugarloaf (What an unfortunate name for a landmark, really! Who can take seriously a Mount with a name like that??).  The view in all directions was nothing short of spectacular–the river shone a true ultramarine, the greens were all veridian, and the reds and oranges were aflame (“You may never know what scarlet and crimson really are, until you see them in their perfection on an October hillside.”).  Elinor took photographs while I painted in my field journal, and then we went apple picking at Red Apple Farm.  We picked and climbed and talked and laughed and soaked up a season’s worth of autumnal bliss.  We lunched on cider and flame-grilled turkey leg, we had cider doughnuts and apple dumplings, picked a pumpkin and a whole bushel of apples, and left with a load of maple syrup, apple butter, and beautiful memories (immortalized in photographs in Elinor’s case)…

I forgot to mention that before going to the farm we stopped to pick up my birthday cake (which Elinor ordered from the world’s best bakery) in Turner’s Falls, a town which looked like it was left over after Frank Capra built it for a film set.  I fully believe in the mythical American Main Street now…

A leisurely drive with one more intervention of fate (which took us by an antiquarian bookshop where I got my hunted-for Frost poems) eventually led us back to Twin Maples, where we had pumpkin maple cheesecake, tea, and more delightful conversation with our hostess and our new poetic friend.  They all even sang before I blew out my candles.  Altogether a lovely day that promises a rich and lovely year.”

Over the weekend, my husband Dustin and I (and our doggie of course) decided to go camping down on Lake Patagonia. It was so nice to get away from technology for awhile and just spend some quality time together.  On the way back we drove up to Wilcox to pick some apples at an apple orchard and had the best apple pie ever!  Here’s some pictures from our weekend.

What did you do over the weekend?

]]> http://hawon.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/traffic-ticket/ Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:07:54 +0000 Hawon http://hawon.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/traffic-ticket/ http://goodnsimple.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/the-apple-series/ Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:21:30 +0000 clairezee http://goodnsimple.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/the-apple-series/

For the past 3 years, I have gone apple picking just outside of Chicago.  This was the second fall that I visited the orchard with my boyfriend, Chris.  The weather was perfect for our drive as we headed northwest of Chicago to Cherry Valley.  Our apple picking was successful as we walked away with about 30 pounds of apples between us (and some apple cider donuts homemade at the orchard).  My goal the past few years has been to find creative uses for all of the harvested apples.  This year I want to share some of the recipes I have made that incorporate apples.  First, here are some photos from our day at Cherry Valley Apple Orchard (Thanks, Chris!).

Well my weekend was filled with fun…particularly today!

Saturday morning, I woke up and went for a run on the treadmill since it was raining outside and I am sick.  I wanted to run between 5-8 miles; however, it was pretty tough for me to run 5 miles.  So obviously, I stopped there.  These were some slowwww miles.  But at least I got myself moving again after being sick this week.  I came back to some delicious breakfast.

Oats with milk, raisins, dates, bananas, cinnamon, and honey.  So delicious.

I spent the rest of the day reading.  It was so hard to read though because I kept getting headaches.  Boo to being sick.

Later in the night, Todd called me up and we decided to get dinner at a small Italian restaurant in the city called Porcini’s.  I had been there before, but it has been a few years.

Todd & I polished off a couple of baskets of bread, per usual.  I started off with a grilled squid and octopus dish in a lemon vinaigrette.

Was okay.  I thought there was way too much dressing on this.  I would have preferred just fresh lemon juice.

For my entree, I really wanted their homemade Spinach Tagliatelle with Jumbo Lump Crab Meat, but I had both nights prior to Saturday night, so I decided that I should probably switch it up.  Instead, I went with the Balsamic Chicken.

I thought that this was okay too.  Nothing to write home about.  The potatoes were actually really, really good.  Too bad there were only a few!

Todd & I shared Tiramisu for dessert…one of my favorites.  This was pretty good!  I loveeeee Tiramisu.

SUNDAY was the best day of my weekend.  I woke up and went out for my long run.  I was thinking that I’d be happy if I completed 8 miles considering the way I’ve been feeling…although I really wanted to run more like 12-13.  On my way out the door, Todd told me to just do my best and go for it even if I have to walk it.  Well he might not even remember saying that because he was half asleep, but it really helped me and encouraged me to go out with a bang.  I ended up running 12 miles.  Although they were not the fastest miles ever, I ran them.  It was also SO BEAUTIFUL outside.  A perfect fall day.  I’m praying that I recover this week for the big TWENTY next weekend!!!!  Can you believe it??? Then it’s already Taper Time.  This is Crazy.

Todd took me out to brunch this morning at a place that he passes on his way to work.  A friend of his recommended Todd to take me there.  It was called Terrain at Styer’s.  Their menu constantly changes so the menu on the website is different than what they had when we went.  This place was so neat.  It was a big place with lots of different plants, flowers, pumpkins, fruits, books, cookbooks, soaps, candles, EVERYTHING.  Really cool place.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was pretty cool too.  The ground was dirt and it was located in a neat little Greenhouse.

Hi…

Hi Todd…

The brunch menu was pretty small and had only 4 items.  However, the lunch menu contained many more items.  I was in the mood for breakfast though & so was Todd.

I started off with a glass of Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice and Todd ordered a Pumpkin Spice Latte (or something along those lines).

I love fresh squeeze o.j.!  I also ordered a cup of Green Tea.

For my meal, I ordered the Oatmeal with Pears & Maple Syrup.

I thought that this was really good.  Although it did not taste like typical oatmeal, nor was it the consistency of regular oats.  I’m thinking there were some egg in there or something?  It was rather custardy I think.  There was also a TON of maple syrup.  I loved the maple syrup in there but I think there may have been just a little too much.

Todd ordered the Pumpkin French Toast.

Todd’s was SO GOOD!  I think I may have liked it more than mine.  It was made with Callah Bread.  It was so light and fluffy and pumpkiny.  Really, really incredible.

We obviously hated our meals…

I loved this little place and definitely want to go back soon.

The area we were in was very nice as well.  Todd decided to show me where he works since I had never been there.  For those of you who don’t know, Todd works for a Mushroom Company called To-Jo Mushrooms.  He has lots of responsibilities but is mainly works in Marketing and Sales.  He loves his job and I can see why.

Todd showed me his office…

The test kitchen…( I would have a ball in here)….

We walked through the Mushrooom Factory (I guess that’s what it’s called) too!

There were SO MANY mushrooms!  They looked really good too.

It was freezing in there and I had to wear a hair net.  haha.  I was surprised about how big the place was.  I was also surprised to see so much work being done on a Sunday.

Here are some To-Jo Trucks!

hahaha I loved going for a little tour.

After that adventure, we went Apple Picking.  I guess we waited too long or something because I was very unsuccessful….

Todd tried really hard, so he was a little more successful…

We both ended up filling up our bags with Apples from the bin that they had provided.  I guess they realized that they would not have many happy customers since their trees were way overpicked.  What a bummer.

It was still fun to spend some time outside though.  And we got to go on a little ride on a tractor.  We also saw goats!

My favorite goat… hahah…

We ended our fun-filled Sunday at the Flyers game.  They lost.  They played horrible.  But we still had fun!  This was my first game of the season so I really enjoyed being there.  We shared a big order of Chickie’s and Pete’s French Fries.  These are the best!  They load them with Old Bay Seasoning and have cheese to dip them in.  Love them.  I also got a soft pretzel.  Love them too.

My cold is still bothering me a lot.  It’s really giving me a headache.  I need to get better!!

I have a VERY long week ahead.  I will be working everyday all-day in the classroom and then I will have class every night until late.  That and a LOT of homework to be done.  I can get through it!

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

Hello everyone!  Today is such a beautiful day outside, is it not? This morning I woke up feeling better than I have been feeling- still not 100%- but well enough to crank out my 14 miles.  I decided not to go to the NCR trail and just to run around the streets surrounding my school- I actually ended up picking a very awesome (yet very hilly) route!  I would absolutely do it again  My avg pace only ended up being 8:54/mi and even though I am clearly not thrilled with that pace in the least bit I was not worried about how fast I was running throughout the run at all. I knew I was feeling sick and so I decided to just take my time and enjoy the run as best as I could.  And I honestly did enjoy the run- it was too beautiful outside not to!  Next saturday (halloween) will be my longest run yet- 20 miles!  So on Friday I will go home to philly (get dinner with my sisters and parents or something) and run with my sister on saturday….. and then I will come back to baltimore to celebrate halloween with my friends!!! (we are being nerds ) The marathon is quickly approaching and I am getting sooo excited…and nervous too!  After next weekend’s 20 miles- it is time to taper down!  woot woot

I came home and had my very first bowl of overnight pumpkin oats- and let me tell you- this was AWESOME!  I added lots of spices in the morning which really brought out the pumpkiny flavor of it.  It was so creamy and pretty much hit the spottttt.  If you have not tried this- please do so ASAP.  that did not quite fill me up after the run- so I had a piece of cinnamon raisin ezekiel bread with pb and ab on top.  plus some grapes  hey- I am a hungry girl haha

1/2 C oats, 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 C pumpkin, 1/4 C plain fat free yogurt, 4 dates (chopped), with banana, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, a few chopped walnuts added in the morning

and then…. my friends and I went pumpkin and apple picking!! so much fun!  after we were done picking we went back up to where the bakery and farm market was.  There was tons of venders around- for food, face painting, etc.  I got kettle corn- yummyy.  on the way home- we stopped at Panera for dinner- always a good decision in my book- i got black bean soup and a mediterranean veggie sandwhichhhh. Here are some pictures of the day:

the roommates :

and then there is joe with his farm animals

I had to teach my spinning class tonight- I chose the playlist Lovers in Japan

songs # 1,2, 15, & 16 are for warm-up and cool-down

Okay—time for physics, microbiology, and Calc homework- let the week begin.  Hope you all had a nice day!!

-Christina

There’s no better fall activity than apple picking. It’s a quintessential autumn activity. Lucky for me, Kyle and I picked the perfect sunny, cool day to do it in. We went to a lovely little place, Shelburne Farm, in Stow, MA—they had pumpkins, apple cider, floppy-eared bunnies, and kettle korn. What more could you ask for. It was a wonderful morning, and we walked away with an enormous, overflowing bag of gorgeous apples—every shape, size, and kind. Afterwards, we swung by Concord Center, another one of my favorite places, for a little antique fabric shopping…

  (Turns out, these old fabrics were quite appropriate for this week’s apple-picking-inspired ninepatch)

 …and lunch at Walden Grille. The day was going perfectly, until I suddenly realized during the carried home that my slouchy knit beanie was nowhere to be found. Maybe losing a hat isn’t such a big deal to most people (and most hats) but, to be honest, I was heartbroken. In the couple short weeks that I’d had that beanie, I’d really fallen in love. We called the restaurant, the farm, the antique stores, and then drove back and searched around ourselves… nothing. I’ll admit I was more than a little grumpy. But, rather than let this mishap totally ruin the rest of my day, I did something about it. That’s right, in one single afternoon/evening, I re-knit the entire hat. If this sounds crazy, well… it probably is. But I felt a million times better when it was complete.

 Probably looks like exactly like it did the first time and that’s because it is exactly the same. But having to re-knit this hat raised a good point. My working process is usually as follows: get an idea, start stitching/sewing/knitting/cooking without any steadfast plan, improvise as I go, achieve a respectably high rate of success, then find myself unsure whether or not I will be able to reproduce my results. Interesting… and sort of a problem when I do want to reproduce them. Luckily, I managed to figure out the hat again, and this time you’d better believe I wrote down what I did. I’ve also decided to share this simple pattern with the masses. It’s very straightforward but with some creative yarn/color choices, you can make yourself a totally unique accessory. I love these slouchy beanies because they keep you warm, but they’re casual and stylish enough to wear indoors as well. So, here you go…

            SLOUCHY BEANIE

                        Note: I’m including instructions for my color scheme in [] but feel free to use whatever color combos you like, alternating every four rows, every other row…  or maybe not at all. I used Heirloom Merino Magic yarn from Australia, but most worsted weight yarns will do- just check your gauge. While it doesn’t matter if the body of the hat is loser, you don’t want to the rim to be too baggy (or tight).

            Yarn

• Four colors of a lightweight wool or cotton yarn [Green (A), Purple (B), Orange (C), Red (D)]

            Gauge

• 5 sts/1 inch on size 10 needles

            Needles

• 16″ circular needles, size 6 and size 10
•  Double-pointed needles, size 10

            Ribbing

• C.O. 100 stitches to the 6-inch needles [with A]
• Knit a 1 x 1 rib in the round (*K1, P1, repeat from *) until you have completed 10 rows, or about 1½”

            Body

• Change to the size 10 needles
• [Still using A], *K3, inc, into the next stitch, repeat from * until you have completed one row
• Knit  32 rows of stockinette stitch (knit every stitch in the round), or until the hat measures 6″, not including the ribbing [4 rows B, 4 rows C, 4 rows D, 4 rows B, 4 rows C, 4 rows D, 4 rows B, 4 rows C]

           Decrease

• [change to A] *K3, K2tog, repeat from * until you have completed one row
• Switch to double-pointed needles
• *K2, K2tog, repeat from * until you have completed one row
• *K1, K2tog,  repeat from * until you have completed one row
• *K2tog, repeat from * until you have completed one row
• Cut the yarn and pull it through the remaining stitches. Weave in all loose ends.

             I’ve also engaged in some double knitting that was a little less heartbreaking—as in, not motivated by loss. You see, I’ve fallen in love with funnel scarves (again, I really take back what I said about having enough scarves) and after purchasing this one from Madewell in New York

        I decided to create one of my own. So I dug into my stash of Ariosa from that glorious summer that I interned at Classic Elite Yarns, and came up with this:

            Another incredibly easy project…and luckily, I kept track of this one as well. But I don’t want to bombard you with too many patterns in one post, so I’ll hold off on it for now…a little motivation to keep coming back

Pleased with this first funnel scarf attempt, I decided I needed to make another—ideally, one that was multicolored. But I quickly realized that an intarsia funnel neck would only be semi-successful since you’d see through to the carried yarn on the back. Not all that attractive. Here’s where the double knitting comes in. Basically, after scrolling through all the online tutorials I could find, I introduced a new skill to my knitting repertoire: quite literally, double knitting. While the online tutorials are helpful, they’re unnecessarily intimidating, and tend to claim that this is one of the trickiest techniques out there. It’s really not, as long as you keep your wits about you and think about how you’re knitting. The only drawback, as far as I can tell: it really does take twice as long. The bonuses: endless. No unsightly intarsia work on the back, thicker/warmer knitted fabric, and for some reason… it’s just fun. So, here’s what I came up with:

            Don’t think that all this glorious knitting means I haven’t been sewing. Au contraire. Then again, this blog post could go on forever, so for now I’ll just share one of my latest little creations, and save the rest for another day.

            Coming home at the end of a long day is such a good feeling. But I decided it would be nice to have a little something on the door to welcome me back—and to make it clear which apartment is mine for friends who are unable to remember/get lost in the apartment building. There’s no better way to identify my doorway than, you guessed it, a little quilt.

            I’m going to guestimate that this took me approximately 1 hour to make…so try it out yourself!

  Mini Door Quilt

             Materials

• Four 2½” squares cotton fabric, any pattern of your choosing
• One 5½” square fabric for the back
• One 5 ½”square batting
• One strip 2½” x 7″ (can be shorter or longer depending on how you want your hanger to lay on the door)
• One button

             Directions

• Sew together two of the 2½” square using a ¼” seam allowance. Repeat with the other two squares. Press the seams open.
• Sew together these two rows of squares, aligning the seams, to form a patchwork square that is two 2½” squares by two 2½” squares. Press the seams open.
• Make a mini quilt sandwich: lay your backing fabric wrong-side up, your batting, and your patchwork square. Center the patchwork square so there is an extra ½” of batting and backing fabric at each side. Pin the three layers together with four safety pins.
• Sew your button through all three layers at the point where the four top squares intersect. To hide the first knot, begin by pulling your needle through the top layer, then back up through the back. Sew through the button several times so that it is secure. To hide the end knot, you can try knotting through the thread between the back of the button and top of the quilt, but this may leave too much bulk. If so, simply a tie a knot at the back of the quilt, and pull the thread through some of the backing and batting before trimming it.
• Trim away any excess batting so that it is the same size as the quilt top. Fold the extra ½” of backing fabric at each side in half and press. Fold it again over the top of the quilt (so it is overlapping ¼”), press, and pin in place, creating mitered corners.

• Edgestitch around the boarder, as close to the edge as possible, through all three layers of the quilt.
• To make the hanger, fold the two long sides of the fabric strip in toward the wrong side of the fabric so that the edges meet and press. Fold in the short edges of each strip about ½” and press again, then fold the strip in half. Stitch the strip together by stitching very closely to the edge along each short side, and the open long side.
• To attach the hanger to the quilt, simply stitch using coordinating thread. You’ll be able to see the thread on the front of the quilt, but I personally think this is no big deal.

In retrospect, some step-outs might have been helpful for this project. I’ll keep that in mind for next time. Meanwhile, email me with questions!

            Of course, there’s also been cooking…with apples…lots and lots of apples. For starters, I used Warren (my yeast) for the first time on Saturday night to make whole wheat sourdough pizza crust. He didn’t rise quite like I had wanted him too (I told you, Warren is moody) but was still quite delicious. Kyle made one pizza (hot sausages, hot mustard, and apples) and I made another (butternut squash, raisins, broccoli, prosciutto, cheese, and of course… apples). So good. There’s really nothing like homemade pizza.

    I used this recipe from Pizzathepie.com, but substituted whole wheat bread flour for regular bread flour, and upped the honey to more like 1½ tablespoons. My one caveat: be sure that the pizza is relatively thin before cooking (about ½”) and place it on a greased baking sheet—don’t use foil, it won’t come off easily!

            And what other fool could I possibly make besides caramel apple? That’s right, my second time making this as well. So I paid attention.

Caramel Apple Fool

             Ingredients

• 8 small apples, cored and diced (I used a combination of all different types: since they’re all stewed together, it doesn’t really matter. Some might get softer more quickly than others, but you won’t notice in the final stages.)
• 1 cup caramel sauce
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 pints of whipping cream (I like good old Hood®)

              Directions

• Place the apples and caramel in a large saucepan over medium heat until the caramel begins to bubble just a bit, and the apples, and stir until they begin to soften. Add the sugar and stir.
• Turn the heat to medium-low and allow the apple-caramel-sugar mixture to stew on the stove for about 20-30 minutes, or until the apples are very soft.
• Remove the apple mixture from the heat, and allow it to cool completely.
• Once the apples are cool, whip the two pints of cream using an electric mixer (or by hand, if you’re patient!). This goes very quickly if you place the mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer beforehand. Whip until the cream begins to firm, forming stiff peaks as it whips (or, obviously, so it is the consistency of whipping cream). Keep an eye on it and don’t go for too long: you want it to be soft, not foamy.
• Place the whipped cream in a large serving bowl, and fold in the apple-caramel mixture, ¼ at a time. Mix so that it is evenly distributed throughout the whipped cream.
• Allow to cool in the fridge for at least two hours before serving. It only gets better with time (though goes bad after about a week) and usually tastes even better the next day.

            I also figured out a wonderful, quick, weekday dinner: pulled pork and apple polenta. I made it on Tuesday, and loved it so much, I had to make it again on Thursday. Which means, yes, I had to remember what I did. Since polenta is 100 times better when it’s fresh, I’m giving the recipe for one serving, but it can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled, depending on how many you are serving.

 Pulled Pork Polenta

         Ingredients

• ½ cup yellow polenta
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth
• 1/8 cup grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ yellow onion, diced
• 1 small apple, cored and diced
• ½ cup baby carrots, halved
• ½ cup spinach/any leafy green
• ¼ cup pulled pork*
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt to taste

        Directions

• Coat the bottom of a small frying pan with the olive oil, and place it over medium heat. Add the apples and carrots, and cook until they have softened, stirring them continuously. This takes about 20 minutes, depending on how soft you would like them to be. I find it’s nice when the apples still have a little crunch.
• Place the chicken broth in a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat, and cook until it begins to simmer slightly. Poor in the polenta and stir continuously. Add the parmesan while stirring, and add salt to taste (be generous: polenta needs a lot of help to bring out its flavor). Turn off the heat while the polenta is still very soft, since it continues to firm.
• Meanwhile, turn the heat on again under the apples and carrots, and add the leafy greens and polenta, stirring until all the ingredients are warm—only a couple of minutes.
• Pour the polenta into a soup bowl, and form a slight ditch in the middle. Add the pork and vegetable mixture. Eat it with a spoon, and enjoy!

*I love the store-bought kind those plastic tubs, such as that made by Lloyd’s®. But, if you have 8-10 hours   to spare, you can always make your own quite easily. Simply place 1 ½ lbs. of pork shoulder roast, ½ cup water, and 6 oz. barbecue sauce in a slow cooker or crock pot. Cover and cook on medium heat for 8 to 10 hours, stirring every now and then so the pork shreds. When done, stir in the remaining barbecue sauce.

            So, I hope you find these patterns and recipes usual, or inspirational at the very least. They mark a new path in my crafting and cooking career, and I’m looking forward to including even more. I’ve always loved sewing, knitting, and good food, and I look forward to spreading the joy.

What a busy day! Lunch out, apple picking, hay ride, cornstalk maze… gotta get that last bit of fall before it snows! And before you leave.

Apple picking is one of our fall traditions for most of our married life. We have gone apple picking at the same orchard. It is fun to get out with our son and enjoy the time with him doing a family outing. Every year we pick two bushel bags. Some we eat as is and of course my beautiful and talented baking wife makes pies, crisp, and cake. This year our boy has taken to getting an apple by himself, washing it and then sitting down and eating it. He is normal picky eater so this surprised me, he does like apples, but peeled and skin off. It is neat to see him get one himself and eat it, so hope this is a continuation of things to come.

Our local orchard, as most of the small agricultural based businesses, sees a great business this time of year. As the years have gone on the orchard has grown from small basic place to a large store and winery, providing apple wine tasting and market and even a small par 3 golf course. But they still have managed to keep the feeling that we enjoy every year. Below are some of the many pictures we have of our son at the orchard.

My Bride pointed out that I missed these two pictures