It's the morning before the afternoon apple picking. I'm sitting side line with Annette and we are talking about our families and life. I share our afternoon orchard plans.
"How many apples does your family pick?" She knows we are a family of a half dozen.
"Oh lots, at least 10 pounds," I reply thinking I had nailed my off the cuff estimate.
Later that day as we weigh our apples on the outdoor scale the orchard has set up amongst rows of apple trees, I realize just how far I had underestimated that amount.
Um, yeah.
Make that more like over 60 pounds.
The following Sunday morning I hang my head low. "Ah, Annette, I was so off on that ten pounds!"
We laugh. She's known all along I was wrong.
One of the things I really love about such a good friend is they can take everything in stride and still make you feel like a rock star.
So, now the question becomes: What to do with over 60 pounds of apples? Because I can't make sauce out of it. My mom graciously made us enough homemade applesauce to last through the winter.
What to do or make? So far we have answered that with:
numerous fresh apple snacks
15 loaves of apple bread (for us, volleyball coaches, cross country coaches, teacher's assistants...)
2 pans of apple crisp
1 large pan of baked apples
1 creative addition to a crock pot recipe
1 go of apple dumplings
1 dozen apple muffins
What else? We've got plans for baked oatmeal with apples, some apple cobbler idea, apple pancakes, and at least another dozen apple muffins. And maybe, just maybe, a pie if I get brave. I've never made an apple pie before, but I'm pretty sure I have enough apples...
~ Dorie
