apple picking

After several days of unusually hot and humid July-like weather, yesterday finally felt like fall, so we decided to make the most of it by joining some other families in our ward at an apple orchard in Warwick, New York. We picnicked among the apple trees, then set out to pick some apples -- crisp prime reds and mackintoshes -- of our own.

  Don't let his standing fool you. Even though he's proved that he can walk, he still refuses to.

 Even the Johnsons came! It was so good to see their whole clan again!

 Apple cider donuts were a must.

 Our haul.

As you may have noticed, in nearly every photo I have of Caleb on this outing, he is eating an apple. You could eat as many as you wanted for free while in the orchard, and he took full advantage of that. And, since we took home an entire half-bushel of apples, he hasn't found it necessary to stop yet. In the less than 24 hours since our visit, he has devoured about a half-dozen whole apples. And he eats them right to the core. This morning, while he was eating yet another one, Garrett asked him, with a hint of exasperation, "When will you be done?!" And Caleb replied, "I don't know -- when I see the seeds!"

Caleb can't possibly eat every one of those apples himself (or can he?.....) so now it's time to find ways to eat them up. So far I've made applesauce (this time, instead of using the crockpot, I did it on the stove, then pureed the cooked apples in the blender); applesauce pancakes with apple cider syrup (oh my word, this was divine!); and apple cider muffins (which Matthew devoured. By the way, if you make these, consider adjusting the cooking time to 20-25 minutes). Next up will possibly be some baked apple cider donuts and of course my favorite traditional apple crisp (see recipe below). Oh, and caramel apples! Can't forget those! I've even been able to figure out how to use my handed-down apple peeler/corer/slicer, which has made cooking with these apples a lot easier.

Apple Crisp

4 medium crisp, tart apples, peeled and sliced

Place apples in an 8x8" baking dish.

Mix together:

2/3 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup flour
2/3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger

Sprinkle over top of apples. Cook at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Any other suggestions for delicious ways to use up these apples?