A day in the life of us....: Summer Apples

You know you are in Kodiak when....

When traffic reports are replaced by the FISHING REPORTS
The water on the floor mat in your car is frozen
You automatically remove your boots when entering someone's home
You use flat-rate priority mail boxes more than envelopes
In Winter, you know who is taking their Vitamin D and who isn't
If you don't already have auto-start on your vehicle, you wish you had it
You know what a Coastie is, and it doesn't mean you live near the beach
You know what Xtra Tuffs are, and you have some
You have to do the Kodiak Stomp before entering a store
Just because you have a ticket to fly, doesn't mean you will actually leave that day--"weather permitting"
It's cheaper to buy DVD's than to have cable TV
Store clerks actually wish you a "Merry Christmas"
You hear people complain about having to drive "all the way to the other side of town" (10 minutes)
Traffic congestion is 3 cars at an intersection
Your car doesn't have a chance to warm up before you arrive at work
When looking out the window is more reliable than the weather forecast
You go to work, church, and shop with the same people
Driving a rusty car is "no big deal"

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Summer Apples - Oh, Boy!

I love apples. My favorite pie is apple.

Today, I was invited over to a family friends home, Paul and Sena, to pick some apples from their tree. The tree was loaded, unfortunately, many of the apples were higher than our ladders could reach.

The plan is to dehydrate some for school snacks this fall, and bake a pie or two, and leftover pieces will go into an apple cake and/or applesauce.

The applecake recipe I have is from an old schoolmate. It's been a terrific recipe to use up apples that aren't as crisp as they could be for eating--kinda like making banana bread out of brown bananas. But, you can still use fresh apples. The applecake smells wonderful, and is a nice breakfast cake. We've taken it to church a few times in the past, and it was well-received. Here's the recipe:

Applecake

4 cups diced apples

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs beaten

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Combine first four "wet" ingredients, and let sit for a few minutes. The sugar will bring out the moisture from the apples and make it a little wetter. Combine the dry ingredients in a different bowl, mixing well. Combine the wet and dry ingredients well. Place in 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cool completely, then cut.

-Lori