Comfort Me With Apples

"Comfort me with apples..." Song of Solomon

Eating with the seasons has become a theme for me. Peaches in peach season. Plums in plum season. And Apples in apple season.

'Tis apple season in these here parts!
Now that's sure to bring on the AUTUMN SPIRIT.

That means that soon and very soon I'll be eating my mother-in-law's apple pie. "Mama Tiny," as she is known, makes the best apple pie ever. Maybe I can talk her into sharing the recipe with us and maybe, just maybe, she'll let me video her while she makes it....I'll start begging today and see where I get.

I bet you didn't know that Georgia has "Apple Alley." It's a short stretch of highway in the northern part of the state that has apple stand after apple stand, apple farm after apple farm. It's in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The area provides the perfect conditions for apple growing. Apples like cool nights (me too), warm days (me too),  adequate rainfall (me too), and lots of sunshine (me too). Maybe I'm an apple.

There are two varieties of apple I hunt down each year at the apple farm.
One is "Mutzu"; the other is "Arkansas Black."
Those types aren't available in the grocery store.

In my book, apples should be
fresh,
firm,
crisp
cold.
Or left alone.

Other than "straight up," my favorite way to eat an apple is stuffed with peanut butter. That's from girl scout days "on the trail." We'd core the apples and stuff the middles with peanut butter. These days I just slice the apples in big chunks and spread crunchy peanut butter on the top. It's a great after-school snack for my daughter.

My next favorite way to eat an apple? Baked with cinnamon. Smells like Autumn and tastes like Autumn.

Here's a quick and easy recipe to enjoy those autumnal globes.
It only takes 5 minutes in the microwave. Now that's quick.

Five Minute Orange Cinnamon Apples (for 2)

2 apples, cored and peeled
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
optional: golden raisins, chopped pecans
4 Tbsp. orange juice

Here's what you do:




1. Peel and core apples.



(The peeling and coring part of the recipe takes longer than anything------)







2. Place apples upright in a small microwaveable dish.

3. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, raisins and nuts.

4. Pour 2 Tbsp. orange juice over each apple.

5. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.

6. Microwave 5 minutes.

7. Before serving, spoon liquid over apples.








This simple apple dish is GREAT with vanilla ice cream in the middle. They are also a delicious addition to your morning oatmeal, just chop them up and throw them in. They aren't overly sweet, though you can add more sugar if you like--then they are more of a dessert.

RUNNING UPDATE:
I still haven't recovered from my Shrimp and Grits Challenge---still sore. I hurt in places that never bothered me before, like my knees. I swear, I think people recover from marathon runs quicker than I have from that. Oh well, 'Tis life. They are in better shape.
I tried to run yesterday and couldn't make it far. I even wrapped my legs with Ace bandages. Kinda looked like a mummy.

(Hmmm....I was looking for a Halloween costume for a 5k run through a cemetery on Halloween. Maybe a mummy would suit me well as this rate. I could wrap my whole sore body. ha.)

My 4-mile Challenge Race over-the-river-and-through-the-woods is this Saturday (is that tomorrow?! oh my!). I'm looking forward to that crazy race. You know me. My biggest concern is what to wear. I'll get muddy and dirty and wet, so that limits it for sure.

The race is close to apple country. Maybe I'll go apple pickin' before I head home.
If I can move.
On second thought, nah.
I'll just stop by one of those road side stands down Apple Alley on my way back home.

And as we say down here in Dixie---Happy Fall, Y'all!