Baked Apples

I couldn't believe how simple this recipe was to make, and how great the fresh apples tasted! If I would have closed my eyes I would have thought I was eating warm apple pie!

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash and remove the core from the center of each apple. (Make as many or as few apples as you would like.) Take a glass baking dish and put just enough water in it to cover the bottom of the pan. Add 1.5 tsp. of vanilla to the water.

Step 2. For every apple you are going to bake add a tablespoon of butter and two table spoons of brown sugar to a bowl. Mix together. Add ground cinnamon to the taste. Feel free to make it your own, some people add raisins, almonds, or other nuts. Stuff mixture into the apples until it is spilling out the top. Some people suggest peeling a thin layer of the apple skin off so it can absorb more flavor but from now on I will skip that step, I am pretty sure that it added nothing more to the flavor. Sprinkle the water and apples with granulated sugar, cinnamon, and a little nutmeg. Put into oven and bake for 20 minutes with tin foil on, and 20 minutes with the foil off. (Times may very depending on the size of your apples.)

Step 3. Bake until golden brown and soft to the touch. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream of course! Enjoy your delicious autumn treat!

Autumn's Apples

This weekend I spent Saturday with my amazing husband, my helpful brother-in-law, and my sweet grandmother. We woke up early to get a head start on the day. Josh had a little bit of work to do and then we were off to visit my grandma. Thankfully the boys were able to fix her car by putting a new battery in...grandma felt instant relief. We took her out for a pizza lunch date and then off to the orchard we went! It was perfect outside! Not too cold, not to hot, a little sunshine mixed with a few clouds. We grabbed a bushel basket and we went walking in search for the perfect apples. We ate apple after apple, taste testing each kind. We filled the basket with some for everyone. Baking apples, eating apples, big apples, small apples, red, green, and yellow apples. We over filled the basket and the boys had to use team work to carry the basket back to the barn.  Grandma and I couldn't help but look at all the fallen apples... sad we couldn't bring every apple home with us. We all had a wonderful time and I cant wait to try some new recipes with my freshly picked apples. After apple picking we stopped at my friends' grandparents anniversary party. What a wonderful couple married 50 years! I love all couples older than us, we have so much we can learn from them. A wonderful inspiration. After visiting there for a while we went to my favorite place in the whole world! HOME! And no its not my home anymore but it still feels like my home.  We had time to visit with Mom and Dad for a while and then Dad took us to a place not too far from the house to buy pumpkins, squash, and gourds. I wish I would have brought my camera out at this place! The colors were beautiful! Vegetables of every color. We filled the car with all kinds of goodies! When we returned home I was reminded of a wood sign that hangs in my moms kitchen..."A day in the country is worth a million days in the city."

It's the little things....

Every morning I wake up before my husband and look at him, he always looks so darn comfy. Our little baby girl Ginger, snuggles up in my spot when I get out of bed. I do not say goodbye when I leave... I dont want to wake my prince charming he needs his beauty rest. Occassionally, he wakes up and asks for a couple "scratchies" on his back before I go. I almost never have the time.

Everday we call eachother at work, just to catch up... I usually call first and ask Josh if he was still sleeping... he usually says he's awake, but I can tell his morning voice and most definatley he is still snuggled up with Gingy-boo. We call and chat, I offer him support after he deals with crappy tenants and moody homeowners. He offers me terrible adivce about childcare... most often it has to do with a closets and 6 hour time outs...he makes me laugh. We say good-bye, have a good day, and "loves."

When I get home from work I get a hug and almost always a back crack. We figure out whether we are going for a walk with the dog, playing tennis, or skipping everthing. Josh always makes supper. He is an extraordinary chef.  We eat supper and talk about our days, and usually Josh does the dishes. I go upstairs, take a bath, change clothes, and sometimes come downstairs to watch one of Josh's shows. He loves his shows. Other nights I go straight to bed. Either way Josh always lays by me for an hour, helps me unwind by talking about happy things, or figuring out our weekend plans. He tells me I need to go to sleep. I tell him I cant, because I know I already have to be up in 6 hours. He tells me not to "work myself into a tither." I ask him to tell me about our plans this fall, or what his favorite part of Christmas is. He tells me, and makes me smile, he tells me to dream about our decorating the tree. Josh hugs me, tells me goodnight... dont let the _(blank)_ bite (it always pertains to whatever we last spoke about).
I wanted to post this just because I love husband so much. I am almost postive that I have the best husband in the world. He is the most kind, generous, and nurturing man I know. He supports me always. We just celebrated our one year of marriage, but I had been the luckiest girl in the world for over 5 years before that. Somehow God, brought us together and by the grace of God we will be together until we depart. I just want my amazing husband to know that today, and everyday I appreciate everything he does for me, no matter how small it may seem.

Summer is Alive and Well

I have wished about a thousand wishes upon these weeds. They are filled with magic, hopes, and dreams of a youthful summer.

They are a simple reminder of sweaty days, starry nights, and sweet lemonade stands.

Today, they bring pain and misery upon my husbands allergies, sleepless nights of snoring and watery eyes. I long for the days of bike rides, baseball games, and coming inside only after the sun is down. I want to drink from the hose, run barefoot through the grass and catch fireflies tonight. If I were only six instead of twenty-six.

Stop To Smell the Flowers!

Watermelon Summer

Today, the little guy and I did a summer discovery project with a Watermelon. We took the time to play with the whole watermelon, lift it, pound on it, and roll it. After the examining the outside we decided to cut it open!!! What a wonderful surprise! A sweet smelling delicious fruit! I love this photo!

Watermelon Summer

                                                             

Isanti County Rodeo