Where Did We Go Wednesday? Gilby's Apple Orchard

There is still time to do apple picking in Minnesota if you are looking to enjoy this fall activity with your family. We went picking in early fall which yields different varieties of apples that are available in later fall. We had gone to Gilby's apple orchard in Aitkin Minnesota while we were up North for Labor Day weekend.

At this apple orchard you can go on a hayride, Venture through a corn maze, feed the chickens, pick your own apples or buy them pre-picked, do a ninja course and get your picture taken at lots of different photo opportunities.

Hot Apple Crisp

Chances are you are either going apple picking or happen to have access to apples in your own yard or from a friend, in which case this becoming a very frugal dessert that serves 8 people.

Hot Apple Crisp
6 C baking apples, peeled and sliced (I used MacIntosch)
1/3 C flour
1 C old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 C butter, melted

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Place apples in a buttered 9x9 baking dish
• Combine dry ingredients and stir together
• Add melted butter to dry ingredients and stir until crumbly
• Sprinkle crumbles on top of apples
• Bake for 30-40 minutes or until apples are tender
• If desired, serve with whipped cream or ice cream (serves 6-8)
• Enjoy!

Apple Print Kitchen Hand Towel & Loom Knit Towel Holder Instructions

My kids made these for their great grandparents. I like to have my kids make gifts whenever possible so that they are thinking about those special people in their lives.

I bought these very large kitchen towels from Fleet Farm. I had them print (stamp) on only one side that would be hanging out. We picked out 3 different fall colors in acrylic paint and then stamped with apple halves and wine corks (to add a different size and more interest).

I made the loom knit towel holder by casting on 6 pegs on a straight loom for 20 rows and casting off at the end.I doubled up my yarn to make it thicker and more sturdy. A button pretty easily slips through the stitches, so I just tied on in to place where I wanted it and put it through the stitches. To make the loop I used the Clover Wonder Knitter to make the length of looped I wanted. When I was done, I stitched the ends together to make the circle and then I hand sewed the loop to the hanger piece using yarn. I had previously used the Clover Wonder Knitter to make this Skinny Looped Infinity Scarf.

Teacher Appreciation Gift Idea #1: An Apple

I know....An apple for the teacher....How original!?!?!? :)

But seriously, how often do you think a teacher actually get a real apple these days?

Not very, if at all.

We kicked off Teacher Appreciation week this week with an apple for the teacher and wrote on it:

Roses Are Red, Apples Are Too.

I'm So Glad, I Spent the Year with You!

A simple apple, with a paper leaf tied with some butcher's twine. It's a thoughtful and inexpensive teacher appreciation gift. We give their main teacher a gift every day of Teacher Appreciation Week and give one gift to each of their elective class and physical education teachers. So, come back every day this week and find some more ideas.

Clean Eating Coconut Apple Crisp

Clean Eating  CoconutApple Crisp
4-5 med-lg apples (I used Gala). peeled and sliced
1 T ground cinnamon
1 T coconut palm sugar

Topping
1 C old fashioned rolled oats
2 T coconut flour
1 T cinnamon
1/4 C coconut palm sugar
1/4 C unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 C coconut oil, melted

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Mix together apples, cinnamon & sugar, then pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish.
• In a medium bowl, mix together oats, flour, cinnamon, sugar and coconut until evenly combined.
• Stir in melted coconut oil until evenly combined, then pour evenly over the top of the apple mixture.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes. 
• Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
• Enjoy!

Make It Monday: Apple Rhubarb Jam

Apple Rhubarb Jam
3 C apples, cored (3-4 med apples)
3 C rhubarb
2 C white sugar
1/2 C water
2 T red hot candies
2 oz pectin

Directions:

• Process apples and rhubarb in a food processor until mostly smooth
• In a large saucepan, bring to a boil the apples, rhubarb, sugar, water and candies then cook over medium heat for 20 minutes
• Stir in pectin and boil for 5 minutes
• Scoop in to hot jars and seal with lids and jars. Process in a hot bath for 10 minutes.
• Store unopened jars in a cool dark spot, refrigerate opened jars.

Make It Monday: Clean Apple Cinnamon Walnut Oatmeal

Those packets of oatmeal can be very convenient, but they also contain sugar (some of them have quite a bit) and artificial ingredients. It takes just a bit longer for you to make your oatmeal in the microwave using old fashioned oatmeal from a canister and may even be cheaper per ounce. Plus this recipe is going to be a lot more filling.

Clean Apple Cinnamon Walnut Oatmeal
1/2 C old fashioned oatmeal
1/2 apple, chopped
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1 T walnuts, chopped
1 C water

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and still to blend. Microwave on high for 3 - 3 1/2 min. Enjoy!

Make It Monday: Apple Coffeecake

Apple Coffeecake
1 C honey
1/2 C raw suagr
3/4 C butter
2 eggs
1 stp baking soda
2 1/2 C whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 C warm coffee
3 C apples, minced

Topping:
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C light brown sugar

Directions:

• Cream together honey, sugar and butter.  Add eggs and beat well.
• Stir together baking soda, flour, cinnamon, and salt.
• Stir dry mixture in to wet mixture, alternating with warm coffee
• Fold apples in to the batter
• Combine cinnamon and brown sugar and sprinkle topping over cake batter
• Bake at (preheated) 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes
• Enjoy!
• 
  

Fall Bucket List

Click on Photo for a Larger Picture!

I wanted to share this Fall Bucket List that we received in the Early Childhood Family Education class I have with my son. If you liked my 100 Things To Do This Summer List, then you will love this one as well. 

Have a Fantastic Fall!

Wordless Wednesday: Fireside Apple Orchard

Fireside Apple Orchard & Gardens, Northfield, MN

PLEASE CLICK MISTER LINKY & ENTER LINK!!!!

7 Ideas for Clean Eating Snacks

Thanks for checking out my next installment of ideas for clean eating, you can check them all out here:

• 7 Ideas for Clean Eating Breakfast
• 7 Ideas for Clean Eating Snacks
• 7 Ideas for Clean Eating Lunch
• 7 Ideas for Clean Eating Dinner

All of the following photographs are taken by me and are of meals I made in my home.

Idea #1: Stuffed Apple Rings - Kids & adults will both love these and you can find the recipe on Save Green Being Green.

Idea #2: Frozen Fruit & Berry Pops - Another great recipe I have on my blog and another snack that kids love too! As a mom, it's important that my kids like what I am making too because I don't have time/space for multiple meals/snacks.

Idea #3: 1/2 C Cottage Cheese and 1/2 C raw carrots - Super simple to whip together and put in your cooler to take along.

Idea #4: 1/2 C Hummus and 1+C raw veggies - Hummus is very easy to make and require just a few ingredients and you can add a variety of other things to it to change the taste. This is some Kalamata Hummus that a friend (fellow clean eater) brought over for our lunch playdate with our kids.

Idea #5: 1/2 C Hummus and Pita Bread and Veggies - So, here is a another hummus variety; this one is a garlicky hummus. I served this with some celery and pita bread squares. If you have not made pita bread, you have to check out my recipe. It is SO easy! And Tasty!

Idea #6: Protein Smoothie/Shake with Berries - How I make this depends upon if I have time to sit and enjoy it or if it an take-along snack. If I am enjoying this smoothie I will add a cup of ice to the blender as well which helps me up my water intake. What I like about a frozen smoothie over a shake (no ice) is that it feels more like a treat, especially when I use a chocolate protein powder and pair it with raspberries or strawberries. And if I want to pump up the protein some more, plus have extras to share with my kids, I will add in a 1/2 C of plain greek yogurt (which is how it is pictured above) in addition to the berries & ice.

Idea #7: Ants on a Log - Yes, I have kids, so having some clever kid snacks is par for the course. You can use any kind of nut butter you want in your celery sticks, or even hummus works great too. And switch up your "ants", not only raisins work, but also dried cranberries and dried cherries.

Thrifty Thursday: Save Money at the Apple Orchard

I have a few tips on how to save money at the apple orchard, that include:

• Pick You Own: PYO prices are always cheaper than buying them already picked (although many places are not offering this this year due to low production.)
• Buy Seconds: These are the apples that they picked that may not have a perfect apple shape or have some other flaw but are still good apples. In the above picture, the seconds are in the paper bag. I paid $1/pound for seconds they picked compared to $1.80/pound of preferred apples they picked (which is what is in the plastic bag.)
• Buy a Tarter Apple: People prefer sweeter apples when they are tasting them and people are willing to pay more for a sweeter apple (which is usually about 10-30cents/pound price difference), but if you are baking with the apples or making applesauce or making apple butter you will be adding sugar and tart apples work great, so save yourself some dimes.
• Ask about buying them in bulk if you are planning on doing quite a bit of preserving or if you have a friend(s) who want to split a bulk buy with you.
• Ask a Friend Who Has Trees To Come Pick: This year we didn't really have any apples due to the late frost in the spring, but we normally encourage friends to come get apples from the trees because then we don't have to pick them from the ground before mowing. So, it can be a win-win situation.