Apple Picking Time is Here Again

 It's that time of year again!
(This is one of four large baskets full of apples from our solitary McIntosh tree.)

It was a fun Sunday afternoon task, requiring three different ladders and still having to abandon some apples that were too high on the tree to reach. Eventually they'll fall and the deer will eat them. That's okay. Most of the ones we picked will go into the dehydrator, after giving a few bags to new neighbors.

It's a very busy time for us, which is why I've not been blogging lately. Between two places, Wausau and Dallas, we've got lots to get done. So right now it seems like we have two homes. Oh. Make that 3. The other day when I mentioned that we would be 'going home,' Henry said, 'You mean to Menards?'  OK, Smartypants! LOL  Yeah, right now Menards and Home Depot are kind of our homes away from home!

"For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope." - from Jeremiah 29. 

The sermon today was about the lost coin and lost sheep and lost son -  from Luke 15. 

https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/homily/a-coin-a-sheep-a-son/5264/

I posted this photo (above) before, but I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be part of a worship service and stand with an entire congregation reciting the Nicene Creed. It is a real blessing. But of course we can't stay here (Rice Lake) forever, and eventually we will be finding a church in Wausau.

Fall has arrived at the backyard pond garden.
Look at God's marvelous work in Creation!

Morning fog over the creek,
from the porch

 Four boxes containing washed and ready-to-go canning jars to go to our daughter-in-law.
54 quarts and 43 pints, with more to go later. It's part of my downsizing project, of which you have already heard far too much, so I'll move on.

 One of my favorite corners
Our Amish neighbor's barn across the road
You may have already seen this photo on my Instagram account:
@cranberrymorning
Feel free to join me there for daily photos. Posting photos daily is lots easier than writing a blog post, believe me. LOL

And although Henry's cows were in the bean field yet again,
he has since managed to finally contain them with some extra wire and a few huge tires leaning up against the shed. It works. Well, except for the little ones who simply walked UNDER the fence (a different spot) the other evening to get out. Mr. C. didn't bother to tell Henry but simply put the little rascals back in and fixed the fence. Now THAT's a good neighbor!

And did I care if Henry's cattle got into the bean field? Of course not. I thought it must be quite an adventure for them. But realistically, the man who rents Henry's land and put in the bean crop wouldn't be very happy if all the beans were eaten or trampled, now would he.

 September 8 sunrise.
from the top of our driveway.
Awesome skies always fill my heart with joy and praise to an awesome God.

***

On to work on the Wausau house:

 This is the song that never ends...
(but actually, it should be ended by Tuesday of this week. It's been a huge job, laying all that floor tile, and Mr. C. never complains, although laying 18" tile on a floor that's not always perfectly even is a job that requires lots of patience and skill, neither of which I possess, but which he possesses in great abundance. Thank you Lord!)

Right. My job was to stand on the ground and catch the apples and to fret and scold Mr. C. for standing on the very top of a very tall ladder. He just laughs. I told him I wouldn't visit him at either the hospital or the morgue. His response?
Well I'm sure you know.

Anyway, I hope you all had a blessed Lord's Day and found (or remembered) a great many things for which to praise our over-the-top-loving God.

(I did, and especially after the apple picking task was over and Mr. C. was safely on the ground again.)

But I do sometimes ask God why oh why he doesn't make Mr. C. listen to reason.


 ***

May God bless you,

Apple Pie Bars Recipe

Apple Pie Bars Recipe:

15 x 12 x 1 jelly roll pan. Oven preheated to 375 degrees.

This recipe originally comes from Taste of Home, but I think there just wasn't enough crust to completely cover the top. SO, I increased all the crust ingredients by 1/4 (reflected in the recipe below.)

Crust Ingredients:

5 c. all-purpose flour 
1 1/4 t. salt
1 1/4 t. baking powder
1 1/4c. shortening
5 egg yolks
2 1/2 T. lemon juice
10-12 T. cold water

Filling:
7 c. finely chopped peeled apples (McIntosh, preferably!)
2 c. sugar
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. ground cinnamon
Dash nutmeg

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut in shortening until mixture if very fine crumbs. (I used my KitchenAid food processor and pulsed it about 20 times. Perfect!)

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, lemon juice and water; gradually add to flour mixture, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide in half. Chill for 30 minutes.

Roll out half the dough and place in bottom and sides of jelly roll pan.

In large bowl, toss the apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spread over crust. Roll out remaining dough and lay it over top of apples. Crimp edges, cut slits in top.

Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and you see bubbling apple juice coming out of the slits. Remove from oven. Cool on wire rack.

Opinion:  These were delicious!! I loved having the egg yolk in the crust, and I think the apples make the pie, so I'd recommend McIntosh. Of course, I'm slightly partial to our little McIntosh tree in the back yard!

One more thing:  Apple pie, the round version, is lots easier because you have a smaller amount of dough to work with at a time, especially the part where you have to lift it from the counter and move it over to cover the apples. Trying to lift and move a 17 x 12 inch rectangle of dough without tearing it is nearly impossible (in my experience.)

McIntosh in our yard

Round pie: Easier, not necessarily prettier. I guess I could carve a nice design in the crust, rather than just poking slits. I learned that it takes a dozen McIntosh apples to make the apple pie bar recipe, and it takes 8-9 McIntosh apples per 10" round pie. All that apple peeling, especially because my fingers don't always cooperate, is lots easier with this indispensable little gadget. It peels, cores, and slices!

Back-to-Basics Apple Peeler Corer Slicer

***

Buy Any Five, Get One FREE

'Frosted Apple Spice'

Natural, Handcrafted Vegan Soap

With real apple peel!

(from that McIntosh tree)

...and more! Check out all my handcrafted soaps at

HomemadeSoapNSuch

and at

Our ETSY Shop 

This post may be linked to one or more of the following: Mop it Up Monday  and Mosaic Monday and  Get in My Tummy and  Cure for the Common Monday and  Clever Chicks Blog Hop and  Barn Charm and  The Marketplace  and  Mix it up Monday and Make it Pretty Monday and    Making the World Cuter Mondays and Make the Scene Monday and  Something I Whipped Up Monday and  Motivate Me Monday and  Making Monday Marvelous and Get Your Craft On and Efforts and Assets and   You're Gonna Love it Tuesday and Knick of Time Tuesday and  Creative Showcase and Memories by the Mile and Crafty Texas Girls and  Tweak it Tuesday and  Coastal Charm Tuesday and  Take a Look Tuesday and  Tasty Tuesday  and Love Bakes Good Cakes and Mom on TimeOut  and Adorned from Above and Wildcrafting Wednesday and   Cast Party Wednesday and  We Did it Wednesday  and Whatever Goes Wednesday and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and It's a Party at Creative Princess and Artsy Corner Thursday  and The Girl Creative, Thursday and  Creative Things Thursday and Be Inspired and Time Travel Thursday and Thrifty Things Friday  and  Friday Fences and  Thursday's Inspiration and  The Self-sufficient Home Acre and  I'm Lovin' it Thursday and Creative Things Thursday and   Mandatory Mooch   and Foodie Friends Friday and Freedom Fridays and From the Farm and   Anything Blue Friday and Junkin' Joe and  Serenity Saturday and Get Schooled Saturday  and Inspiration Friday(ThursNite) and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Photo Friday and Share Your Creativity and   A Favorite Thing Saturday and Sunny Simple Sunday and Sunlit Sunday and  Market Yourself Monday and  Saturday Nite Special