Annual Apple Night at the Homestead

Annual Apple Night

It was that time again.

Apples from our small orchard were dropping,

and dropping,

well, you get the picture.

So, we invited all the friends we have in the world over

(not really, it just sounds fun to say that)

And, they peeled, juiced and otherwise had a fun time

making apple filling for pies.

Our elderly couple supervised

One young fella ate apple peelings like he would spaghetti

He certainly kept us entertained.

I wonder how his stomach felt after a while.

The kids had a rousing game of capture the flag,

a birthday celebration for a 12 year old,

and a fun night for all.

Many hands make light work.

Thanks to you all.

There are still apples out there, if you are interested....

P.S. I couldn't have done it alone without the help of my daughter,

she is, by far, the BEST organizer.

Apple Pie in Grandma's Skillet

I have to tell you that when I first saw this picture

I was intrigued.

Iron skillets are one of those necessary items that live in your cupboard 

and don't come out unless invited.

They do cook wonderfully,

but I guess they lack the shiny, sparkles of stainless steel

and the warmth of pottery.

Anyway, on to the pie.

I saw this pictured at a gathering/retreat not long ago.

So, I "googled" it

and came up with this.

I tried to make it actually according to the recipe,

but my old nature came out and I had to 'tweak' it some.

When we (me) make apple pie,

a cup of sugar is not enough

(probably because I overfill the pan with more apples than it calls for)

but, this recipe calls for 3/4 cup...

I did not take into account the 1 cup of brown sugar that goes into the bottom...

and... I did not use refrigerated pie crust (mainly because I didn't have it)

To make a long story shorter, it turned out fabulously (is that even a word?)

Apples, peeled with my trusty peeler.

Seasoned with sugar and cinnamon and ready for the pie

The bottom crust is put over the brown sugar/butter mixture at the bottom of the pan,

Then you add the apples...

Then the top crust. To be frank, at this point, it looked so ugly...

But, I persevered, and added the egg white wash to the top and sprinkled with sugar.

Ready to bake at 350' for an hour, then shield it with foil

and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Mr has mentioned several times that it is the best pie he ever had...
that makes me wonder how he "suffered" through all those other pies.