It's official. Autumn is here. This is by far my favorite season here in New England. Bright sunny days, cool nights, football, and pumpkins.
This is also the season for picking apples. We ventured out last weekend to pick a bushel and since then I've been baking up a storm. Apple pie, apple crisp, apple bread, apple muffins, the list goes on. My kids love the treats of the season but with 4 kids all going in different directions I don't have much spare time to bake which is why I never want to be without my apple peeler/corer/slicer. It is a major time saver (mine is from The Pampered Chef. Visit http://www.pamperedchef.biz/chefbarbaraf to get your own.). I can get a pie in the oven in under 10 minutes. Some people call it cheating (I'm looking at you, Kri!). I call it keeping things simple. Good things don't have to be difficult to come by.
My favorite apple recipe is my Mom's apple crisp. I'm sharing the recipe with you here. Take a few minutes and make some for your family this weekend. Or if you don't have the contraption pictured above, take more than a few minutes! Either way, you won't be sorry. Enjoy this good. cheating. yum. recipe and happy Autumn to you all!
Mom's Apple Crisp
makes 6 servings
4-5 cups sliced, pared tart apples (I use cortlands)
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mound apples in a buttered pie plate or other baking dish; sprinkle with the orange juice. Combine sugar, flour, spices & sale; cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over the apples. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is crisp.
How are you cultivating peace in your home? Today is the International Day of Peace and the perfect day to talk with your little ones about what peace is, and what it means to them. Unsure of where to begin? Start with talking about what things help to make them feel calm and safe. A wonderful book to introduce the concept of Peace to a young child is What Does Peace Feel Like? by Vladimir Radunsky. Geared towards younger children up to grade 2, he uses descriptive similes and metaphors to explain the essence of the word 'Peace'. "What does Peace smell like? Like a bouquet of flowers in a happy family's living room…like fresh and new furniture…like pizza with onions and sausage.…"
Music is also a wonderful and powerful way to teach about Peace. It can also create a peaceful environment for work and play in your home. Choose music with concepts that discuss peace, friendship, nature, self confidence, and love. Elizabeth Mitchell has a wonderful album, You Are My Little Bird, that encompasses all these topics. Another favorite CD is Playing for Change - Songs Around the World, whose mission is to teach Peace through music.
Talk with your children about the many aspects of peace, and how they involve taking care of our bodies, taking care of others, and taking care of the earth. Peace involves the body, the mind, and the spirit. Happy International Day of Peace!
Meet Nikki Fortier, our Social Media Director. Nikki is a native Vermonter and a graduate of The University of Vermont. Having many years of experience working in the areas of accounting and finance, Nikki is ready to utilize her passion for socializing on a professional level! Nikki loves our motto "Good. Simple. Fun." because as a single mom to four kids, it encapsulates how she's learned to live her life and how she's teaching her children to enjoy theirs. We look forward to reading Nikki's entertaining posts on our social media accounts, including Facebook and Twitter!
