A Storm in the Morning

We awoke to lightening brightening up the bedroom this morning, early, around 5 AM. 

Next thing I knew... the wind was blowing hard, and rain was hitting the windows.  Keith had gone into the spare room, and told me afterwards that all three dogs were with him... I'm sure they got nervous with the storm. 

Here's what we saw when the light came up: 

and from below: 

Somehow, the glass topped table did not break. 

By the HEALTHY, younger walnut tree next to the old henhouse, a whole ring of branches came down, as if a giant had reached up with his penknife and made a semi-circle cut. 

I'm hoping we can load these all in the back of the GMC and take them to the brush pile at the bottom of the pasture. 

Of course, the tree we always worry about, the very old walnut tree with the hollow trunk... dropped nothing but a few walnuts.  

It was our gigantic old maple with it's soft wood that shed so many branches, here seen as I walked across the yard from getting the paper. 

(Yes, those are MORE branches down on the ground on the right).  

The camera was fogging up... but these guys watched from the pophole while I did the outside waterers.  Then I brought them into the yard for the morning and part of the afternoon.  While Keith is gone to the grocery store, they are back in the pasture for a bit.  We feel better when they don't have a twelve hour run of the henyard. 

This, folks, is a two duck-egg snake. 

Ask me how I know. 

(and he was BIG) 

And yee ha, let the Fall Baking Begin! 

Apple crisp made from our VERY OWN APPLES this morning! 

The first of many, we hope. 

(Pinterest)

Apple Crisp for a Fall Day

Another gorgeous fall day, one day short of official fall!   84 degrees out there now, but the wind is blowing and it provides relief, almost too much!

 

Tonight I go to see and hear Joel Osteen with my friend Valerie, at the Sprint Center.  We have been planning this since mid-summer, when Valerie and I were co-workers.

 

But this morning, I put a great stew in the crock pot to cook during the day, and then, after having breakfast with my three cousins... came home to make apple crisp, from a recipe found on Grit in my email.

 

For this apple crisp, I used apples from a bag of windfalls given to my neighbor Kathy by a friend the other day. 

 

It is more of a crumble than a crisp, according to the Grit blogger (and of course I did not write down the name again).

 

If you notice, I used the apples even if there were bruises on them... just cut them out.

 

In one bowl combine: 3/4 cup sugar, (1/2 white and 1/2 brown), 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 2 tbl. flour

 

 

In another bowl combine:  1 cup flour, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 cup cugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter straight from the refrigerator, not soft.

 

Use pastry cutter to turn this mixture into crumbles.  Put bowl with crumbles in the refrigerator.

 

Peel and slice 8 large apples, making the slices fairly thin.

 

(I used 8 smaller apples, because that was what I had for the 9 x 13 glass dish I was using).

 

 

Coat bottom of glass 13x9 pan with non-stick spray.

Layer apples and sugar/cinnamon mixture, repeating till full.

(I just mixed them all together with a stir of the spoon)

 

Put the crumb mix that has been in the fridge on the top.

 

Bake at 375 for approximately 40-50 minutes.  Put foil on top of the pan after 15 minutes so it doesn't get brown.

 

(I cooked mine for 40 minutes, and put foil on it, it came out like this:)

 

 

I literally almost didn't get a picture of it!  Not only did the house smell heavenly, but Keith and I were both hungry for something sweet.

 

I admit that I usually bake apple crisp from a kit for speed's sake, but wow, this was excellent, very easy to make, and tasted.... creamy, that's the only way I can describe it.  I'll have vanilla ice cream and whipped cream on hand when I make it again!