When You’re Hot…

We were sizzling in Washington this past Sunday and our Seattle Sounders were hot hot hot on the field and beat L.A. Galaxy 4-0. I was happy to see that Beckham was back from London.

There were 60,000 people at the game and when we scored the noise was deafening! In other news…

The apples are falling off the tree and I’m slow in getting inspired to do anything with them.

My hydrangeas have really advanced to a deeper color. They are so nice to cut and have in fresh arrangements in the house.

We have cooled down around here today and it’s nice to be more comfortable while working around the house.

While I’m typing I’m watching the U.S.A. vs. Canada Women’s soccer semi-final at the Olympics. What a game! It’s a toss up on who is going to win. I’ll let you find out who does…

Tuesday my 89 year old mom will be having hip replacement surgery because she has been experiencing severe pain constantly for several months now. Could you pray for Nadia for good results from the replacement and a good recovery from the surgery. We are hoping for pain free days in her future. Pray for my dad, Moisi, too. He will be home alone for a while and he’s not used to that.

FFF ~ Lazy Days of Summer

It’s time to visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story and share 5 favorite things from the past week. A good time to reflect on good things in the midst of troubled times around the globe.

1. Laura, Katie and I had a great afternoon at the Sounders soccer game last Saturday. It was good to catch up on what had been going on in our lives.

2. I had to give myself a pat on the back for harvesting the apples off our tree to make some applesauce that I’ll be able to use over the next year for some of our favorite recipes.

3. I’ve also been picking, using and freezing our great harvest of blueberries. I’ve made a couple blueberry dishes in the last week including Blueberry Clafouti.

4. My daughter Katie and I finally took a walk on the river trail. We both needed the exercise and it was a great accomplishment for the week.

5. Enjoying our sweet peas, hydrangea, and lavender blooms in flower arrangements in the home. Lovely!

6. We are finally enjoying sunny dry days that make it seem more like summer here in the Pacific Northwest. This has been a nice relief.

Are you still enjoying your Summer or are you ready for Fall?

Apples to Applesauce…

At first I thought our apple tree only yielded about 10 apples this year but when I finally got the ladder out to pick them I found I had underestimated the yield. I always ignore my apples (don’t judge me). This year I decided to be a good girl and try to use them. Over the weekend I made about 8 cups of applesauce. My first time ever making applesauce. Because one of our favorite cakes is an applesauce spice cake I thought making applesauce would be worth it. I froze it in containers that would be the exact portion for the recipe.

I’m linking up with Carly at Ellipsis for Monday Photo Shoot since the theme this week is Apples.

 

Apple Walnut Crisp…

I went out to my apple tree and picked a few apples…

Then I tweaked a few apple crisp recipes and I’m happy with the result.

Apple Walnut Crisp

Ingredient:

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1-1/4 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
  • 3 cups apples – peeled, cored, then sliced or chopped
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Lightly grease an 8 inch square pan.
  3. Combine brown sugar, oats, flour, nuts, and butter in large bowl.
  4. Place half of this crumb mixture into pan and press down.
  5. Cover this layer evenly with apples.
  6. Sprinkle the apples with the white sugar and cinnamon.
  7. Top with remaining crumb mixture.
  8. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream and enjoy!

 

ABC Wednesday ~ A is for…

A is for Apples and Apple Trees

These photos are of the apple tree and apples on the tree in our yard in the State of Washington. Here are some interesting facts about apples in Washington State.

State Fruit
Apple
Washington is the nation’s top apple-producing state, so it is appropriate that the apple was named a state symbol in 1989, the centennial year. A favorite fruit around the world, the apple comes in many different colors, sizes and varities. From the beautiful blossoms of spring, to the heavily laden branches in autumn, the apple trees of eastern Washington represent one of the largest industries in the state. The Washington apple is certainly one of the most recognized symbols of the state worldwide.

This begins Round 3 of ABC Wednesday.

You can now find all the posts for ABC Wednesday here.