Apples

My first husband loved old apple orchards and would take me on the back of his Bridgestone motorcycle and we'd wander through farmland on old dirt roads and find the gnarled old trees laden with apples, apples dangling over the road or already fallen in the ditch. Frequently we'd come home with bags of apples and cook them up into sauce. Delicious, tart and flavored with cinnamon. Or I'd make apple butter, cooking the apples down for a long time then putting them through a fruit sieve. Yesterday I gathered some Gravenstein in my friend's backyard. They cooked into a lovely sauce that didn't need any sugar.

When I was a kid, canned fruits and pickles were thought of as an awesome thing. They had a special place on our shelves—being of real value and respect. When food was put by, it wasn't some little kitchen project, it was the real deal, this was the food for the winter. Canned fruits and pressure canned meats, dried meats and fruits, pickled and salted items. See Putting Food By for more recipes.

If you have an abundance of apples, you could try making apple butter. The easy way is to peel and core apples and chunk them up in a baking dish. Add the cinnamon and sugar, not too sweet, and bake (350)until it cooks down thickly. You can stir several times during the cooking process. You'll be able to tell when it is a nice spreadable consistency.

Last night I attended an Equinox event. We celebrated with a great meal of chicken and vegetables and a dish of baked mushrooms and pecans and orange slices. It really is fall, colder, darker, and I have a little cold. Yes, almost on Q, the cold came with the cooler weather. Perhaps there is an apple remedy for colds, there is a honey and lemon one, I know that, and tea, of course, always lots of tea. And for the heart, seeing things in a new way. A new perspective is appropriate at this time. Well, that's what turning points are for.

At both Equinoxes and Solstices, we can set new intentions for what we want in our lives. I want to be happy running my own life. And of course I want my heart to heal. And I want my garden to flourish. Also a metaphor. Enjoy the abundance of fall and keep at that garden. It's good for you and for the earth. What are you intentions?

Peace,
Flower