The Apple of My Eye

On this mama’s to do list:

Field Trip to Erie Orchard
Make Apple Bake

Field Trip to Erie Orchard

It is funny, looking back on my own childhood, I can’t
remember what I got for Christmas most years but I do remember making a snowman with my father, baking cookies with my mom, and decorating the tree as a family. I don’t recall ever having any game system or fancy gadgets to lull us to sleep but I do remember the way my mom would sing a song and say our prayers with us before bedtime. I remember all the local adventures we would have, story time at the Reynolds Corner branch library, art classes at the art museum, trips to the zoo, the park, and much more but my favorite, class field trips. I always thought it was so cool when my mom chaperoned the field trip, it was special. This past week I was thrilled to have the opportunity to chaperon my first field trip. In my mind it was such a blessed event, it was like a passing of the torch type of moment for me. You know the type, emotional; hold back tears, lump in your throat type of moment.

While on the field trip I had an unexpected collision with the good old emotional roller coaster. It hit me while the group was gathered around listening to the leader explain how they shine the apples. It was at that moment I thought about how my baby girl was the apple of my eye. How much I was cherishing the time I was spending with her while at the same time recalling the memory of my own childhood and my mom chaperoning. I was thinking about how fast we really do grow up. I was thinking a whirlwind of emotional stuff about growing up, my youth, my daughter’s youth, and how before I know it she will be chaperoning her child’s field trip, and then it happened. A tear escaped my eye. I could almost feel the sobbing coming on, or worse, that weird gasping for air sound. NOOO! I felt like I was going to lose it and I am not talking a cute little cry, I am talking full-blown, hot mess, type of crying. Just them my daughter asked if I was okay and I said yes, I just really, really love the apple of my eye. To which she replied, “How did you get apple in your eye?” It worked, she had me smiling in no time. I learned my lesson, I will try not to think about anything remotely sentimental while on a field trip. I guess it could have been worse; I could have been near a pile of pooh at the zoo. Crying over apples suddenly seems much more appealing.

Now, what to do with all those apples?

Apple Bake

Ingredients:

12 apples
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Stick of unsalted butter (cut into ½ inch squares)
2 cups oatmeal (not cooked)

Directions:

Spray crock pot with Pam. Rinse, peel, core, and cut apples into slices. Place apple slices in crock pot. In bowl mix together brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, butter, and oatmeal. Sprinkle mixture over apples. Place on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours
until apples are tender.

Apple bake is so delicious and can be used with a meal or as a desert.

Brinner (Breakfast for Dinner) is a favorite in our house and the apple bake is truly the icing on the cake, pancake that is. To assemble the sandwich you will need two pancakes, 2 eggs sunny side up, ¾ cups of apple bake, and a drizzle of dark amber maple syrup.