Tag: #autumn

Apple Palooza

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

We can’t grow citrus in our neck of the woods, but the PNW is the perfect climate to grow apples. When we moved to our new home, we inherited a mature apple tree. What better way to spend a crisp, sunny fall afternoon than picking apples in your own back yard? The apples are not large, but they are plentiful and delicious to eat. And… I am happy to announce that neither of us fell off a ladder in the process.

A perfect afternoon to pick apples.

What to do with an abundance of apples

We ended up picking several boxes of apples. We separated the apples into the good ones and those that had defects or worm holes. (We clearly need to spray the tree next spring.) We left the worst ones on the ground for the deer to eat, and we gave away what we could, but we still had a few boxes left over. So, now we needed to figure out what to do with them all. Unlike some fruits, the great thing about apples is that there are so many things you can make from them. Of course, the number one way to eat them is biting into one that is fresh off of the tree.

Apple Cider. Mr. U has always wanted to try making apple cider so when his friend offered to let him use their apple press, he jumped at the opportunity. Armed with boxes of apples, sharp knives and the press, we went to work. We cut, crushed and pressed, and pressed and pressed some more as we watched the juice slooowly dribble out. We have never made apple cider before… and probably never will again. It is a laborious process for the amount of juice you get. But it was a fun experiment, and the juice tastes just like apples fresh off of the tree.

The apple press in action. Slow action.

Apple pie. Who doesn’t love apple pie? After all, it is as American as baseball. (Speaking of which, the Mariner’s did pretty darn good this year.) My dad’s all-time favorite dessert is homemade apple pie. Since we inherited the tree from him, it was only right that I make him a pie from the apples. The crust recipe is one I got from my mom years ago. I remember asking her for it and, like any really good cook, she did not have one written down. She just threw things together from memory. One afternoon, I sat down next to her and wrote down the amounts as she threw them together. I am so glad that I did. Otherwise, the recipe would have been lost to the years.

My mom’s pie crust recipe. I typed this on a recipe card years ago on an ancient typewriter.
A good pie is all about the crust.

Apple muffins. There are so many delicious things you can bake with apples. Just the aroma of them bubbling in the oven is enough to make your mouth water. I have a great apple cake recipe, an apple dumpling recipe from my grandma and this apple muffin recipe that I got years ago from a recipe book by Gloria Gaither and Shirely Dobson. (Unfortunately, I do not remember the name of the book.) I have made this apple muffin recipe a lot over the years, and it is always a hit. The recipe card is tattered and stained, as all good, well used recipes are.

Easter apple muffin recipe. Don’t wait for Easter to make it.

Apple cocktail. A couple years ago Mr. U and I made a trip through the great smokey mountains to see the fall foliage. I wrote about the trip in this post titled, Autumn People. We made a detour to visit Cumberland Gap. It was a gorgeous, magical trip and we walked away with some beautiful memories. But one of the best things I walked away with was an original recipe for an apple drink.

We had spent a day hiking and were ready for a good watering hole and dinner back in town. Fortunately, we stopped at the Nineteen19 Grill in Cumberland Gap. The bartender was making his original apple drink. They looked amazing so we had to try one while we waited for our meal. I am so glad we did. We thanked the bartender and praised him for his original fall beverage. When I asked what was in it, he shared his recipe with me. Every fall since then, we pick a crisp sunny afternoon to sit outside and sip on this apple beverage (that has no name).

A perfect fall day to sip on a delicious apple drink.

I don’t think he will mind if I share the recipe with you. We modified it a little bit.

FAVORITE FALL APPLE COCKTAIL RECIPE

3 oz. apple pie moonshine

5 oz. apple juice

1.5 oz. Fireball (he used a cinnamon simple syrup, but we were too lazy to make that, so we used Fireball instead. Hence, we cut down on the amount of moonshine to keep it from being too strong.

1 oz. fresh squeezed lemon

Mix all together and pour over ice. Top with whip cream and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Garnish with apple slices and a cinnamon stick to stir it.

I hope that you are allowing time to let these beautiful autumn days wash over you. And when you have a few extra hours, light a cinnamon & apple scented candle, put on some music and indulge in making a delicious apple recipe. Bonus if you share the recipe with me!

Happy Fall Y’all!

Happy Fall Y’all

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

If you have followed my blog for very long, you know that fall, or more delicately called autumn, is my favorite season. I want to indulge my senses with the textures, aromas, foods and colors that feed my soul during this time of year. One of our favorite fall traditions is going to Green Bluff. Green Bluff is a community of farmers that cooperate and share their efforts to promote sustainable farming. There are approximately 30 member farms that are all owned and operated independently. These are their personal homes, but they open their farms to the public for you-picks and festivities throughout the year. Each has a unique offering of produce, food, gifts and things to do. A couple weeks ago, on a perfect sunny fall day, we jumped in the convertible and drove to Green Bluff to spend a leisurely afternoon.

Below is a map of the farms and produce stands at Green Bluff.

There is an abundance of fresh produce, with apples and pumpkins taking center stage.

First on the list was picking a few apples, just for the experience of it. We have access to my dad’s apple tree too, but you simply have to pick a few apples while you are there. Mr. U was happy because the plums were also ripe, so we got a few of those as well. We don’t typically buy any of their pumpkins, gourds or vegetables because Mr. U grows them in his garden, but it is still delightful to look at them. Of course I HAVE to have the fresh pumpkin doughnuts. I look forward to them all year long. Sorry, I did not get a picture of them because, well… you know. They had to be eaten quickly while they were still warm.

Each farm has its own unique flair.

Towards the end of the afternoon, the sun was getting low, and we were parched. Time for our final destination at Green Bluff… the Big Barn Brewery. It is a delightful little brewery with a low-key, relaxed vibe. They have a large yard where you can pull up a chair and listen to music while you sip their beer that is brewed on site.

Thanks for joining me on a beautiful autumn afternoon. Be sure to take the time to indulge in fall y’all! It is coming to an end all too quickly.

Autumn People

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

Some people are fall people and some people are autumn people.  Fall people go through the motions of living with the change of weather.  They rake the leaves, dutifully put a few pumpkins on the porch and then go inside to stay warm.  While autumn people intentionally walk through the leaves and kick them up just to hear their crackle and reminisce about being a kid and walking to the bus stop through the leaves.  Autumn people smile as they gather pumpkins, lumpy gourds, baskets, mums, and unruly corn stocks to decorate inside and out.  Then they wrap up in a favorite sweater, light an apple scented candle and sit quietly to soak it all in.  Autumn people will go out of their way to see a forest of deciduous trees perform the miracle of changing from their green cloak to golden yellow, and blazing orange and red.  I am an autumn person.

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

L.M. Montgomery

I took a hiatus from my blog and social media to spend a couple weeks immersing myself in autumn.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I needed to try and slow life down a little bit.  I needed to reignite my creativity and feed my soul.  I have always wanted to see the Great Smoky Mountains, particularly in the fall.  Mr. U was a willing partner as we booked a trip to drop into Nashville and then drive through the Smokies. 

As seems to be our MO, we were a little too early to see the full-on change of colors.  This appears to be a trend with us.  The first year I retired we took a trip to Massachusetts and drove up through Vermont to do a little leaf peeping.  That trip we were a little too late to see the most robust change of colors.  When you live clear across the US, it is difficult to get over there and see it at the perfect time.  Even though we were a little early this time, it was still gorgeous, and my soul is refreshed.   

We spent a couple nights in Nashville and then headed east.   I think that every girl getting married in the next six months had her bachelorette party in Nashville on that Saturday night.  It was quite a dichotomy to go from the music venues and night life of Nashville to the serene mountain trails.  The lights, throngs of people and music scene in downtown Nashville was stimulating, but I wilted from it after 24 hours.  I needed the mountains to heal my fractured brain. 

From the city lights and guitar pickin of Nashville…
I guess there is a reason they are called the Smoky Mountains.
A little early for fall color change, but still gorgeous.
…to the quiet backroads and hiking paths of the Great Smoky Mountains.

First, we drove north through the backroads to see Cumberland Gap, with a detour for a night in Dale Hollow.  Doesn’t that name just whisper southern backroads?   Once in Cumberland Gap we booked a night at the Historic Old Mill Inn; a delightful little B & B that maintained much of the history of the area.  After a day hiking through the Cumberland Gap, we stopped at the Nineteen 19 Grill.  While it wasn’t much for atmosphere, the food was great, and the bartender created his own apple beverage that was like drinking apple pie.   So good.  

Nothing better than a cold drink and a cozy B&B after a day of hiking in Cumberland Gap.

After that we took the backroads towards the Smoky Mountains to stay at Pigeon Forge as our base.  When we planned the trip, we were debating between staying there or Gatlinburg.  So glad we chose Pigeon Forge because Gatlinburg was way too commercialized.  And while I love Dolly (who doesn’t) we opted not to go to Dollywood.  We were out to see autumn in all its glory.  Our hotel had a balcony overlooking the river and we enjoyed sitting out there having our morning coffee and watching the wildlife.  The electric fireplace was cozy to come back to after a day out hiking, sightseeing, shopping and test tasting a little moonshine. 

Our next destination was Charleston, South Carolina to, ironically, see a country music concert.   There weren’t any big names playing in Nashville while we were there, but Charleston had the Riverfront Revival Festival the weekend we were in town, so we booked tickets.  I am a big Lainey Wilson fan and Mr. U really likes Darius Rucker.  Both were playing at the concert.  Apparently, Darius is from Charleston, so he had a big fan base there to see him play.  Both artists, as well as Niko Moon, did not disappoint. We have been to Charleston before and loved the architecture, trees, and seafood.   Really, what is not to love about this beautiful area packed with history? When we were there previously, we did the obligatory horse drawn carriage historical tour, walked the market and went on a tour of a southern plantation, so this trip was more about relishing in the sunshine and going to the concert. 

After a couple days in Charleston, we headed west back towards Nashville.  I would recommend a stop in Helen, Georgia.  It is a bustling alpine village set in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The entire village has a German theme, similar to Leavenworth in Washington state.  It was a fun place to spend the night, listen to music and eat some German food.  The drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains the next day was gorgeous with lots of lakes, streams, and charming country stores to poke around in. 

After 12 days of living out of suitcases, we were ready to catch our flight in Nashville and head back to our little corner of the world where most of our peeps live and we can tuck in and enjoy the change of colors that occurs in between the tall green pines. 

A few things always strike me when I travel:

  • We are just one very small, minuscule speck in a vast world
  • The United States has an amazing amount of diversity and culture within the 50 states
  • We do not have the only corner of natural beauty where we live
  • You can count on travel to open your mind and stimulate your creative side
  • There are nice people and mean people everywhere
  • There is no place like home

Today we are just reveling in being home again. I am decorating for fall, making a big pot of soup and trying our hand at baking a loaf of bread in the pizza oven. We will see how that goes. I hope you had a good couple of weeks and are taking time to breathe in the color and scents of autumn!