Apple Cake

Since we won't make it back to the orchard this fall, I'm faced with the decision of what to do with our last few family picked apples. It wasn't tough to decide on apple cake. Now this recipe is not healthy (with the possible exception of the whole wheat unbleached four, but that is a staple in our house anyway). Over the years I have attempted to make it less fattening, substituting oil for apple sauce, using less sugar, but it's pointless. These adaptations work in many recipes, but not this one. I don't support any variation of this recipe. If you're going to make it, make it right. But if you choose to include this in your recipe repertoire, be warned that there's no going back. Sure you can throw the recipe in the garbage (I did this), but that will only leave you desperately searching for it one of these days. For me that meant calling my grandmother for it again. Since then I've kept it and accepted it as a necessary fall indulgence.

Apple Cake
2 c flour
2 c sugar
2-3 c apples, diced
2 eggs
1/2 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
3/4 c oil
nuts of your choice

Bake at 350 degrees in a square, glass pan for about an hour. Share with friends.

Apples for dinner

This month we've had our fill of apples. I love that the only traveling our apples have done is in our own car. The only hands they've been in are our own. And I love that we've had Warm Curried Chick Peas with Apples on the menu all October.

For those of you who like curry, here it is. I'm pretty sure I got this, or a variation of it, from vegweb some time ago.

Warm Curried Chick Peas with Apples
2 T oil
1 T curry
2 potatoes, diced
3 carrots, diced
Put the above in skillet and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and carrots are almost done, then add:
1 red pepper, diced
3 apples, diced
1 1/2 c cooked chick peas (or one can)
1 T apple cider vinegar
Cook for another 10 minutes, or until desired tenderness.










Despite my menu planning, there have been a couple of nights this month when dinner was apples, [self] served with peanut butter.

Banana split cupcakes

We celebrated Five's birthday in style with these banana split cupcakes from my new favorite dessert cookbook, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Terry introduced me to this great find, which at times reads more like a fun beach book than a cookbook. One of these days I'm going to make every cupcake in this book. I see a cupcake party in my future...this summer perhaps...Yummy!!

Breakfast Cookies

In like a lion...I was hoping that the big March storm arrived one week early this year when 14 inches of heavy, wet snow fell last week and left us powerless for three days. But, alas, another storm is on the way. We have had some difficult times lately, and the weather has offered no comfort. Now, faced with another foot of incoming snow, we are trying to prepare and trying to stay positive. Today this includes baking breakfast cookies, the second batch this weekend. This is my variation of the Breakfast Fig and Nut "Cookies" on myrecipes.com. These are hearty cookies, a family favorite.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients, then wet, then mix both together and add cranberries, raisins, and almonds last.

1 cup unbleached white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup unprocessed wheat bran

1/2 cup white sugar

3 T milled flax seed

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t cinnamon

2 T molasses

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 eggs

1 t vanilla extract

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup cranberries

Form into small balls. Bake for 10 minutes. Makes about 40 cookies.

::Enjoy