Apples and Orchards

Over the weekend we decided to leave the hustle and bustle of the city and head to the foothills to check out the apple orchards. In merely 90 minutes we were in wide open spaces, fresh air, and mountain views. It was just the kind of retreat we needed to recharge. The added bonus was we also stocked up on apples during our outing.

Marcus had been begging for weeks (months?) to go apple picking. I have no idea where he got the notion, as I'm sure he didn't remember our first orchard trip, which we made two years ago. Last year we had full intentions of getting to the orchards, but a crazy heat wave and a very new infant just didn't make things possible.

Upon arrival Marcus was bursting at the seems with excitement. He was so ready to pick every apple he could reach. Unfortunately, we visited so late in the season that many of the trees had been picked clean, or some tree's apples were just not ripe enough to bring home. Regardless, we searched until we had a few bags heartily filled. Marcus was on a quest, and slim pickings were not going to stand in his way of filling his bag.

A quick stop at the mill gave us a go at pressing our own cider. Marcus wanted in on every step of the process.

For a majority of the time Julia was content to hang out in the Kelty. But no apple picking experience would be complete if she didn't get to romp around a bit herself. I don't want to rush time, but I can't wait to see how different her experience is next year.

After several pounds of apples and one filled-to-the-brim gallon of cider, we retreated from the foothills.

Currently, I am in the process of making all the apple things, and I can't say anyone is the least bit mad about the goodies that are coming out of the kitchen.

If you have any great apple recipes I'd love to hear them in the comments!