Apple Pickin'

My friend Leigh and I took our kids on their first field trip for the school year ... Breeden's Apple Orchard.  There really wasn't much too it since they don't do tours or anything.  But we spent a good 30 minutes picking apples (and taking photos) and then ate lunch together.  The kids had fun together and the apples were really good.  We picked Golden Delicious apples, which happen to be Claire's favorite! 

 

The kids are ready to go pick some apples!

 

 

 

Luke was way more interested in sitting in his stroller and playing on my i-phone than picking apples.  He was watching our wagon too.

 

Here is the whole group (minus Luke).

 

Sweet friends!

 

David with his basket full of apples. 

 

Look at all of our apples!  We took half of these home.  So now I have 15 pounds of apples in our fridge.  I did learn a neat tip for preserving them though from the owners.  Wet 1 apple and place it in a gallon-sized ziploc bag.  Fill with apples and seal, getting as much air out as possible and store them in your fridge.  They should last up to 6 months.

David and Neyland.

 

McCall and Claire.

 

We decided to make an apple treat when we got home so I combined a couple of recipes based upon what I had in the pantry and came up with a yummy applesauce cake.

Applesauce Spice Cake
1 spice cake mix (I used a yellow cake mix and added 1t. cinnamon, 1/2t. allspice and 1/2t. nutmeg)
1/2c. buttermilk
1c. applesauce
1/3c. butter
1/3c. shortening (I used 1/3c. coconut oil b/c I didn't have shortening)
1t. vanilla
1t. finely grated lemon zest (I omitted this because I didn't have any)
2 large eggs
1c. chopped peeled apple
1/2c. chopped pecans (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients except apples and pecan.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Scrape down sides of bowls.  Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Fold in apples and pecans.  Pour into 12-cup bundt cake pan that has been sprayed with vegetable oil and dusted with flour (or use Baker's Joy spray).  Bake cake until golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger ... 50-55 minutes.  Remove the pan from the over and place on wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Allow cake to cool completely for 30 minutes.