apple chip love

We have harvested the last of the apples from the trees.The counters sit filled with apples so red that I keep envisioning Snow White sneaking in to steal a treat. I have so many apple recipes that my head spins and my imagination is full to overflowing with what to do with all these goodies. And while I am delighted by recipes for pies and cakes and breads and unique treats to be made, sometimes it is the simplest treat that catches my fancy the most.

I am forever trying to find ways to make the stuff in life that we need and be far less dependent on the stores or outside sources. My motto is, "if I can make it I can't buy it" (at least not unless I want to support a small farmer or hand crafter that I really admire!). There is nothing more satisfying than making something that you and your family can enjoy. There is a certain pride to be taken from the DIY lifestyle. This time around I made baked apple chips. It is one of the simplest recipe I have made. It requires very little prep time and few ingredients but the end results are very satisfying and delicious!

Baked Apple Chips

What you will need:

An apple corer (I used my peeler and it worked out nicely)

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Ginger

The steps are easy as pie (actually easier)!

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

2. Rinse and core the apples.

3.Slice them into thin-ish circles.

4. Put the slices onto a cookie sheet.

5. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

6. Place into the oven and bake for 2 hours (or until the apple chips are the texture you want them); check them at the one hour mark and turn them over so that they bake evenly.

Raise or lower the temperature of your oven as needed to get the best results.

abundance

It is often that I sit back and take in that which I have been blessed with in my life. The wonderful children who are so smart and sweet, the beautiful home (until I buy my forever home), the bounty always set before me even when times are lean. I have been gifted with abundance in my world. And I am so grateful for it all!

There is nothing like the thrill of getting the first red tomatoes from your garden (even if the plant was dying and they were all picked green). The joy of climbing an apple tree to get the gorgeous red fruits! Our apple tree is small and wonky but my what a producer! We have pulled 6 bags of apples (maybe more) from this one little tree and yet it still yields fruit fresh and sweet and as red as Snow White's own apple. I don't think I have ever purchased an apple (they are Gravenstein) quite as sweet or quite as satisfying as the ones we grab from our own little tree. We have even been lucky enough to have another tiny tree that gave us perfect little kid sized Golden Delicious apples; officially my favorite! Amusingly enough, apples have always made me feel slightly sick before (when purchased from the store all not ripe and sad) but this fresh plucked bounty has never caused me a moment of anything but glee.

It is in the midst of this yummy happiness that I have even more joy to behold. My Loki (all of 8.5 now) has taken to sewing like a fish to water. I actually had to drag him away from the sewing machine yesterday to go play outside for a little while. A mothers pride glowing out of the top of my head! My little crafting boy. He is such an inventive soul in every way already (he can't get enough of technology or science which is thrilling) I can hardly wait to see all of the fantastical creations that come from within him.

My youngest Bodhi, loves to take part in the household antics. He is the best helper (for a 2 year old) and always comes barreling through the yard when it is time to pick apples or water tomatoes or check on the thyme. He takes great pride in his findings of ripe foods. And if many of them have tiny nibbles taken out of them well those will be pie or apple sauce! He is simply sampling his wares. My littlest blessing (especially after all that we have recently been through) we are more than grateful for the life we live!

And though this year we only managed to get tomatoes and apples from our little 1/2 acre, and while the coop is about to be pulled apart and rebuilt for the umpteeth time (my plans were less than perfect but hey I am new at this...at least the girls aren't laying yet  *fingers crossed*), and though the gophers and moles are making it difficult to figure out how best to utilize our sweet little piece of land (we have decided not to kill any of them because as Loki says they have as much right to be here as we do...point well taken) the abundance that comes from the little we have (and shared gifts from the bounty of the gardens of friends) we have more than enough.

the day to day

The freshly torn stash for rag rug creation!

new and improved sewing education zone

not quite completed clothes for the shop

the coop base makes for great car driving terrain 

Being mama is a journey, an adventure, and a joy! There are new experiences constantly with my kids growing and changing and learning and unlearning the world around them. Each new experience is something for my soul to feast on. As the seasons shift to chillier days, inside of our home we are shifting to cozier activities. Many projects lay in wait for busy little hands and happy imaginations (theirs and mine)! Strips have been torn for future rag rugs, clothing is midway through being designed or sewn and making ready to hit my Etsy shop (click on the word etsy to go check me out), and my son (who hated crafting and would cry if I asked him to draw with me) has recently told me he wants to learn the fine art of Arts and Crafting! He wants to make a comfortor for his bed, and candles and gifts for friends and family and my heart is just full to bursting!What's an excited mama to do? As we live the unschooling life we are also busy with the seasonal life stuffs of picking, cooking, canning, and eating many many apples, making, pickles, finding new classes to take (swimming in the fall maybe), finishing up our coop, slowly creating our dream yard (so much yumminess to plant for next season), and just getting into the slower smoother, family flow.

And while we do all of this, in the background, there is much business to be done...

My not for profit is a dream moving swiftly towards realization with the business plan written and looking pretty solid. My clothing is slowly but surely getting created for the shop in the midst of life being lived. Our first print copies of Sacred Pregnancy Magazine have gone out for sale (oh happy days) and are looking oh so beautiful and are filled with some of the most amazing articles! (feel free to click on the words sacred pregnancy to go purchase your very own copy of this glorious magazine!) My first book, "Front Porch Summer Camp", is coming along beautifully and I can hardly wait to have it available to shop to publishers. Oh the sweet joys of the hyperactive and super ambitious heart!

What is going on in your world on your day to day dance? Let me know; I love to hear from you!