An Apple a Day-O

Apples are another one of my favorite fall foods.  Every magazine I received last week had some amazing fall apple recipes.  Even Andrew's first grade class has been learning about apples this month.  This weekend I decided to try out a few recipes that caught my eye...or stomach.

 I found some beautiful Gala apples.

 Yesterday, I made prosciutto, manchego, and apple sandwiches for lunch.  They were delicious!  I found the recipe in one of my Cooking Light magazines.

• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise  (I used mayo made with olive oil)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided
• 4 (1-ounce) slices sourdough bread, toasted
• 1/4 cup sliced shallot
• 4 ounces paper-thin sliced serrano ham or prosciutto (I used prosciutto.)
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded Manchego cheese (Machego is sort of expensive, but worth it!)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• 2 cups arugula (I used baby spinach.)
• 1 tart apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (I invested in an apple corer, definitely worth the $3 and I used a Granny Smith apple.  I also recommend a Chef 'n Palm Peeler, this little kitchen gadget is genius!  Thanks to Mimi for stuffing it in my stocking.)

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Combine mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon mustard; spread mayonnaise mixture over each bread slice. Top each slice with 1 tablespoon shallot, 1 ounce ham, and 4 teaspoons cheese, and sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Broil 3 minutes. Combine 1 teaspoon mustard, oil, and vinegar. Combine the arugula and apple slices in a bowl; drizzle with vinaigrette. Toss gently. Divide the apple mixture evenly among sandwiches, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. (I recommend pairing with a glass of white wine.)


While I prepped lunch, my wonderful husband cleaned our rides.  He even shampooed the carpet! 

 The Stache-  His mustache started off as a dare, but I think he kind of digs it.  Me, I love facial hair so I'm all about it!

 Always a piddlin'!  (Drives me crazy sometimes!)

It was definitely open door weather yesterday! 

 I opened all of the doors and let the house air out.  The weather was beautiful!  We sat outside and enjoyed out sandwiches on the back porch.

Ok back to the apples!

Today, I'm making baked apples in my crock-pot.  I found this recipe on Pinterest, imagine that!  It is originally from the Skinny Chef.

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons trans-fat free margarine
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 Gala or Macintosh apples, cored (I used Gala.)
• 1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider (I used apple juice.)
• 2 tablespoons orange liquor (optional, I also added a shot of brandy.)

Preheat a large crock-pot on high heat and preset it for 3 hours. (I preheated my crock-pot and when I poured in my liquids it cracked, so beware!  It's still usable for now, but I'm thinking my pot had a defect.  Thankfully I can replace just the pot.)  In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, walnuts, margarine, and cinnamon. Fill the apples with the filling and place them in the crock-pot. Pour in the apple juice or cider and the liquor, if using. Cover and cook 2 1/2 to 3 hours on high heat until the apples are soft and begin to collapse.

We haven't tried them yet, I'm waiting on my husband's apple smoked ribs to come off the smoker, but they smell heavenly, so do the ribs!  I'll let you know how they taste. Enjoy your Sunday and Geaux Saints!

I'll leave you with Andrew's Fall Break Poem about apples.

Apple Three

Fresh picked apples

From a tree

One for you

And one for me

One for teacher

That makes three

Apples picked

From an apple tree

-Monica Kulling