Apple picking and Happy Thanksgiving

Today is the day of the long weekend to truly relax at home. Saturday and Sunday were spent hither and yon at various family gatherings, but this morning we can stay in our slippers, leisurely sip our lattés, and give thanks for a cozy home and healthy family.

I don’t even mind that the weather is grey and rainy, as I’ll be in the kitchen  for a good part of the day anyway. I have a new set of appliances to break in and there’s no better way than with a turkey-trimmed Thanksgiving spread.

I don’t have the usual Monday material for you today, but I thought I would share a few (iPhone) snaps from our apple picking outing last weekend. It’s one of our favourite events of the year, complete with a picnic and plenty of foot races up and down the orchard rows.

Our autumn has been working hard to surpass the beauty of summer and so far it has completely captured our hearts. We’ve enjoyed week after week of warm (but not hot) sunshine and blue skies, the perfect backdrop for the brilliant fall foliage.

This little one is happiest with a sweet apple in hand, so she was quite content in the orchard with all the low-hanging fruit well within reach.

We bought a jug of cider and gathered around a picnic table for hot soup, bread and cheese. It’s always one of the last outdoor feasts until spring and we lingered over our pie, savouring the moment.

Half of our haul was washed, cut and set to simmer for applesauce on the very same day. We picked mostly Cortland apples, which make a beautiful, blush pink applesauce.

This Oatmeal Applesauce Bread is a perfect autumn comfort food and next on my baking list.

A double batch of apple butter simmered in the slow cooker for most of the next day and filled the house with the quintessential aroma of fall – apples and cinnamon.

Later, I canned both the applesauce and the apple butter. I’ve feeling thankful to have those essentials added to my canning pantry. Let the snow fly now!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!