I’ve been immersed in everyday life as a mom to this happy, energetic and lovely girl and have not been blogging as much as I would like. Now, she is 2.5 years old, and an inspiration to me, to keep doing things that make me happy. We went apple picking and had such a relaxing time. There were so many varietals of apples, but I didn’t even bother to look, I thought it would be nice to just taste our way along. (Recipe below)
I had no idea that the apples at the top of the tree are caught with this contraption that is basically a long, wobbly pole that has a wire net at the end. It’s almost shaped like a cupped hand – or claw, which allows you to reach, turn and catch the apple before it falls to its doom on the ground. (no, they don’t really mention this stuff in culinary school.) The fermented smell in the air didn’t bother us – the weather was beautiful and we were spending quality time together.
This is my sweet girl. Look how she is just taking in the fragrance of the fresh picked apple. It’s like an innate sense to appreciate the food for more than just food.
Oven Dried Apple Chips
(A tad chewy & some crunch)
- Preheat your oven to 200F degrees.
- Quarter your apples and slice about 1/8th of an inch thin on a mandolin. You can also slice these by hand. They do shrivel up anyway, but you do want they uniform so they dry out the same way and you don’t have some areas crisper than others. If you like the chips crunchier, slice them a bit thinner.
- Spray your pans with PAM (not too much, or they will get soggy) or use wax paper, parchment or a silpat.
- Arrange apple slices and bake at 200F degrees for about 2 hours. Set a timer!
- I like them plain, but you can get creative and add seasonings (cinnamon, sugar, etc) when they come out. Remove them right away and allow them to dry.