Oh wonderful, wonderful fall, if you could please stick around just a teeny bit longer! More sunny, bountiful days with trees full of ripe apples might just be enough to get me through winter. We were fortunate to have some free time to go apple picking with family and friends a couple of weeks ago. We headed to Avalon Orchards in Innsifil, Ontario, where you can pick your own certified organic apples.
It was a nice outing for us all - including the kids, their cousins and a friend. Everybody pitched in to fill our bags with gorgeous organic apples.
How beautiful are bunches of fresh apples on the tree?
Here's my boy with his eldest cousin. There is a four-year age difference between them, but they get along famously, partly because they both have fun, mischievous sides.
One of my husband's lovely sisters.
My girl and her new braces. (Two kids in braces now - equals a monthly payment that could buy a car!)
I am missing Avalon Orchards already. I think it's time to search out a great pumpkin farm where we can stroll through fields, hopefully enjoy a bit of sunshine and pick out the perfect pumpkins while soaking in nature's beauty.
If you find yourself with an abundance of apples following your visit to the apple farm (or the grocery store!), may I humbly suggest making one of these five vegan recipes with apples? Clockwise from bottom left (above), try this healthy
Pom Pom Juice with apples, pomegranates, cherries and plums; a
Pineapple Spinach Smoothie benefits from fibre-rich apples; this decadent
Apple Fritter Cake is a tribute to my favourite donut; freshly juiced apples are the base of this
Strawberry Lemonade Juice recipe; this
Apple Crisp with a Twist pairs apples and strawberries for a yummy yet healthy dessert.
Have you been apple picking this year? What do you like to make with apples?