Snow??

Yep. First snow of the year. Got more than an inch too. We're just above 5,000 feet. When I got to work (4400+ feet) there was no snow at all in town. Very pretty at home, but the green will be fading from our yard. Our apple tree was such a bright brilliant shade of yellow this year. The prettiest I can remember seeing it, maybe because it is just getting so tall and it didn't have apples this year (seems to fruit every other) to suck its energy.

The kids and I drove to Camino, (California) yesterday to pick up apples from Apple Hill. We usually get 7-9 bushels, but not as many fit in the trunk of the Inifiti as does the old Camry (and we have the Mega Warrior Basket on th roof rack on the Camry). I also felt safer driving out of Reno in the Infiniti with the kiddos in it, it has less miles. So we came home with 4 bushels. It was as productive as I had hoped. We did have a lot of fun, but the apple selection this year was picked over and fairly poor. We had hoped to bring a box of Pink Lady apples back for Grammy Cher because they are her favorite, but we honestly could not find enough to make a pretty box. The Pink Lady apples were bruised, cut, shriveled and had a lot of growths (frost bites I think they said). And the kids and I made many, many stops to try to find them. We even hoped to cheat and left the orchards and went to the Safeway in town! But guess what? No Pink Lady apples. I did ask and they suggested that the crop wasn't good enough to sell to stores, but okay enough to sell to folks willing to come and get them.

Oh well, it was fun though. We always have to stop at Kids, Inc. to get a walkin' pie! We have to, whether or not anyone else in the car wants one - I DO! I love those personal pies that are big enough for two, and even better ala mode, but I can't seem to make 'em like theirs. I am going to figure it out. I guess I do know how, I have watched them in their kitchen, but my chopped apples inside never turn out as tender as theirs. I'll see if I can find a picture from a previous year for you. I can't find one from the Apple Hill website, which is linked here for you to check out. Darn, I found a picture in my stash from last year, but blogger isn't letting me post any pictures tonight. I'll add it to my list of pics to add... Anyway, the walkin' pie is made with very finely chopped apples without their peel and then smooshed tightly into a large ball, wrapped in a flaky pie crust and baked. It stays round and when you order it, they use a ladle to smoosh the top open and add some of their apple pie syrup and/or ice cream. It's sooooo good. I don't have to eat anything else all day :0)

DH had lot of studying to do for a test in his class tomorrow afternoon. He hung out at home to get work done. This also left us with more room in the car as I was able to stash Sister's stroller in the front seat and leave more room for apple boxes in the trunk :0) But we missed him!

Okay, have to gather kiddos and see what we need to get finished for the evening. I also have bushels of apples waiting for me to process to make apple sauce, apple gook (kiddo word for apple juice), dried apples, and whatnot. How about apple pie, apple fritters, apple turnovers, apple cake, apple muffins, apple pancakes, apple waffles, apple tea... Do I sound like Bubba Gump?