Hallow's Eve

We may have been festive for Halloween . . .
But I think Val got the real fright of the day!

Apple Cake Recipe

By request, here is the recipe for the Apple Cake that I talked about in my "Autumn is Apple Cake" post. Enjoy! :)

* Use Golden Delicious apples in this recipe if possible, because they are so sweet and hold up well when cooked.

Cake Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup plain non-fat yougurt
2 1/2 cups cooking apples, cored & diced
1/2 cup chpped nuts (optional, I like it better without)

Apple Glaze: (Although not needed-the cake is yummy by itself- it sweetens it up if you have a sugar tooth)
2 Tbsp frozen unsweetened apple juice consentrate, thawed
1/4 cup sugar

Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. Stir in beaten eggs, egg whites, oil and yogurt. Mix well. Add apples and nuts.

Pour batter into a 10-inch bunt pan generously sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. (You can actually use any kind of baking pan. I like the 9x9 square pans.) Bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Brush on glaze, if dezired.

To amke the glaze, combine concentrate and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over low het until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Yeild: Serves 16

Per Serving w/Glaze: 229 Cal, 10g fat, 34 mg Chol., 111mg Sod. (it may not be the healthiest snack, but oh so worth it!)

Autumn Is Apple Cake

A Megan Memory: Coming home from school was always a special time for me as a child. We only lived about a block from our elementary school and so we walked home most days. I would get Cecily after class and then we would head home together. Mom was always waiting for us with a snack and a bright smile. Snack time was so important. We told Mom all about our day and what we had learned in school. Looking back, it provided some great bonding time.

During Fall, Cecily and I always looked forward to Apple Cake for snack time. This scrumptious treat would be warm and fresh from the oven. It has apple chunks in it and although sweet, is more like a muffin type than a cake. I have great memories of eating Apple Cake and talking to Mom after elementary school.

Flash Forward: I'm 25 and the days of elementary school are long gone. I've just moved home for awhile to help my Dad with his new business after having graduated from college. Life is busy and although I live at home, I am hardly every there. Work, my calling in Relief Society, Institute, and dating fill up almost every day. In fact I have to schedule laundry time. Fall has come, but I've been too busy to really notice. So I come home one particularly busy day and find myself greeted by a familiar smell. I haven't smelled it in awhile and can't quite put my finger on what it is. However, as I come into the kitchen, memories of elementary school fall days come rushing back. It's Apple Cake! My lovely Mom had made it again. It was then that I realized, Hey, it's really autumn! So, I cut a slice for me and my Mom, and we sat at the table and caught up. Cecily joined us and it was almost as if we were back 15 year prior, eating Apple Cake at snack time.

Oktoberfest

I have been horrible at posting lately and as I was looking through my camera, realized that I have had some great experiences recently that I haven't shared. So, these next few posts will be a bit of back-tracking.

A few weeks ago, a bunch of the pals and I headed to Mt. Angel for their yearly Oktoberfest Festival. It was amazing. The food was great, the music especially jovial, and the people watching opportunities particularly interesting. It was a great way to welcome in fall.

As it was dinner time, we first headed to get some eats. I got some yummy potato pancakes and on of the best cinnamon-rollish things I have ever tasted. Here's a pic of Todd, Daniel, and Joe enjoying their dinner.

Some of us got more in the Oktoberfest spirit than others. Daniel went all out with suspenders, shorts, and a green hat. This cute old man was playing the sweetest songs on the accordion and although you can't really tell by this picture, was wearing the same exact outfit as Daniel. It was too funny.
Mt. Angel has a beautiful Catholic church. I've been in quite a few through my travels, but was really impressed by the sweet peace that pervaded this chapel. The stained glass was beautiful as well.
There was also section of the town dedicated to artists. They had little booths where the displayed and sold their goods. One of the most interesting booths for me was the glass maker. As you can see from the pic below, this man uses a blowtorch and a few tools to create the most beautiful glass sculptures. It was fascinating to watch him bend and mold the glass.
Here's a pic of me and the boys: Taylor, Joe and Jared. Thank goodness for good friends.This man was so cute. We just had to get a picture! Also, these girls are so awesome. I love Jackie and Lindsay!
We found a polka band and had a blast dancing to their tunes. Here's the groups doing the "Hokie-Pokie." Seriously, I can't remember the last time I did the "Hokie-Pokie" but it was so much fun. This pic is "put your left hip in." Daniel shows us how to "put your nose in and wiggle it all about."
Oh, and did I mention that we did the Chicken Dance? Yes. And guess what? All this fun was had without one drop of Oktoberfest alcohol!