Autumn Corner 3 part 1

One of the reasons I started the blog was to do a post on our Apple Day. I am hoping to start a trend of everyone having an apple day (I need to make tee-shirts  ;- ) and I hope it will be as popular as Christmas and Thanksgiving. First I have to give you a little history. When Aubern'e was little Willow Brook Farm on Bainbridge Island opened. Now if Martha was to open a farm on the island it would be Willow Brook. It has beautiful garden. They grow heirloom varieties of apples and pumpkins and a very large herb garden. They have miniatures horses. Sadly they have closed and only have a B&B. But they were the only farm in Kitsap County to make fresh cider. They had well over 20 different types of apples. We would buy different varies and have a sampling night. From there Apple Night has grown. We will set out different apples all labeled. Several different hunks of cheese. There is always a piece of sage cheddar. Cider, bread and different sausages. We sit by the woodstove and read all our fall/harvest picture books. One rule of apple night no lights. So after I get all prep-work done, it is only candles the rest of the night. The one exception is I keep a crockpot of hot cider.

Now there really is not one way to do Apple Night. As the years have gone by I have more and more friends who do Apple Night and each family does it a different way. Here are some ideas go apple picking, make apple sauce, butter, cider, ect. Make apple prints, apple dolls, have an outdoor bonfire, make donuts. Here is a list of some of our favorite fall book.

Pumpkin Moonshine by Tasha Tudor

Cranberry Autumn By Wende and Harry Devlin

Apple Cake By Nienke Van Hichtum

Goody O'Grumpity By Carol Ryrie Brink

When I Was Young In The Mountains By Cynthia Rylant

Yonder By Tony Johnston

Harvest Song By Ron Hirschi

When Will The Snow Trees Grow By Ben shecter

Ox-Cart Man By Hall Cooney

Children Of The Forest By Elsa Beskow

Woody, Hazel and Little Pip By Elsa Beskow

Mr. Apple's Family By Jean Mc Devitt

 

Also thank you Cherry at Tales From Pixie Wood for sharing your photo at top. I hope you do not mind me using it for Apple day. I will have some pictures, story and recipe tomarrow.

Comments

[Leigh Ann]

What a great tradition! We have to start an Apple Day, too. I know my family will love it.

Cortlands are my favorite - YUMMY!

[Debbie]

Sounds like a great tradition! We are lucky to live in an area full of fruit farms, so I have been making lots of apple pies, applesauce, apple cake, apple bread...!

[Gina]

How delightful, Apple day.
I guess we sort of have an apple day, a couple years ago we would go to a farm to pick apples, now we just pick them from our tree's along with the pears. I like the idea of added the extra like a book, etc.

[littlejennywren]

I love the Elsa beskow books. Some of the others I am not familiar with so I will have to check them out. thanks for posting the list.
Jenny

[Randi]

This is a wonderful tradition! Thanks for sharing!

[Tracy]

Sounds absolutely lovely!!!!

[Jody]

I'm going to plan an apple day too. I love the idea. I also appreciate the cheese & sausages to go along with it.

Every now and then I can get real apple cider at the health food store. There's just no comparison in my opinion.

Thanks for the great idea Clarice.

[Mrs. Pivec]

Oooo, I LOVE Elsa Beskow and Tasha Tudor books!

Honeycrisp is my favorite apple. What's yours?

[Susan P.]

Thank you so much for the inspiration Clarice. I absolutely love the idea and plan to incorporate it into our home this Fall. I love any idea that brings family closer together and provides everyone with some wonderful memories:) Happy Apple Day!!

[Jennelle]

It sounds fun, Clarice!

They actually have an "Applefest" not far from here that is this weekend [it's a big doings' in the area.]

Love,

Jennelle

[Abby]

I'll be having apple day here and will be sure to give you credit for the inspiration, Clarice! We actually have several delicious varieties of apples here in Arkansas. And sausages and cheese are the perfect complement. (Could you let us know exactly what cheeses and sausages you serve?) You never cease to amaze me with your creative and fun ideas. Abby

[salina]

Sigh... Everything you just said sounds so nice. I checked out the Willow Brook Farm site and I want to go there right now all by myself. But alas, I cannot. But one day I will!:) Oh, and I absolutely adore Tasha Tudor. I think she is 91 or 92 years old now and still doing quite well. She's too cool (don't you agree?);)