Apple Day

   It is that time of year, Apple Day! This is a tradition my family started when my daughter's were little. We still do an apple night every year. I encourge you to do one too. Big or small, any day, does not matter. I always get e-mails asking what is apple day? I guess it is a bit confusing, since it is a holiday my family made up. We tend to do that a lot ; -) So here is a few answers.

 

1. What is apple day?

     It is a day to enjoy apples. Actually I think it really is about more than apples, well in a deeper sense. It is a day to celabrate the fall harvest and to be thankful. It is a day to enjoy the last moments outside before the cold, and in our case, constant rain kicks in. It is a day to make family memories. Mostly it is a fun day to bound family and eat well (I am being honest here!!)

2. Why apples?

   Apple day started when a now defunct farm opened up in the island selling dozens of amazing, heirloom apples. There were so many to try, we set aside an apple night to enjoy them all and it grew from there. 

3. What day is apple day?

    Well it is not a set day because it is important to me we do it on a day where we are not crazy and grumpy. Usually we celebrate at the end of October or the beginning of November, but mostly on a happy day.

4. What are you suppose to do on apple day (and does it have to be a whole day)?

    Well do what sounds like fun and no it does not have to be all day. For us, every year is different (except for a few rules, look below). Sometimes we spend the day getting apples and cheese, making sauce and canning or making apple fritters, then dinner. Some years it is just dinner. When the girls were little, we would do crafts but they are too grown for that now. Someday I will have grandbabies to craft with! 

5. What are the rules?

Well these are our family rules, I think you should have your own ; -) 

• NO lights, only candles as soon as it gets dark.
• Read the same harvest picture book’s we have since the girls were babies. Everyone picks thier favorite from the stack.
  
• We have the same meal every year, which is different apples (all labeled, so we can talk about how each one is different from the others), good cheese (especially some sage cheddar), bread, apple sausages, cider and some apple apple dessert. Usally apple fritters.

    Actually it is a simple holiday but one my girls would never miss, even though they are now little anymore. You can see what we have done in past years here. I hope it inspires you to have an Apple Day. Ohhh and come back and tell me about yours,I love to hear what others are doing xox

Apple Day

    Have you celebrated apple day yet?
    It is a tradition in our family we always look forward to. It is funny even though my daughter's are 21 and 16, they still want to celebrate Apple Day. They still want to pull out all the fall children's books. They want to only use candles and have fresh cider. Family traditions really are the glue that holds a family together!

So What is Apple Day?

 

I always get e-mails this time of year asking when and what is apple day? I guess it is a bit confusing, since it is a holiday my family made up. We tend to do that a lot ; -) So here is a few answers.

 

1. What is apple day? It is a day to enjoy apples. Actually I think it really is about more than apples, well on a deeper sense. It is a day to celabrate the fall harvest and to be thankful. It is a day to enjoy the last moments outside before the cold, and in our case, before constant rain kicks in. It is a day to make family memories. Mostly it is a fun day to bound our family and eat well (I am being honest here!!)

 

2. Why apples? Apple day started when a now defunct farm opened up in the island selling dozens of amazing heirloom apples. There were so many to try, we set aside an apple night to enjoy them all and it grew from there.

 

3. What day is apple day? Well it is not a set day because it is important to me we do it on a day where we are not crazy and grumpy. Usually we celebrate at the end of October or the beginning of November, but mostly on a happy day.

 

4. What are you suppose to do on apple day (and does it have to be a whole day)? Well do what sounds like fun and no it does not have to be all day. For us, every year is different (except for a few rules, look below). Sometimes we spend the day getting apples and cheese, making sauce and canning, or making apple fritters, then dinner. Some years it is just dinner. When the girls were little, we would do crafts but they are too grown for that now. Someday I will have grandbabies to craft with!!!

 

5. What are the rules? Well these are our family rules, I think you should have your own ; -) but here they are. First NO lights, only candles as soon as it gets dark. Read the same harvest picture book’s we have since the girls were babies. Everyone picks thier favorite from the stack. We have the same meal every year, which is different apples (all labeled, so we can talk about how each one is different from the others), good cheese (especially some sage cheddar), bread, apple sausages, cider and some apple apple dessert. Actually it is a simple holiday but one my girls would never miss, even though they are now little anymore. You can see what we have done in past years here. I hope it inspires you to have an apple day. Ohhh and come back and tell me about yours,I love to hear what others are doing xoxo

Apple Day

 

October is when we have Apple Day. We do not have a specific day set aside, just a good, calm, happy fall day in October. A day where we are not rushed and can enjoy it. We tend to pick later in the month, becuase is gets darker earlier. Even though my daughters are teens, we still do apple day. You can read what we have done throughout the years here. Each year is a bit different but we always read how the apple got stars story. This year I think we will make Heather's gluten free apple cake (Heather I wish we could cook together!!) and some mini-caramel apples  (brilliant Mari oxo) I am sure the girls will inform we what else we will do ;-P

So make sure you have an apple day. Even if you just light a candle and eat an apple. Just do something with your family to remember how blessed you are and to show your family you love them. It is days like this that make up the fabric of our lives (akk, that does sound like some commercial doesn't it?? Oh well you know what I mean  :-P  )    xoxo

"Apple Day" Season Is Here

For our family October is always about Apple Day. This tradition started when the girls were little. We do not have a specific day we do it, because I try to find a perfect day. There is no rules and a lots of my friends have their own way to celebrate. You can read more about Apple Day here. If you would like an Apple Day button for your blog, feel free. I think these little traditions are the fabric of our life and holds families together. If you have apple day, I would love to hear what you did. I think we will do some apple printing xoxox

Apple Day

 

 

Well it is that time of year again. I think after Christmas this is my favorite celebration. I write about how it all started in other posts you can read. It really ushers in fall for us and my girls really look forward to it. I am hoping that this tradition that catch on with everyone. It can be simply lighting a candle, eating a apple and appreciate the season. Or a whole day of apple picking, making sauce and enjoying your labors by candle light. Candle light or fire light is one of our rules for Apple Night, no lights. We read fall books and just are thankful for the bounty of fall, our family and home and the small moments of life. Also there is no specific day. Just find a relaxing day for you family, so you are not rushed and can really stop and enjoy it. I do hope you have an Apple Night and if you do, please let me know. I know several families who make this a yearly tradition and that thrills me to no end. Plus if you want to post or have a button for your blog, feel free to use this new image I made. There is a smaller one below. Happy Apple Day xoxoxox

 

                                                             

Apple Night Clarification

 

Well I have gotten a several e-mails asking me when apple night is. I am so sorry for the confusion. I am not good at this writing thing (how I have a blog defies logic !!) There is not an official date for apple night. It is just what is good for you. We do not have a specific day we do apple night. This time of year is very crazy for David and we just do it when he is around. We were not going to do ours for another week or so but had an impromptu apple night last night.

I thought I would share how casual, fun but very thrown together it was. I ran to the store and got sausages (maple for the girls, potato for us), different yummy Cheddar's (we loved the smoked Cheddar wrapped in smoked paprika), a loaf of rosemary bread (no I did not make it ;-p, seven different apples (see the slips of paper under the apples saying what they are), different mustards, cider to make hot cider and hard cider for mama !!! I was not up to dealing with yest, so no donuts. Instead I made apple fritters. Which I loved because you make the batter 2 hours ahead of time and put it in the fridge. Thank you Miss. Kelly for the recipe. Wish you had been here to enjoy them with me xoxoxox

We pulled out every fall picture book we own, lit candles, ate and read next to the wood stove. It was a veryyyyyyyy stormy evening, so it was perfect. I was thinking why do we do this evening besides having a dinner to honor the apple. I think it is to be thankful for all the bounty that we have. We have family, a warm fire, a full fridge, a summer harvest, a freezer full of berries. Lots to be thankful for. I really think that is the spirit of apple night. If you do have an apple night please let me know. It thrills me to no end to encourage others to spend time with their family and make memories.

                                      

Apple Night

 

I was just talking with a fellow blogger about apple night and though I should write a note to remind everyone to celebrate apple night. You know it is my mission to make it the next big fall holiday : -)

If (shock) you do not know what apple night is, you can read about it here and here. It does not have to be a big deal (or can be if you are into that). I think we will make donuts this apple night and seek out a new cheddar to try. So light a candle, grab an apple, gather the family and let the celebrating begin !!

If you decided to do apple night and post about it, feel free to use the image above.

This would be fun to do for apple night By Sun and Candlelight 

PS. I have a surprise for you ladies (which you will love) I will share about it soon !!!

Autumn Corner 3 part 2

 

 

 

    Thank you Joanne for sharing these wonderful pictures of the autumn corners of your home. Just beautiful, as usual !! Apple night was fun. All though we could not see the moon, it was foggy. This year we sat around a big bon-fire and grilled sausages and read books till it got too dark. Another tradition is to read Apple Star story by Madge Bigham. There are several versions out there but I particularly love this one. Maybe because I love Ms. Bigham and collect her books. After you read the story you half to cut the apple into two, across the apple (not length wise) and see the star!

 

 

The Story of How the Apples Got Stars Within
by Madge Bigham

    There was once a tiny seed sleeping in its blanket of earth all winter long until one early spring morning when Father Sun began to shine. The little seed awoke and began to stretch and yawn and stretch until its legs pushed deeper into the earth and its arms finally stretched up above the earth. Then, with one last stretch, the little seed poked its head up and looked around at the wide, wide world.

    After all those long winter months in its brown earth bed, the little sprout thought it had never seen anything so beautiful as grass and flowers, and it gazed in wide-eyed wonder at the world. All day the little sprout listened to the music of the birds and the breezes and was full of wonder. She watched the clouds sail by in the blue sky and then saw the sky turn golden as Father Sun sank into his bed. And then, as everything grew dark again, the little sprout saw a wonderful sight: up in the sky diamond-stars were twinkling! She wished so much to touch one that she stretched and stretched to reach the sky. But she couldn't touch the sparkling stars. And finally she began to cry.

    Suddenly, there appeared a fairy, wearing a crown a just those sparkling stars. "Why do you weep?" asked the fairy. "Because I so want such a star for my very own," answered the little sprout. "Ah, some day your wish shall be granted," said the fairy. "But first you have much work to do. You must grow strong and tall and full of love." And then the fairy vanished.

    The little sprout worked hard to grow tall and strong and after some time she became a young sapling. King Storm came with his winds and rains and beat her down almost to the earth. But each time she struggled to stand tall again, and grew stronger and stronger. And after some time she was no longer afraid of him for she knew he helped her to grow.

    After many visits from King Storm, one morning the little tree awoke to find her branches covered with pink blossoms. "Oh, how lovely!" she cried, and she took great care of them, day after day, until one day tiny seed babies appeared. Now the little tree was becoming a mother, and she was so busy caring for her tiny apple-children that she forgot all about her wish to the fairy. Summer came, and her children grew golden and green, and the little fairies came and kissed each little apple until it blushed bright red.

    The little apple tree was so proud of her children -- she felt she could not be happier. Then suddenly the fairy with the crown of stars appeared beside her. "I have come to grant your wish," she said, "to bring you a star from heaven for your very own." "Oh," said the little apple tree, "I no longer need a star. I am quite happy with my apple children." "Well then," said the fairy, "I shall give my basket of stars to your apple children. But I will hide them deep inside where only the Earth-Children can find them." And so she did. And that's where you will find a star waiting for you: inside each apple, guarding the little seed babies for you to plant in the earth again.

 

 

 

We also carved out apples, put tea candles in them and made lanterns out of them. Lastly I made apple-sauce ice cream. This was soooooo good. All I did was warm up some of the apple sauce we had made that day, mix it with softened vanilla ice-cream and to gild the lily added some warm pear caramel sauce. If you do not have any caramel sauce would be yummy or cinnamon sauce. It was lovely day. Although I think we my all be a bit apple'd out now !

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.