Apple Picking, Beer Drinking and Meadow Baking

It is the season of apple picking. We prefer to go on Friday nights to avoid the crowds. This year we tried out Amodt's Apple Farm. We picked the kids up from school and headed right over.

I'd photographed the cidery and winery here a few years back.

Apple picking is too easy.

It takes literally 5 minutes.

Before you knew it, we were already more than done.

We promised the kids caramel apples but they didn't have any. They picked out some other treats instead.

They also had Thor's Hard Cider on site but we were waiting on beer later.

Theo got a turnover and I got a fritter (which was a bit stale tbh).

While we were at the orchard I looked up brew pubs nearby and found a new place in Hudson.

Pitchfork Brewing. Not only a brewery but also a smokehouse specializing in Midwest tavern-style pizza.

Good Oktoberfest.

Better pizza.

We may have over ordered again, but at least we'd have leftovers.

We'll have to take Brooke's parents next time they come to town.

Our night wasn't over yet. There was ice cream to be had. I have been wanting to try Connie's Creamy Cone in St Paul all summer.

The kids looked through all the twist options.

Typical soft serve. Not bad.

But they have like 30 different soft serve flavors.

The next day was all things apple. Starting with apple pancakes.

Well, we had way too many apples at this point.

Theo helped me make apple chips.

Which he would immediately scarf down.

After making apple chips Theo and I built a fort upstairs.

I don't really remember building forts. Meadow and Theo would just turn our house into a fort if they could.

Then Meadow started apple pie.

Theo has been doing really well in school learning his letters and learning to write his name. He still needs practice in writing his full name.

And putting his shirts on the right way.

I demonstrated that rolling pie crust is actually easy.

This apple pie became a family affair.

Later Meadow made homemade pretzels to go with our sour cabbage, apple and sausage dinner.

I waxed our wooden sled to get it ready for winter. Looks like this will be the last year it's used. Sad.

The kids got their caramel apples though it was kind of a fail.

The second attempt, not pictured, was great actually.

Comments

A Few Thoughts to Pass the Time

I'm sitting at the library, my new hang out besides random coffee shops. Class isn't for another 2 hours and I've finished all my homework. There's a guy running across holding his pants up and rush hour is just setting in. I never realized how weird Minnesotians actually are until I saw American Idol last night. They were doing auditions in Minneapolis, which Randy liked to call Minnehopeless. I thought it was just the culinary students that we're weird at my school, but no it's the whole state. The majority of the people that I know here are not actually from Minnesota, only one that truely is seems ok to me. Maybe I'm just like them but I don't want to admit it. School is alright. It keeps me busy. I like that some classes only have 10 students. Everyone in my Nutrition class eats healthy and reads the ingredient list but me. At least I get to take home everything I make in my baking class. Summer seems so far away. I need to find a place to live befo...

Backcountry Camping with Kids in Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Day 1 Back in May I stumbled upon Theodore Roosevelt National Park. I had no idea there was a National Park in North Dakota and that it was the northern end of the Badlands. Usually our summer vacations coincide with Scott's work trips. Since he didn't have any this summer I thought we should take advantage of actually taking a vacation. What, my workcations are always classics? I suppose a second real vacation this year wouldn't hurt. We definitely have more time than normal. As long as we took Covid-19 precautions and avoided people. We finally settled on a time to go. Blake joined us so we borrowed our dad's van so we could ride together. Scott had just driven from Michigan the day before. Blake had met my parents in Wisconsin to get the van and then drove from Duluth to pick us up. I offered to drive since I literally only drive twice a month. I was still pretty tired from a long drive home. Since we were near Fergus Falls we had to stop by the abandoned state ho...

Over the River & Through the Woods to Grandmothers House We Clean

My mom had wanted us to come down to my grandparents home to clean for months. Unfortunately a busy summer had kept us away. We finally made it a week after our honeymoon ended. We slept at my parents home in Cudahy before heading down to Racine. We got home from our trip on Tuesday and left for Milwaukee on Thursday. It was almost like an extended vacation. Before leaving the cities we stopped and had dinner at Foxy Falafel. It was pretty good and I like that she uses sprouted chickpeas. I never knew my grandparents on Poppyseed Tuska's side so Grandma and Grandpa Wojcik were a special part of my life. They both passed away last year after living nearly 90 wonderful years. Their home was always a wonderfully warm and inviting place. The perfect place to spend your Christmas Eve in front of a fire place. Since it's going to be sold, Brooke and I took on the massive task of organizing and cleaning the home. When Scott told me h...

Search This Blog