National Apple Month

Sure looks good..
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Chef Diane

Ever since Eve took a bite in the Garden of Eden, apples have been a very popular fruit.  It was one of the first things I fed my baby, and he lived on apple juice.  I'm sure you have heard the saying an apple a day keeps the doctor away.  That’s because they contain vitamins A and C and they also have Omega 3 and 6.  Eating the skin is great for your fiber intake and they also contain carbohydrates to fill you up.  They have no fats or cholesterol and, they are really tasty too.

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I have a friend who lives in New York and he claims they have the best apples in the country.  I wonder if that’s why they call New York the big apple.  He loves the Empire apples which are just one of the varieties that are produced there.  In fact, New York is one of the top 5 states that produce apples.   There are over 20 different varieties there, and in the fall when they are harvested, he lives on fresh apple cider. Some other interesting facts about apples from NewYorkapplecountry.com are:

• The world's largest apple peel was created by Kathy Wafler Madison on October 16, 1976, in Rochester, NY. It was 172 feet, 4 inches long. (She was 16 years old at the time and grew up to be a sales manager for an apple tree nursery.)
• It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.
• An apple tree will start bearing fruit 8-10 years after it is planted. A dwarf tree starts bearing in 3-6 years.
• Apples are a member of the rose family of plants along with pears, peaches, plums and cherries.
• Apples come in all shades of reds, greens and yellows.
• Two pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie.
• 2500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States.
• 7500 varieties of apples are grown around the world.
• 100 varieties of apples are commercially grown in the United States.
• Apples are grown commercially in 36 states.
• Apples are fat, sodium and cholesterol free. And they taste great too!
• A medium apple has about 80 calories.
• Apples are a great source of pectin, a soluble fiber. One apple has 5 grams of fiber.
• The pilgrims planted the first US apples trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
• The science of apple growing is called pomology.
• Most apples are still picked by hand in the fall.
• Americans eat 19.6 pounds of apples every year.
• 25 percent of an apple’s volume is air, that’s why they float.
• Most apple blossoms are pink when they open but gradually fade to white.
• Most apple trees can be grown farther north than most other fruits because they blossom late in spring, minimizing frost damage.
• It takes the energy from 50 leaves to produce one apple.
• Apples are the second most valuable fruit in the United States. Oranges are first.
• The largest U.S. apple crop was 277.3 million bushels in 1998.
• Archaeologists have found evidence that humans have been enjoying apples since 6500 BC.
• Newton Pippin apples were the first apples exported from America in 1768, some were sent to Benjamin Franklin in London.
• In 1730 the first apple nursery was opened in Flushing, New York.
• One of George Washington’s hobbies was pruning his apple trees.
• A peck of apples weight 10.5 pounds.
• A bushel of apples weight 42 pounds and will yield 20-24 quarts of applesauce.
• Apples ripen or soften ten times faster at room temperature than if they were refrigerate.

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Some apples are better to cook with.  When my father baked apple pies, he used granny smith apples.  While doing some research for this article. I called him to ask which type he used, I told him I’m not baking one. Just needed the information.  Well after I got off the phone, I felt guilty, so, I went and got the stuff and baked 2 pies.  I took one to my parents, and one to their neighbor.   Since the recipe I used was my father's secret family recipe, I only felt that was right to take one to him.  Here is his recipe for Apple Crumb pie.  It’s easy and delicious, and since he no longer slices his own apples, it quicker too.

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September is National Apple Month.  Enjoy some nice fresh apples today, and keep the doctor away!

Apple Crumb Pie

Filling

• 2 cans sliced apples
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 deep dish pie shells

Topping

• 1/3 cup butter
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.  Rinse apples and let them drain.  Pour them in pie shell.  Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples.  In a bowl, cut butter with a fork or masher.  Add flour and sugar and mix.  Pour over top of pie.  Bake for 40 minutes.  Top with ice cream or cool whip and enjoy.

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Women’s History Month

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By Diane Forrest

At church the other Sunday, my pastor began his sermon with the top 10 reasons why God made Eve.  They are as follows:

Top Ten Reasons Why God Created Eve:

10. God was worried that Adam would frequently become lost in the garden because he would not ask for directions.

9. God knew that one day Adam would require someone to locate and hand him the remote.

8. God knew Adam would never go out and buy himself a new fig leaf when his wore out and would therefore need Eve to buy one for him.

7. God knew Adam would never be able to make a doctor's dentist's or haircut appointment by himself.

6. God knew Adam would never remember which night to put the garbage on the curb.

5. God knew if the world was to be populated, men would never be able to handle the pain and discomfort of childbearing.

4. As the Keeper of the Garden, Adam would never remember where he left his tools.

3. Apparently, Adam needed someone to blame his troubles on when God caught him hiding in the garden.

2. As the Bible says, "It is not good for man to be alone."

And, finally, the Number 1 reason why God created Eve....

1. When God finished the creation of Adam, He stepped back, scratched his head, and said, "I can do better than that!"

For as long as I have been able to learn, I have been taught that God made woman to be man's partner.  She was made from Adam's rib to walk beside him, not in front or behind.  For thousands of years women have been treated as a servant to men, property of men.  Men have been view as the hunter/gatherer, while women stayed home, prepared the home, cooked the meals and reared the children.   I can only imagine how much courage the first woman had who was able to speak her mind to the men in her area, and how brave the man was who actually listened, and supported her.  I think back to that movie Can of the Cave Bears where there was no language, only grunting.  The women did the cave work, while the men lounged around.

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There have been several women throughout history, and there are still many goals left to achieve.  This month is National Women's History Month.  It all began in 1911, when the first International Woman's day took place.  In 1981, the first Joint Congressional Resolution was introduced proclaiming a "Women's History Week."  In 1987 Congress expanded the focus to a whole month. Soon, other state departments of education began to encourage celebrations of National Women's History Month as a way to promote equality among the sexes in the classroom.

I would also like to add that just because women want to be equal and be viewed as strong intelligent people, we still appreciate being treated with manners, at least this woman does.   My church has recently asked women of the church to say prayers during the service, and this past Sunday, as a lady led the prayer, it was heartwarming to me to see her husband stand as she descended the stairs, and help her to her seat.

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So, this month check out some of the women in history who have made a differnce in our world.  Here are a few to start with:

• Cleopatra;
• Queen Victoria;
• Amelia Earhart, Aviator;
• Alice Paul, Suffragette;
• Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State;
• Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister;
• Wilma Randolph, athlete;
• Sally Ride, astronaut; and
• Madame Curie.