September … feels more like July!

I took my cousins Linda, Kelly, Paula and Dave for a beautiful boat ride on Sunday. Fun day, actually, my wonderful husband took us for a boat ride. It’s been so nice catching up with our Florida family.

Before I forget, Sept. 24, Richard and I celebrated eight years of marriage and 18 years together. Thank you, Richard, for all you do for your family and friends; I’m not sure what we would ever do without you. Cheers to many more anniversaries ... love ya to the moon and back.

OK, for most of us in Maine, fall is a beautiful time of year. It is my favorite – apple picking, mums and pumpkins. I’m going to share a really simple, most delicious apple crisp with a crunchy top recipe.

First, I want to give Biscay Orchard a big shout-out. It is close by and the owners and the employees are wonderful people. Dana, Evie, Kris and I went over Saturday after the soccer games. (All of the Boothbay teams played well and I couldn’t be more proud of them.) Come to find out, my dear friend Kris had never been apple picking before. Well, we took care of that, had a blast, and had a great lunch after picking.

You will need an 8-inch by 8-inch pan, deep dish if possible. Preheat your oven at 350 degrees and cooking time is around 40 minutes. Grocery list includes: six good-sized apples, peeled and chopped up in a bowl; I had a few Corts and Macs, ¾ cup of granulated sugar, one teaspoon each of cinnamon; ginger; allspice; and lemon juice. Add these things together, mix it all up, and add to your 8-by-8 pan. For the crumb topping, you will need two sticks of room temp butter, one cup of old-fashioned oats, one cup of brown sugar, one teaspoon of cinnamon, and a dash of salt. Mix these items all together. I use my hands, lol, but if you want, use a pastry cutter to blend together. Blend well and toss the crumb on the top and bake.

This dish takes maybe 15 minutes to put together, from start to finish. Like I said, 40 minutes or so for cooking time. Make sure it is golden brown and bubbly. Let it rest and serve with homemade whipped cream or ice cream … you won’t be disappointed.

Take care, everyone. Be safe and be grateful, just because … life’s good.