An apple a day...

After sleeping in just a little, and then getting up and fixing us a killer/hearty breakfast of french toast, country potatoes, eggs and bacon, it was time to get going with my plans for the day. First stop: Stotler's Orchard. I've been itching to get out to this place since finding out about them last month - but they didn't open til September first, and since then we've been busy with other stuff. The lady I bought homegrown eggs from told me about Stotler's, raving about their apple selection and the homemade donuts. Well, who am I to pass up something so healthy and something so not healthy, all in food form!?!?

So I drove on down to Stotler's - about 5 miles from us, but on the back country roads it takes almost no time to get there. It's a family run business, and they were SUPER friendly and willing to chat with everyone who set foot through the door. While I was there, chatting it up with the owner about his apple varieties, the "you can only grow them if you're willing to pay the steep liscensing fees" Jazz apple, local weather, home growing of apples, pest and fungal problems, etc, quite a few people came in to buy apples, apple cider, donuts and pies. YUM!

I went with a bushel of apples - that's two of their big bags - and they make sure you have them overflowing before the bags are considered full. "Oh, you don't have enough apples in there - put more in!" I filled one entirely with Gala apples (which were a little smaller than grocery store Galas), and the other with a mixed variety of what they currently have ripe on the trees. Each week is likely to have a different mix.

Sharon and I have talked about going out to do the "pick your own" apples next weekend (and dragging Andy and maaaaybe even Brett?) before heading out to meet John and Michele for dinner.



I shared some of the apples with Mary after digging up plants at her yard today, and will be taking in a bunch of apples to share with coworkers tomorrow. I sense an apple crostata coming soon as well (Ina Garten's recipe rocks!)!