apple picking

We were able to pick apples today. I thought it was going to be crowed at Smith Berry Barn, but we were told the crowds were there on Saturday, not so much Sunday, when we were there. We had to go deep into the fields to find apples, but we did. 41 lbs worth. We always have to stop picking before we want to. Picking them is so satisfying.

We have this down to a system now—we core, peel, and slice all the apples and store them in ziplock bags in the freezer. This makes them perfect for pies, crisps, tarts, soups, and apple sauce. The girls fight over whose turn it is using this gadget, which is great, because it's a lot of apples. I'd like to try some of delicious apple recipes suggested in the comments over on Posy Gets Cozy. I usually just make a lot of apple sauce and pies. I also am looking to try more savory apple recipes this year.

Unrelated, I found this book list fascinating over on Huffington Post. 17 Books You Should Add To Your Usual Back-To-School List.  It's an alternative take on the classics normally assigned in high school. I have only read one of the suggestions. I'd love to check out the others.