Apples!

Apples are one of my favorite fruits.  We took a field trip to a local orchard in early September to pick a few apples.  It ended up being around 100 degrees, one our hottest days of the summer, but it was worth it.

I love the little secluded orchard we visit.  The boys got to pick apples, eat apples and climb trees.   Plus they were free to run to their heart's content.

We made blueberry applesauce, apple butter, an apple cake, dehydrated apples and just sliced and ate some raw. All the recipes turned out super!

Here's a delicious apple cake that I discovered online.  It pleased both my family and company and is sweetened only with honey.  I cheated and served it with vanilla ice cream. You could substitute applesauce or another oil for the butter. Original recipe here.

Healthy Apple Cake

2 cups whole white wheat flour
4 medium apples, peeled and diced
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. honey
2 eggs
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9-inch round baking pan.  In a large bowl, mix together butter, honey and eggs. Beat well.  In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon and fold into large bowl.  Stir apples gently through batter and pour into prepared cake pan. Bake approximately 45 minutes or until a toothpick is pulled clean from center of cake.  Turn out onto wire rack and cool.

Enjoy!
~ Katrina

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Butterflies

The kids had a fun bit of science this spring.  We purchased a butterfly habitat kit from Amazon.  Once the habitat came in the mail, we were given a coupon code to order the larvae.  The larvae also came in the mail (alive).

It was really cool to watch the hungry caterpillars eat and grow, make their crysalises and then emerge as butterflies!

We journaled their growth and also used a learning website to print out a coloring sheet that labels the parts of the Painted Lady butterfly.

My oldest is a bit tenderhearted and it broke my heart a little to see him sad after releasing the butterflies.  He said they were his first pets and they didn't even land on his finger.   Thankfully, we now have bunnies for him to dote on.  My middle angel tells me every butterfly we encounter are "our" butterflies.  "Weally.  They are", he says.

I think your little ones will enjoy this experiment.  You can "grow" ladybugs or praying mantises, too.

Have fun!
~ Katrina

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