Apple pie day

Every year, my mom, my sisters and I get together to make massive amounts of apple pie. Apple pie is fall’s most amazing food. I know everyone goes crazy for all the pumpkin flavored goodies out there (including myself), but let’s face it, there’s no better food than apple pie. This year, we made 22 pies. We froze most of them, to be eaten later, but to be honest, they’ll all be gone by Christmas. That’s how amazing they are.

First, you have to buy or pick many, many apples. These are lobo apples. Some apples are too soft, and then you get mushy pie.

Then, you have to put on a cute apron.

That’s my little sister and I. My apron says “Will cook for shoes”.

You need to peel the many, many apples and make several batches of pie crust.

Those are my mom’s hands. she’s the pie crust expert.

After that, you start assembling pies and you don’t stop until you have 22 (or 3 or 14 or 7, whatever your goal is. We don’t usually have a goal, we just keep going until we run out of ingredients.)

After a while, it’s totally acceptable to stop for wine. We really had to work for it.

But it was worth it.

This is my sister. She loves wine. So do I. Wine is delicious. Apple pie is also delicious. Good thing I don’t have to chose only one.

Drinking wine really makes for better pies. Just don’t spill any in the pies, that’s wasteful.

I don’t have a recipe to share because we don’t use one. It’s apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour, then repeat, add butter and that’s it. We don’t measure anything. I’m sure of you google “apple pie recipes” you’ll find some, but whatever you do, please, please, don’t use white sugar in an apple pie. That’s just wrong.

It was such a great day, and now we have pie! Everyone should celebrate apple pie day.

My dad is usually there to help. He peels the apples, but he was away this weekend. It’s ok Pop, you can still have pie. We’ll share because we’re nice like that.

Gone Girl

When you’re a bookworm, you know what it’s like to get caught up in a story.  Have you read Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn?

I had my name on the waiting list at the library for a while, but I was 12th, so I wasn’t expecting it for weeks. Suddenly, it was available, and I only had it for a few weeks. Saturday was a rainy, cold day. It was perfect for reading.

I heard a lot about Gone Girl, but no one would really say what it was about. Everyone said the book was awesome, amazing, fantastic, and I just had to read it. But when I asked what it was about, no one would tell me anything.

Well, guess what? I can’t tell you anything about it either.

All I can say about the story is pretty much what’s on the back of the book: A woman goes missing and her husband is a suspect.

What I can tell you, is that this book seriously messed with my head. I could not stop reading it. I felt like I was being manipulated by these people. Sometimes, I got frustrated, shut the book, and put it down. I’d stare at it for a little while, then, unable to resist, pick it back up and keep reading.

I kept expecting to have one of those moments where I discovred I’d figured out a part of the story. I love those moments, they make me feel smart, like getting the answers right on Jeopardy. That moment never came. Never. The whole time, I had no idea what was going on, or who was doing what. All I knew is that somehow, they were making me think things. Think what they wanted me to. It wasn’t the author, it was the people in the book.

I think it might take a few days before I can read something else. I believe this is what’s referred to as a “book hangover”.

Now go, read it!

Apple picking

On Sunday, I went apple picking! I love fall, and I’m one of those people who has a list of awesome fall activities that I just have to do so my season feels complete. Apple picking is definitely at the top of the list.I’m a picky eater and I don’t like a lot of fruit. I eat a lot, but of the same kind. It’s usually more about texture than taste. I do love apples and eat them all the time. If I don’t have any, I feel an urge to run to the store. These sudden I-need-an-apple attacks can happen at any moment. Luckily, I now have a million apples, so I’m good for a couple of weeks. Maybe.

I went to an apple orchard that was about an hour and a half away with some friends. I was wondering why we were going so far, when there are orchards much closer to home, but when we got there, I figured it out. It was beautiful. I think it’s probably hard to find an ugly apple orchard, but still, it was lovely.

This baby is trying to steal my apples!

I tried to take a nice picture with my friend Adèle, but it took a while.

Something was really funny. I can’t remember what it was. But it was funny, I promise.

It’s still funny.

It’s really hard to take a bad picture when you’re surrounded by apples.

Me being me, I decided what this apple picking expedition need was some yoga poses.

We’re apple trees. Get it?!

This is half-moon pose, which I have re-named apple pie pose for the occasion.

Note: This is not the half-moon pose that injured my butt. This is it’s much gentler, nicer, no butt-muscle pulling twin.

After the apples, we decided we hadn’t had enough of fall (is that even possible?) so we headed out to pick some pumpkins and squash.

These are called ghost pumkins or ghost greys or something spooky like that.

The baby’s not afraid of them, I guess they’re ok.

Running off to find the perfect pumpkin!

Pumpkins, pumpkins, everywhere.

Too big!

Too small!

Just right!

Here is a picture of lots of different kinds of squash I don’t like. I don’t like squashes. These are not mine. I just took the picture.

Pretty sunflowers.

They’re even prettier when you add in a beautiful little girl!

After all the squash fun, we went to an Abbey where I bought honey, caramel and chocolate. Not a bad day for sweet things.

I now have many, many apples that I have slowly started to turn into delicious apple amazingness. There is more to come, including apple pie, apple sauce, apple juice, apple crisp, apple muffins, apple cookies, apple cake, apple bread, apple butter and apple turnovers. Did I forget anything?

House of paint

On Saturday, I went to an event I never pictured myself attending. It’s called house of paint and it’s a world that’s so far removed from my world of yoga, books and elementary school!

There were graffiti artists spary painting the walls under a city bridge, b-boy and b-girl battles, dj’s and so much amazing art! After a while being under the bridge, my eyes started to water from the paint fumes, but watching the dance battles was so amazing, it was worth it!

These guys had a great seat for the battle that was about to begin!

Check the amazing moves!

My friend Ichih dropped her earring under the bleachers and it felt like a perfect photo op!

There was art everywhere. I loved the shoes. I’m pretty sure you could buy them to wear, they weren’t for sale as wall art, but they looked really cool like that!

Such a great day! Can’t believe this event has been going on for ten years and I’ve never been there before!

Tea and scones

When I went to Ireland and Scotland a few years ago, one of the things I loved, loved, loved was how there were tea and scones to be had everywhere, all the time! I’m not a coffee drinker, and I love tea. Plus, who doesn’t love scones? Since it rained all the time, it was nice to cozy up with a cup of tea and a plate of scones.

This weekend was a very tea and scones weekend for me. I made them gluten free, which made them turn out a little less fluffy than regular scones, but they were still buttery and delicious!

I’m not a fan of jam, so I made a perfect substitute. Think apple pie filling. Amazing.

I used this recipe for the scones. It was very easy and quick. The apple pie filling was even simpler to make.

Apple pie filling

1-2 apples, peeled and cut

1-2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix ingredients together. Microwave for two minutes. Stir. If too liquid, add half a teaspoon of flour. Mix and microwave for one minute. Stir and serve.

Summer days, drifting away

It’s starting to feel like fall. I love fall. I love sweaters and pumpkin spice lattes. I love wearing skirts and boots with no thights. I love the colours of the leaves. I love the way the air smells and how it’s cool but not cold.

However, I also love summer and I wasn’t quite ready to let go! September is usually a slow transition from one to the other, but it feels like fall is here all of a sudden. I’m not quite ready to give up my sandals and summer dresses.

August was a great month for me. After my yoga-bubble month of July, it was nice to have some time to just hang out. I had no plans, I just kind of floated around from beach to cottage, from yoga class to drinks on a patio.

Doing yoga on a boat. Then falling out of fallen angel pose on a boat!

Yay, I did it!

More yoga poses!

And finally just hanging out on the boat!

Taking pictures by the lake. (This photo shoot did result in a pulled muscle that’s not completely healed, but the pictures are nice!)

Yoga on Parliament hill.

Going out for dinner one last time with my friend Julie before she went back to Abu Dhabi. (Also, I cut my hair!)

More happy moments at the cottage.

Enjoying the last little bit of summer on the very last day of August.

Getting some treasures from my mom’s garden.

I’ve already made potato-leek soup, apple crisp and apple sauce, a yellow bean casserole that was the most amazing bean dish I’ve ever eaten (not that hard since I didn’t think I liked beans until this summer), not to mention salads and juices!

I’ve had a great summer, so I guess I am ready for fall, hot chocolate, crunchy leaves and pumpkins!