Wednesday, September 8, 2010

A Psalm for Apples

Photo courtesy of Lost Forest After Dark

It's apple time up here in Northwest Indiana.
I can think of nothing finer.
The trees in the orchards are hanging low with the weight of the harvest.

My little gnarly apple tree produced well this year.

I call it my Tree of Good Intentions.
Every year I intend to prune it and spray it.
Every year I don't.

Every year I pull off enough gnarly apples to make a crisp and a pie or two.

This morning I got carried away with the splendor of life and baked this beauty.




She tastes as good as she looks.


A good crumb to fruit ratio is really important to me, as it is to you, I'm sure.




This crisp has a bottom layer of crumb.


Yes, you read that right.
It takes it to a 'ho notha level'


Whilst baking it, I vacuumed (of course I did) and drank in the breeze coming through the windows.
I noticed the changing shadows on the floor - it's getting late in the year. I cleaned the fridge out    and blessed the birds with a lot of treats - and the worms too.


I said a prayer for Aaron at school and Glenny at work.
I thanked God for my life.


As soon as it cooled enough, I took a bite.


I spontaneously burst into song, and then wrote this Psalm, in praise of the apple.






A Psalm written for the apple, by Jayme Goffin, Psalmist and Chicken Whisperer

                           
Praise ye the apple! Praise it on the tree, praise it in the hand.
   Praise ye the apple in the bowl, and in the oven too -
      For the Lord our God has created it, and it is good, real good.


  Blessed be it's crispness, blessed be it's bite - blessed be your tree, without blemish or blight.
Blessed be your family when ye shall make a crisp and serve it warm from the oven, they shall rise up and call you blessed!


We thank Thee for your goodness that you graced us with apples.
   Surely, brown sugar and cinnamon will follow me for all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the land of the orchard forever.




Apple Crisp

1 cup flour
3/4  cup oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 stick of cold butter

Mix the above until well mixed and crumbly.  Press half of this mixture onto the bottom of a greased 8 x8 or 9 x9 pan.

Top with four cups of chopped apples.

In a small saucepan, combine one cup of sugar, 2 T cornstarch.  Mix.  Add one cup of water.  Bring to a boil and cook until it become clear-ish and thick.  Add 1 t. vanilla.

Pour this mixture over the apples, and top with the remaining oat/flour mixture.

Bake at 350 until it is brown and bubbly.

38 comments:

  1. Okay, I am still in shock that you have already made a crisp, vaccuumed, cleaned out your fridge, and still have time to write a psalm all before 7 AM.

    I on the other hand have drank a cup of coffee and rolled my hair on hot rollers. Still in the hot rollers as I don't want to get up and take them out.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looks absolutely yummy! God surely does bless and you have certainly made the best of it. Have a wonderful day, Patty

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm coming over to your house for a coffee break. Looks delish. I've got to find a local orchard where I can go pick apples off the trees. I want WeeMan to understand apples grow on trees and not in bags at the grocery store.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Standing (okay, sitting) in awe of your early morning productivity. Apples, brown sugar, cinnamon--only good things can happen when you combine those things.

    ReplyDelete
  5. OMG...and all I have done today is shovel sh**! You go girl....and save a piece for me...I am sure it would ship just fine!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I should write me a psalm about my ice cube maker which runneth over last night and caused a flood of Noah proportions in the inner sanctum of my kitchen. Righteous.

    You are indeed the psalmist. I could put yer lyrics to my git-tar strumming and we could retire rich, eating your apple crisp, watching Italian chickens and wearing sassy white bee suits whenever we darn well felt like it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You've got some mad apple skills, Ms. Lady! I sang along with your Psalm...umm..in my head. (Lookin' at the woman band from singin' in the car...yep..sniff sniff..it hurts a little) But, I do have to admit that Mr.D does love YOUR musical abilities! Wicked Coon...catch him singin' it now and then.

    Goin' pickin' this Saturday!!! Got your sweet recipe on my list. Anticipate the big grin on the fam's face when they see it comin' out of the oven.

    God Bless YA More and More!
    Heather

    ReplyDelete
  8. Looks delicious! I'm going to have to try that.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Amen!!!

    Looks delicious. 3 apple trees here in Ohio and 2 danged apples! Sadness. Great, enormous sadness!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Jayme....
    I love you Girl... :-)
    You are good medicine.
    Thanks for the psalm..made me smile, and thanks for the recipe.
    You Rock.
    Hugs acomin your way....
    xo
    This month you and Glen and Aaron shall be the Apple Dumpling Gang!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I plan on trying this today for my family (and I promise to give you all the credit!) - unfortunately store bought apples will have to do :( However, I am currently in negotiations with The Sergent to add a few apple trees to the homestead :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love your psalm! I am going to try your crumble. Crumbs on the bottom, who knew?!

    ReplyDelete
  13. how good of you to share your apple recipe, dont think its low fat though, Dare colesteral.
    Jenny

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sounds delish!!! especially for breakfast.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh my Jayme, that looks so good. Since we don't have an apple tree here I guess I need to make a trip to County Line Orchard and get me some apples so I can make this. Oh yea it will score me points with my hubby as he loves Apple Crisp as much as he loves hime a good peach cobbler. Thanks for sharing.

    Hugs,

    Anne

    ReplyDelete
  16. Jayme, you are a blessing and an inspiration to all :) Love the Psalm, and thanks for the recipe!! Going to try to kick myself into Jayme mode right now and clean & declutter this house which so badly needs it!! -T

    ReplyDelete
  17. YUM! I never thought to put the crisp on the bottom too. DROOL! With vanilla ice cream? SIGH!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Warm apple crisp and vanilla ice cream. Yum Yum !

    ReplyDelete
  19. YUM! Love the looks of your apple crisp! It certainly IS apple season! I'm waiting for the Honey Crisps - my all time favorite!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I LOVE IT!! The psalm that is... and I'm going to try that recipe real soon! Apples are due for picking any day now!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I wish you lived next door. Strike that. I like my next door neighbor. How about across the cul-de-sac? I wish you could live there.

    I am going to my backyard apple tree and pickin some apples for your psalm blessed apple crisp.

    kim

    ReplyDelete
  22. I just finished eating my afternoon apple. Not as yummy as yours looks. I scoop a spoonful of peanut butter to dip my slices in and share with Ladybug. One of her favorite treats. I think hubs and I should go sing your psalm under our trees. We do not get more than a handful of itty bitty pruny apples off our trees. He started spraying last year and pruning. This year we were in hopes but we had a late freeze. No apples, cherries or peaches. I have to go to the local orchard soon so I can make the grand kids their applesauce.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Great psalm!!!!

    I'm lamenting the fact that I missed your phone call this morning, to come for a visit and a bite. Sad.

    ReplyDelete
  24. HI JAYME! I love your apple psalm so much it about made me cry!
    "Tree of good intentions..." love it.
    Boot camp ended on Sunday. I'm down 45 since April. How are you doing? I'm hoping my art and writing will take over my life.
    have missed reading you!
    XO, hugs, CHeryl

    ReplyDelete
  25. I bow down to your crispy greatness Jayme. Crisp for crust? I'm now convinced that you are the most brilliant woman I have ever known. EVER.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I'm going out and picking me some apples! I have TWO apple trees right in my backyard! Gonna use your recipe too.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Thank God for the apples on the tree,
    Thank God for you and your recipe ;)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Jayme, you are my hero! To roll out a crips like this, clean house, take in the wind and write a psalm---Your'e the woman! :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. one of my favorites. apple crisp. i adore the smell when it is cooking! and , oh that wonderful tast of crunch and crunch.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Jayme...Were you walking through the Valley Of The Shadow Of That Apple Tree again? I love your psalm to the apple tree...I love your recipe for the apple crisp...I love your Blog, gal...you are good! Diana

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hi Jayme,

    Seriously, you've done all that work and are worried that you haven't gotten dressed yet. It takes me that long to get dressed and do the hair and make-up, and then I'm too tired to do all that work!

    Thanks for the apple crisp recipe. I think I'll put it on my list to make some ;-) I have a half a basket of apples that I haven't done anything yet. From our tree that we don't spray.

    About your bees, I'm thinking you have a lazy queen. That hive should have been FULL of bees and honey. For those bees to live through the winter, you are going to have to feed, feed, feed.

    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  32. Sounds good! I'm putting it on the menu right after I lose another 20 pounds! But my mouth is sure watering.

    Di

    ReplyDelete
  33. My apple crisp is in the oven right now and it smells sooooooo good! I can't wait to dig into it!

    ReplyDelete
  34. It was great! Thanks for the recipe! jan

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for leaving a comment!