The sweet simplicity of a baked apple and a sweet award

I am betwixt and between getting ready for my new teen play Betwixt and Betweened to open locally (November 5th) and prepping for auditions for Stuart Little (opens December 11th). My beleaguered director finally had a whole week go by without anyone dropping out from the cast. And the director just learned that the activities director had no idea a play was being rehearsed in the school and did not allot for that. Hi ho the glamorous life indeed.

So I crave - simple. In season, a touch of sweet and warm. Baked apples. The Italians dress them with just a smidgen of honey, nuts and raisins. Italians certainly do know how to make sure their fruit shines! Enjoy!




BAKED APPLES: Serves 4
Core apples. Peel them halfway down (you can peel them all - but I like the peel to cradle the filling. In a small bowl mix (amount vary to your taste) 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans), 2-4 oz raisins, 2-4 T honey and 1 t cinnamon. Stir till combined. Fill cavities of apples. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20-30 minutes (till brown). The inside of the apples turns into a sweet-tart autumns applesauce.

The aroma makes working with missing actors and confused activities directors a breeze! Serve warm - with a little cream if you like...

Or alone (my favorite).

Savor!

I woke up Saturday morning to something else to savor. Sam from My Carolina Kitchen. Her blog is as delicious as she is. While her focus is on food, she covers events, travel and drops enticing tidbits about the lives that she leads. Head over to her kitchen and be prepared to be enchanted.

I know many of you prefer to be "award-free," so if I err - be kind. I never think of these awards as being exclusive. There is no competition or voting and I feel the bloggers share these graces around.

Here are the rules as they were presented to me from Sam:

- Post the Honest Scrap award on your blog. Present this award to seven others whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged you.
- Tell those seven people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines and ask that they link back to you.
- Share "Ten Honest Things" about yourself.

Since I do not want this to be too much about me: I am a night person who writes better in the morning. I live with a lot of fur! I wish someone would pay me for worrying. Pasta and cannolis=magic. I grew up surrounded by Gresios but the Scottish and Russian/Austrians relatives were pretty amazing, too. There are things that I hoped would happen, never did happen and I am fine with that. There are things I never thought would happen that did happen and I am blessed by that. I am rediscovering poetry. I can watch a bird for hours. I wish I knew then....

I would like to share this with:

Bunny at Bunny's Warm Oven (I just made her delicious chicken)

Rebecca at Chow and Chatter for her flavorful recipes also build a healthy body

Ruth at I Love Flavour, Me! whose tales are as delicious as her food

Velva at Tomatoes on the Vine whose food has a natural grace

Miranda at My Food and Live Encounters who delivers mouth-watering recipes

Natasha at Five Star Foodie for constant inspiration

Janet at Meatless Mama for making me crave my vegetables