Sacred Wonders

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Saint Therese of Lisieux's feast day Is Oct 1st. So I think we should start a Novena Sept. 22nd...right? That means it starts this coming Friday:)

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, born Marie Françoise-Thérèse Martin, also known as Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, O.C.D., was a French Catholic Discalced Carmelite nun who is widely venerated in modern times. Wikipedia

Born: January 2, 1873, Alençon, France

Died: September 30, 1897, Lisieux, France

Feast: 1 October; 3 October in General Roman Calendar 1927–69 (Melkite Catholic Church)

NOVENA

FROM EWTN

https://www.ewtn.com/therese/novena.htm

Little Flower Novena
Prayers to be said each day:
Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of divine love.
V. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created.
R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray: O God, who have instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit; grant that by the gift of the same Spirit, we may be ever truly wise and rejoice in His consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love: O my God! I believe in Thee: strengthen my faith. All my hopes are in Thee: do Thou secure them. I love Thee: teach me to love Thee daily more and more.

The Act of Contrition: O my God! I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend You, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance , and to amend my life. Amen.

Concluding Prayer Prayed Each Day:
O Lord, You have said: Unless you become as little children you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven; grant us, we beg You, so to follow, in humility and simplicity of heart, the footsteps of the Virgin blessed Thérèse, that we may attain to an everlasting reward. Amen.

Special Prayers for Each Day:

First Day

St. Thérèse, privileged Little Flower of Jesus and Mary, I approach you with childlike confidence and deep humility. I lay before you my desires, and beg that through your intercession they may be realized. Did you not promise to spend your heaven doing good upon earth? Grant me according to this promise the favors I am asking from you.

Intercede for us all the days of our life, but specially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.

Thought for the day: Confidence in God. We can never have too much confidence in the good God who is so powerful and so merciful. We obtain from Him as much as we hope for.
If you are nothing, do you forget that Jesus is everything? You have only to lose your nothingness in His Infinity and think only of loving Him.

Concluding Prayer

Second Day

O dear little Saint, now that you see the crucified Jesus in heaven, still bearing the wounds caused by sin, you know still more clearly than you did upon earth the value of souls, and the priceless worth of that Precious Blood which He shed to save them. As I am one of those children for whom Christ died, obtain for me all the graces I need in order to profit by that Precious Blood. Use your great power with our divine Lord and pray for me.

Intercede for us all the days of our life, but especially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.

Thought for the day: Sin. The only grace I ask, O Jesus, is never to offend Thee.
By love and not by fear, does a soul avoid committing the least fault.
Yes, even if I have on my conscience every possible crime, I should lose none of my confidence; my heart breaking with sorrow, I should go and throw myself into the arms of my Savior.
The remembrance of my faults humbles me and makes me afraid to rely on my own strength, which is nothing but weakness.

Concluding Prayer

Third Day

Dear Little Flower, make all things lead me to heaven and God, Whether I look at the sun, the moon, the stars and the vast expanse in which they float, or whether I look at the flowers of the field, the trees of the forest, the beauties of the earth so full of color and so glorious, may they speak to me of the love and power of God; may they all sing His praises in my ear. Like you may I daily love Him more and more in return for His gifts. Teach me often to deny myself in my dealings with others, that I may offer to Jesus many little sacrifices.

Intercede for us all the days of our life, but especially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.

Thought for the day: The Use of God’s Gifts. How much benefit have I received from the beauties of nature, bestowed in such abundance. How they raise me to Him who placed such wonders in this land of exile which is only to last a day.
O sparkling nature, if I did not see God in you, you would be naught but a great tomb.
With your little hand which caresses Mary, You sustain the universe and bestow life; and You think of me, O Jesus my little King.
I do not wish creatures to have one atom of my love. I wish to give all to Jesus, since He has shown me that He alone is perfect happiness.

Concluding Prayer

Fourth Day

Dear Little Flower of Carmel, bearing so patiently the disappointments and delays allowed by God, and preserving in the depths of your soul an unchanging peace because you sought only God’s will, ask for me complete conformity to that adorable Will in all the trials and disappointments of life. If the favors I am asking during this Novena are pleasing to God, obtain them for me. If not, it is true I shall feel the refusal keenly, but I too wish only God’s Will, and pray in the words you used, that I "may ever be perfectly fulfilled in me."

Intercede for us all the days of our life, but especially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.

Thought for the day: Abandonment to God. I fear only one thing---to keep my own will; take it, my God, for I choose all that You choose.
The only happiness here below is to strive to be always content with what Jesus gives us.
I can demand nothing with fervor, except the perfect accomplishment of God’s will in my soul.
O my Beloved, I offer myself to You, that You may perfectly accomplish in me Your holy designs, and I will not allow anything created to be an obstacle in their path.

Concluding Prayer

Fifth Day

Little Flower of Jesus, from the very first moment of your religious life you thought only of denying yourself in all things so as to follow Jesus more perfectly; help me to bear patiently the trials of my daily life. Teach me to make use of the trials, the sufferings, the humiliations, that come my way, to learn to know myself better and to love God more.

Intercede for us all the days of our life, but especially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.

Thought for the day: Patience in Sufferings. I do not fear trials sent by Jesus, for even in the most bitter suffering we can see that it is His loving hand which causes it.
When we are expecting nothing but suffering, we are quite surprised at the least joy; but then suffering itself becomes the greatest of joys when we seek it as a precious treasure.
Far from resembling those beautiful saints who practiced all sorts of austerities from childhood, my penance consisted in breaking my self-will, in keeping back a sharp reply, in doing little kindnesses to those about me, but considering these deeds as nothing.

Concluding Prayer

Sixth Day

St. Thérèse, Patroness of the Missions, be a great missionary throughout the world to the end of time. Remind our Master of His own words, "The harvest is great, but the laborers are few." Your zeal for souls was so great, obtain a like zeal for those now working for souls, and beg God to multiply their numbers, that the millions to whom Jesus is yet unknown may be brought to know, love and follow Him.

Intercede for us all the days of our life, but especially during this Novena and obtain for us from God the graces and favors we ask through your intercession. Amen.

Thought for the day: Zeal for souls. Let us work together for the salvation of souls. We have only the day of this life to save souls and to give them to the Lord as proofs of our love.
I tell Jesus that I am glad not to be able to see, with the eyes of my soul, this beautiful heaven which awaits me, in order that He may vouchsafe to open it forever to poor unbelievers.
I cannot perform brilliant works; I cannot preach the Gospel or shed my blood. But what matter? My brothers work in place of me, and I a little child, keep very close to the royal throne. I love for those who are carrying on the warfare.
My deeds, my little sufferings, can make God loved all over the world.

Friday, September 15, 2017

Our lady of Sorrows

Seven Sorrows of Mary

The Seven Sorrows (or Dolors) are events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary that are a popular devotion and are frequently depicted in art.^[1]

These Seven Sorrows should not be confused with the five Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.

The Prophecy of Simeon. (Luke 2:34–35)
The escape and Flight into Egypt. (Matthew 2:13)
The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:43–45)
The Meeting of Mary and Jesus on the Via Dolorosa.
The Crucifixion of Jesus on Mount Calvary. (John 19:25)
The Piercing of the Side of Jesus, and His Descent from the Cross. (Matthew 27:57–59)
The Burial of Jesus by Joseph of Arimathea. (John 19:40–42)

It is a common practice for Catholics to say daily one Our Father and seven Hail Marys for each.

Devotions to the Seven Sorrows[edit]

Western Christianity[edit]

Mary surrounded by the Seven Sorrows

Earlier, in 1233, seven youths in Tuscany founded the Servite Order (also known as the "Servite Friars", or the "Order of the Servants of Mary"). Five years later, they took up the sorrows of Mary, standing under the Cross, as the principal devotion of their order.^[2]

Over the centuries several devotions, and even orders, arose around meditation on Mary's Sorrows in particular. The Servites developed the two most common devotions to Our Lady's Sorrows, namely the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows and the Black Scapular of the Seven Dolours of Mary. The Black Scapular is a symbol of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Sorrows, which is associated with the Servite Order.^[3] Most devotional scapulars have requirements regarding ornamentation or design. The devotion of the Black Scapular requires only that it be made of black woollen cloth.^[4]

Our Lady who softens evil hearts, Russian icon, 19th century

Eastern Christianity[edit]

On February 2, the same day as the Great Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, Orthodox Christians and Eastern Catholics commemorate a wonder-working icon of the Theotokos (Mother of God) known as "the Softening of Evil Hearts" or "Simeon's Prophecy".^[5]^[6]

It depicts the Virgin Mary at the moment that Simeon the Righteous says, "Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also...." (Luke 2:35). She stands with her hands upraised in prayer, and seven swords pierce her heart, indicative of the seven sorrows.^[5] This is one of the few Orthodox icons of the Theotokos which do not depict the infant Jesus. The refrain "Rejoice, much-sorrowing Mother of God, turn our sorrows into joy and soften the hearts of evil men!" is also used.^[6]

Liturgical feast[edit]

Our Lady of Compassion[edit]

The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows grew in popularity in the 12th century, although under various titles. Some writings would place its roots in the eleventh century, especially among the Benedictine monks.^[7] The first altar to the Mater Dolorosa was set up in 1221 at the Cistercian monastery of Schönau.

The formal feast of the Our Lady of Sorrows was originated by a provincial synod of Cologne in 1423. It was designated for the Friday after the third Sunday after Easter and had the title: Commemoratio angustiae et doloris B. Mariae V. Its object was the sorrow of Mary during the Crucifixion and Death of Christ. Before the sixteenth century this feast was limited to the dioceses of North Germany, Scandinavia, and Scotland. ^[2]

According to Fr. William Saunders, "... in 1482, the feast was officially placed in the Roman Missal under the title of Our Lady of Compassion, highlighting the great love our Blessed Mother displayed in suffering with her Son. The word compassion derives from the Latin roots cum and patior which means "to suffer with".^[7]

An annual Our Lady of Sorrows procession in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn is a tradition begun in the 1940s by immigrants from Mola di Bari, celebrating their hometown patroness

After 1600 it became popular in France and was set for the Friday before Palm Sunday. By a Decree of 22 April 1727, Pope Benedict XIII extended it to the entire Latin Church, under the title "Septem dolorum B.M.V.".^[2] In 1954, it still held the rank of major double (slightly lower than the rank of the September feast) in the General Roman Calendar. Pope John XXIII's 1960 Code of Rubrics reduced it to the level of a commemoration.

The Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary[edit]

In 1668 a second, separate feast was granted to the Servites, for the third Sunday in September. Its object of the seven dolours of Mary. By inserting the feast into the General Roman Calendar in 1814, Pope Pius VIIextended the celebration to the whole of the Latin Church. It was assigned to the third Sunday in September. In 1913, Pope Pius X moved the feast to September 15, the day after the Feast of the Cross.^[8] It is still observed on that date.

In 1969 the Passion Week celebration was removed from the General Roman Calendar as a duplicate of the feast on 15 September.^[9] Each of the two celebrations had been called a feast of "The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (Latin: Septem Dolorum Beatae Mariae Virginis) and included recitation of the Stabat Mater as a sequence. Since then, the 15 September feast that combines and continues both is known as the Feast of "Our Lady of Sorrows" (Latin: Beatae Mariae Virginis Perdolentis), and recitation of the Stabat Mater is optional.

Procession in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows as part of Holy Week observances in Cocula, Guerrero, Mexico

Observance of the calendar as it stood in 1962 is still permitted as an extraordinary form of the Roman Rite, and even where the calendar as revised in 1969 is in use, some countries, such as Malta, have kept it in their national calendars. In every country, the 2002 edition of the Roman Missal provides an alternative collect for this Friday:^[10]

O God, who in this season
give your Church the grace
to imitate devoutly the Blessed Virgin Mary
in contemplating the Passion of Christ,
grant, we pray, through her intercession,
that we may cling more firmly each day
to your Only Begotten Son
and come at last to the fullness of his grace.

Dieric Bouts, Netherlandish, Mater Dolorosa, 1470–75

In some Mediterranean countries, parishioners traditionally carry statues of Our Lady of Sorrows in processions on the days leading to Good Friday.

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Apple Pie Time:) It is a great joy to walk in an apple orchard and pick our own apples, and of course bake with them:)

http://www.maineapples.org/directory/index.php/apple-recipes

Apple Recipes

There are many ways to serve and eat apples. Once thought to be primarily for dessert, they are now included in many salads and savory dishes. Whatever your preference, apples are a great way to add flavor and nutrition to any snack or meal.

Apple varieties with a tart flavor work well in pies. Summer apples such as Lodi, Duchess or Pristine are sour and will compliment the pie's sweetness. Northern Spy, Jonagold, Wolf River, Idared, Gravenstein and Cortland are some other favorites for pies. For complexity, combine three different varieties into one pie. Preferences will vary, and you may have your own favorite apple not mentioned here.

Apples are also great in salads, and the best varieties for salads will also depend on your preference. To prevent browning, select varieties that have a nonbrowning flesh such as Cortland and the new variety SnowSweet. Empire, Gala, Honeycrisp and Macoun area few other varieties recommended for salads.

Ginger Gold Apple Crisp
By Pietree Orchards

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a 9×13” baking dish.
3. Wash, core and thinly slice ¼ peck Ginger Gold or other favorite yellow apples
4. Toss sliced apples with 3 TB diced crystallized ginger, ¼ tsp. ground cloves, 4 TB vanilla sugar, and ¼ cup apple cider or apple juice
5. Place filling into greased baking dish.
6. In a medium bowl, mix together
1 cup whole wheat flour or, for gluten-free variation: ¾ cup brown rice flour and 1/4 cup tapioca starch
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup chopped pecans (omit for nut-free), and ¼ tsp. salt.
7. When streusel topping is mixed together, add 5 TB melted unsalted butter or, for vegan variation, 5 TB melted soy margarine, tossing well together to create fine crumble topping.
8. Spoon topping over apple ginger filling.
9. Bake 60-75 minutes, until filling is soft.
10. Enjoy!

Butternut Apple Soup
By Pietree Orchards

Apples and cider team up with butternut squash, another fall favorite, for a light and satisfying soup.

Heat 1 TB olive oil in a stock pot.
Add 2 medium onions, sliced into crescents, and sauté until soft and starting to turn golden.
Add 2 medium butternut squashes, peeled, seeded and cut into 1” pieces.
Add 2 medium McIntosh apples or other favorite soft cooking apple, peeled, cored and chopped.
Add 5 cups vegetable broth, 1 TB rubbed sage, 1 tsp salt (or to taste). Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cooking 20-30 minutes, until squash pieces are soft.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, reduce 1 pint of apple cider by boiling, until ½ – ¾ cup liquid remains.
Puree the squash-apple mixture. Stir in reduced cider. Adjust salt, pepper, and sage to taste. Sprinkle each serving with a dash of paprika.
Enjoy!

Butternut Apple Soup

North African Spiced Roast Apples & Vegetables
By Pietree Orchards

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Grease 9×13” baking dish.
3. In small bowl, mix together: 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1 tsp. black pepper, ½ tsp. ground cloves, ½ tsp. ground cinnamon, ½ tsp. ground turmeric, ½ tsp. ground coriander, ½ tsp. garlic powder, ¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper, ¼ tsp. salt.
4. In large bowl, mix together:
1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into ½” pieces
2 large onions, peeled and cut into eighths
6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
1 head garlic, peeled
5 McIntosh apples or other favorite soft baking apple, cored and cut into ¾” pieces
5. Toss fruit and vegetables with 2 TB olive oil. Then, toss fruit and vegetables with spice mixture.
6. Cover pan with foil and bake 30 minutes.
7. Uncover, stir fruit and vegetables and roast uncovered 15 minutes more.
8. Enjoy!

Spiced Roasted Apples and vegetables

Lodi Apple Summer Salad
By Pietree Orchards

Lodi apples are the first ones to be harvested from our trees, usually right before our delicious peaches! Lodi is a yellow-green apple, a cross of Yellow Transparent and Montgomery. The apples are crisp and tart, terrific for eating in salads, fresh out of hand, and for making into applesauce and apple butter. Lodi do not store well, but then, as the first fruits of the apple season, we never find that there are any to keep around!

Lodi Summer Salad

Toss together:
1 bag of mixed salad greens, washed and dried
½ cup of walnuts, toasted
1 bunch radishes, washed and sliced
3 Lodi apples, washed, cored, and diced, tossed with 1 TB lemon juice

Dressing:
In a food processor, mince a handful of parsley.
With the processor running, add:
¼ cup walnut oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar salt and pepper to taste
Adjust seasonings to taste. Spoon over salad. Enjoy!

Apple Butter ( makes 5 pints )
From: Erin Pierce, Orchard Hill Orchards

4 lbs. apples
1 cup water
1 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Clean and quarter apples.
Simmer in water and vinegar for 35 minutes.
Drain liquid. Press apple pulp through a strainer.
Discard skin and seeds. Cheese cloth works well too.
Mix apple pulp with the remaining ingredients in a pan.
Cook over low heat for 25 minutes. Stir contently not to stick to bottom and burn.
pour into sterilized jars. seal jars following manufacturers directions.
Use in your favorite autumn recipes for low fat substitutes, and moisture content. enjoy.

0 fat, 28 cal. , 5mg calcium 2 tablespoon serving.

Apple Butter Spice Cake ( apple butter keeps cake moist and low fat )
From: Erin Pierce, Orchard Hill Orchards

1 cup apple butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt.

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. lightly oil 7 x 11 baking pan.
3. In a large bowl wisk together the apple butter,buttermilk,molasses,oil egg and vanilla.
4. In another bowl mix together the flour,brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon,allspice,cloves,baking soda,salt. Make sure to break up any small lumps of brown sugar.
5. Stir the dry ingredients into the apple butter mixturejust until combined.
6. Using a rubber spatula scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish. Smoothing over the top.
7. Baking for 35-45 minutes. Until toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cake on a rack in the pan for 10 minutes.
8. Cut into 12 squares. Serve with some homemade whipped cream. Enjoy. Check your local apple orchard to see if they might sell apple butter.

3 grams protein,2 grams fiber.

Old- Fashion Apple Dumplings
From: Erin Pierce, Orchard Hill Orchards

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chilled butter
1/2 cup 2 % reduced fat milk
4 medium baking apples ( such as gravenstein, rome, ida red, or cortland) peeled and cored
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Syrup:

1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoons groun cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. to prepare dumplings, combine flour ,baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. cut butter untilmixture resembles course crumbs. Pour in milk and stir to form a dough. Add more flour if needed to make dough less sticky. Do not over work. Divide dough in half. Roll out one half on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. cut into two 6 inch squares.
3. Cut off tops and bottoms of each apple to flatten.Rinse in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.
4. Mix together 4 tablespoons sugar,cinnamon,nutmeg. Place 1 apple in center of each dough square.( you may fill center with cranberries and sugar) optional. Generously sprinkle half the remaining sugar mixture on apples.Moisten the edges of the pastry squarewith a clean finger dipped in cold water and bring corners together at the top of the apple.Press edges together to seal and pinch together any tears in the dough around the apple. Repeat with remaining dough and apples.
5. Place all four dumplings in a baking dish, 1 inch apart,and decorate with cut out leaf prints made from left over dough.
6. Combine syrup ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Bring to boil then remove from heat to slightly cool.pour around dumplings an dsprinkle with remaining sugar.
7. Bake 45 minutes until apples are tender and pastry is browned. ( you may choose to cover with foil in the last 10-15 minutes of cooking if browning comes too quickly.
Serve hot .Enjoy autumn. Support your local apple orchards.
8 grams protein,5 grams fiber

Apple Crisp
From: Brackett’s Orchard

¾ cup sugar
1 tbl Spoon Flower
¼ tsb salt
¼ tsb cinnamon
4 cups peeled (cored) sliced apples
½ cup melted margarine
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup quick Quaker Oats
¼ tsb baking powder

Mix sugar flour salt and cinnamon with apple slices and place in a greased baking pan
Mix margarine and brown sugar then add oats and baking powder
Spread the apple mixture on bottom of baking pan then spread the brown sugar mixture on top of the apples
Baked at 350 for 40 minutes
*Serve with cool dairy treat like whip cream, ice cream or cool whip

Apple Muffins
From: Brackett’s Orchard

2 cups flower
3 tsb baking powder
¼ cup sugar
Dash of salt
3 tbls melted margarine
1 beaten egg
2/3 cup milk
1 cup chopped and peeled apple
1/3 cup brown sugar
½ tbs cinnamon
½ cup finely chopped nuts

Sift together flower, baking powder, sugar and salt; add margarine, egg, milk and apple and place on the bottom of a greased and floured muffin tin. Mix topping of brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts and sprinkle over batter. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

Apple Dumplings (yields 4)

2/3 Cup sugar
½ cup water
2 tbl margarine
¼ tbs cinnamon
Pie dough
4 apples peeled and cored

Boil sugar, water, margarine and cinnamon for 2-3 minutes
Cut a square of dough for each apple
Place each apple on a square
Sprinkle with a ½ tbl spoon sugar, dash of cinnamon and dot with margarine
Wrap pastry around apple and place in square baking dish
Pour syrup mixture over apples and pastry (leave some for basting)
Bake at 375 for 40 minutes basting apples occasionally with syrup
*Serve with a small pitcher of milk with nutmeg on the top

Apple Pie
From: Brackett’s Orchard

Pie crust for a 2 crust 9” pie
¾ cup sugar
1 teas. Nutmeg
1 teas. Cinnamon
Brackett Orchard Apples

Select a pie crust of your choosing for a 9” two crust pie. Put one crust on the bottom of the pie plate. Mix ¾ cup sugar, 1 teas. Nutmeg & 1 teas. Cinnamon together. Spread some of this mixture on the bottom crust.. Peel and core applies. When complete, cut the apples into slices. Add the applies slices to the pie bowl in layers. In between the layers of apple slices, keep adding more of the sugar and spice mixture until it is gone. Cut a 1 ¼” slit in the center of the crust, and three small slits on the side of the initial slit to let steam escape. Pat sides of bottom crust with water, and apply top crust. Seal the top and bottom crusts together. Brush the top crust with water. Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Server with vanilla ice cream.

IDEAL APPLE CRISP (or any fruit)
From: North Chester Orchards

Glass baking dish - greased lightly. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. tapioca on bottom of pan to absorb juice.
Fill dish with peeled, sliced apple. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. sugar over fruit.
Prepare Topping: Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup cooking oil, 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 tsp. salt, 3/4 tsp. cinnamon, chopped nuts if desired
Spoon topping over fruit.
Bake 350 degrees, 45-50 min. Serve with cream or icecream.
All of these ingredients can be adjusted as desired according to personal taste.
(Topping recipe can be doubled)

YUMMY APPLESAUCE (excellent on French Toast)
From: North Chester Orchards

Fill large pot with peeled sliced apples (we like half McIntosh, half Cortland)
Pour about 2 cups boiling water into pot of apples, cover pot. Begin cooking on high heat for 5-10 min.
Stir apples, continue cooking, covered, on low heat 10 more min. Stir again. Repeat until whole pot of apples is soft.
Uncover, cook on lowest heat stirring often to prevent scorching. Continue to simmer 2-4 hours until desired thickness.
Add some brown sugar and some white sugar and a little cinnamon to please your taste.
Applesauce stores great in the freezer in plastic containers.

GREAT BAKED APPLES
From: North Chester Orchards

8 X 8 glass baking dish - oven 350
One slice of bread - spread with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon. Cut four one inch squares, set aside.
Core 4 nice Cortland or Paula Red apples - place one square of buttered bread down inside, just to bottom to form plug for filling.
Lightly score the peel with a serrated knife in 4 places to help keep apple from popping open during baking.
In small bowl combine 4 tsp. graham cracker crumbs, 4 tsp. brown sugar, 1 tsp. oil, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, a few nuts as desired.
Stuff 1/4 of this mixture in each apple. Place the 4 apples in baking dish, pour about 1-1/2 cups boiling water into dish.
Bake about 45-50 min. until tender. Serve with cream.

BEST PORK CHOPS EVER
From: North Chester Orchards

Crockpot...in the morning:
Rub each pork chop with a little lemon juice, a bit of Bell's seasoning, salt & pepper, some onion powder.
On top of each pork chop place sliced onion and thick slices of peeled apple.
Gently place each chop in crockpot, bake on low all day.

Grammie Ludden's Crabapple Pickles
From: North Chester Orchards
Syrup - boil together: 1 cup vingar, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup water
Crabapples: Leave stem on, cut out fly (blossom end), insert clove in each
(alternate method-put a couple cloves in each jar before filling...)
Steam crabapples just until skins start to crack open. Pack in hot jars, pour boiling syrup over, seal tight.
5 quarts apples takes 3 mixtures of vinegar.

BEST METHOD for CRABAPPLE JELLY
From: North Chester Orchards

Around midday wash, core, and cut in half the apples in recipe (I like to add a bit more), place in pot with water according to recipe.
Cover pot, bring to boil and simmer about 15 min., stirring occasionally. Turn heat off and let sit all afternoon (this allows ALL the beautiful apple skin color to go into the juice). In evening, set up colander over bowl for straining - let the juice strain out through the night. Next morning you have your lovely juice to proceed with your jelly recipe ( I prefer the "SureJell Light" in pink box - less sugar allows a more intense flavor).

HEAVEN and EARTH
From: North Chester Orchards

Layer slices of potatoe, apple and onion in a lightly greased casserole dish.
Mix in a slice or two of crumbled bacon and a dash of nutmeg.
Bake covered for 50 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees.
Delicious!

POTAGE (better than squash soup)
From: North Chester Orchards

(the quantities are loose - all can be adjusted according to preference)
In large pot: 1 onion chopped, 1 stalk celery sliced, 2-3 carrots sliced, 1/2 medium squash peeled and cut up, 3 or 4 potatoes peeled and cubed
Add water 3/4 way up on veggies, cover - bring to boil and simmer about 12 minutes until soft. Mash with potato masher.
Add 1 cup chicken broth or milk, a little lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste, (some onion powder if desired)
(leftover green beans are a nice addition as well)
Blend in blender or in pot with immersion blender until creamy.
Reheat gently. Serve with dollop of sour cream on top and sauted diced ham (if desired).

OATMEAL APPLE COOKIES
By Hansel's Orchard

1 Cup flour
1 Cup brown sugar
1 t baking powder
1 egg
¼ t salt
½ t vanilla
¼ t cinnamon
1 ½ Cup whole oats
¼ Cup butter or margarine
1 apple peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to 375°. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Combine brown sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy, beat in egg, and vanilla. Add flour mixture, then oats to butter mixture, stir in apples. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 min until brown.

GREEN SALAD WITH APPLES
By McDougal's Orchards

(10 servings)

Vinaigrette:

¼ cup (apple cider) vinegar
3 tablespoons finely minced shallot or onion
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
½ olive or canola oil

Other ingredients:

12 cups salad greens (lettuces of various types plus other salad greens)
1 crisp, red-skinned apple, quartered, cored, thinly sliced.

Combine vinegar, shallot or onion, mustard & honey in a small bowl. Add oil and whisk until well blended. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt & pepper.

Combine greens and apple in a large bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat.

EASY FRUIT SALAD

(Serves 2 or 3)

Core and dice 1 apple. Peel, section and cut one orange into bite-sized pieces. Slice one banana. Mix together with a couple of spoonfuls of any flavor low-fat yogurt in a medium bowl.

Serve with dried, sweetened cranberries and/or toasted almonds, if you like.