Hungry Times Two

In my last post I shared that we hauled back lots of apples from the N.C. mountains. Since then I've eaten apples in my oatmeal, cored into slices with peanut butter, in a sheet cake, with cheddar slices, and in a celery and blue cheese salad. Our dog Loretta enjoys wrangling the cores out of her red Kong . And yet we still have SO MANY APPLES. One half of our fridge is completely stacked with apples and one crisper drawer is full. We have a bounty of  "Nature's Toothbrush." (Ew.) Chopped Apple Cake, from the 1987 edition of the Trinity United Methodist Church, Charlotte, cookbook. (My dad was the minister there in the late '80s. The ladies there could COOK.) At night they multiply in our fridge like amoebas. They're taking over. I think I may become one.

I'm have a moment right now with fall. Finally after several weeks of warm weather here in North Carolina -- seriously, who should have to sweat in autumn? Did we not paid our dues in July and August? -- it's seasonally appropriate and downright lovely. This past weekend Scott and I went camping with college friends in Western NC (Asheville and Hendersonville) and hiked the Art Loeb Trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Black Balsam. If you're ever close to that part of the world, take that hike. It's now on par with my favorite place, Max Patch , as a Sound of Music -esque place to get 360-degree views that hit my heart in a special spot. There's no doubt I'm a mountain girl (place of birth: Fletcher, NC .)