Good Morning! What a beautiful Tasty Tuesday it is!I have a delicious and easy recipe using the fruit of the season (at least up here in Michigan!) Apple Crisp!

First of all I want to thank my brilliant creative friend and exceptional photographer Maribeth Schmidt for the incredible pictures today! If you would like to see more of Maribeth’s work, or for an inquiry, you can visit her page at Maribeth Schmidt Photography.

This recipe is one I was given by my Grandma Hammonds and I love that I have it written in her own handwriting! Apple orchards are in full swing right now, and this recipe is a great way to enjoy your delicious apples! For baking, I like using the Golden Delicious Apples, as they seem to be such a perfect sweet apple and bake up simply lovely! So lets begin!

Ingredients:

• 5 apples (I use golden delicious)
• 3/4 c flour
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 c melted butter

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Core, peel and slice the apples. Place in square baking dish or pie pan.

In small bowl, add your flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. If you wanted to, you could also add in here 3/4 cup of chopped pecans.

Add in your melted butter, and toss with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over the apples, using all of your mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes or until apples are soft.

The kitchen begins to smell heavenly. Anyone who enters your home says, “What smells so good?”, quickly followed by, “Can we eat it yet?”

Yes, darlings! Lets have some!

The golden delicious apples are soft but hold their shape beautifully!

The crumble top is rich and buttery!

Apple crumb perfection! Like a miracle every fall! This of course would be fantastic with vanilla ice cream, and if you want to take it over the edge, you could drizzle some caramel over the top!

Nothing says “I love you” like this delicious, warm, sweet and delectable Apple Crisp! And its so easy, I promise you you can do it!

If you really wanted to go simple, you could use one of those pouches from the baking aisle of oatmeal cookie mix that has everything pre measure in place of the crumb topping in this receipe, and just add in the melted butter.

My Grandma Hammonds who gave me this recipe was even sweeter than this dessert. Every memory I have of her is the kind that builds you up and pours into you. She lived in a tiny bungalow, a humble woman who was always your greatest cheerleader. Even when all you could focus on was your mistakes and mishaps, she looked at you and saw the very best in you! I lived with her on weekends during college. She would welcome me when I pulled into her driveway, she would come to the door with the biggest grin and say in her happiest voice, “Who’s that ducky on my porch! Come in here! You look so good to me!” How can you not be built up after a greeting like that?

One of my most precious memories with her is when my son Shane was just 2 years old, I took him to visit Grandma Hammonds. Her house was filled with little knick knacks mostly purchased from the dime store, and teddy bears strategically set all over her living room. The smile never left her face and as she looked at Shane (as she looked at all children) she was visibly amazed as though she was witnessing a miracle. She adored children. Well, on this particular day, little Shane was toddling around her living room and he picked up a couple of her little figurines. Wanting to be respectful, I said to Shane, “Oh Shaney, those are Grandma’s pretties, lets put those back.” And Grandma said to me in a voice drenched in love, “Honey there isn’t anything in this house he can’t touch! When you are gone, I will sit here in my chair and remember his dear sweet hands picking those items up and holding them. So please let him touch whatever he wants!”

Those words I will never forget. The heart that loves so greatly… it brings tears to my eyes and an eternal light for me to aim to love others with that same reckless abandon, to simply love holding nothing back! She has always been a hero to me of how to build others up and just the pure love she held so authentically in her heart. Sweeter than apple crisp on a fall day!

May we all feel that same love, right down to our soul! May you know how precious you are just the way you are! Look in the mirror, you are gazing at a living, breathing, beautiful, amazing miracle! I’m so glad God sent you to this big blue marble! We wouldn’t be complete without you!

I will be back Friday for a Fashion Friday.

I love you guys!

Love Always,

Amy

The measure of love is to love without measure.    (I saw this attributed to a few different people, St. Augustine, and St. Francois de Sales, it is truly lovely whichever person said it, and I thank them for their wisdom!)