Happy Sunday! Happy Fall! HAPPY APPLES!
I am so thankful for the changing of the seasons. I feel very blessed that we live in a part of the country where we have four distinct seasons. Just when a season starts getting a little “routine,” along comes a new season to shake things up and make things interesting and “new” again!
For about 20 years I talked to truck salesmen all over the United States and Canada regularly because of my job. In all those years, I found that especially the ones in California and Florida LOVED to tell me about their beautiful weather — and there is absolutely no doubt that they had something to brag about! But, I would always tell them that because they had beautiful weather regularly, they surely couldn’t appreciate it like WE appreciate OUR beautiful days, because we don’t get nearly enough of them to make them routine. When we have a beautiful day we REVEL in it, and Fall is one time when we get to do our share of “reveling.” When the leaves “turn” it is absolutely gorgeous here. Thank you God for the beauty of Fall.
When Fall comes, there are suddenly foods that sound sooooo good, like vegetable soup and chili and — APPLES! What other food says Fall more than apples — big, crisp, crunchy ones just to eat, or as hot apple cider, or as great apple desserts! Thank you God for Apples!
Here is a wonderful apple cake recipe that Mama loved to make. How can you not love something that includes apples, nuts and cinnamon, topped with cream cheese frosting!
Mama’s Apple Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together in large bowl — 2 C. sugar — 2 C. flour — 1 t. salt — 1 t. soda — 1 t. nutmeg — 2 t. cinnamon.
Then blend in 1 C. applesauce and 2 eggs. (Mixture will be stiff.) Stir in 5 cups of sliced apples and 1 C. chopped walnuts (pecans, if you don’t like walnuts). Spread in greased 9×13 pan. Sprinkle on top 2 T. lemon juice and 1 t. dried lemon peel. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Frost with cream cheese frosting when cool.
Frosting:
Mix together 8 oz. softened cream cheese, 1 stick softened butter, 2 t. vanilla and enough powdered sugar to make it frosting (recipe says “3/4 box” powdered sugar, but I don’t think it comes in a box any more, so just go by sight and taste. (I would say, start with two cups). Add a little milk if it is too stiff, add a little more powdered sugar if you put too much milk in and it’s too runny, and so on — you get the idea.
I hope you love this cake as much as our family does!
One last blessing. Hubby’s family always said (and we still do) the following blessing before meals. It is called “The Common Table Prayer.”
“Come Lord Jesus be our guest and let Thy gifts to us be blessed. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen”
Thank you God for the “faith of our fathers” that has been passed on to us.
On this Fall Sunday may you and yours appreciate and enjoy your own Fall Blessings.
