The fall of the year was always a time I looked forward to, as it was "Apple Picking Time" -- we would get our wooden basket with wire handles and off we would go to pick apples. My children were just little then, they would be right under the tree when my husband would climb up the tree and shake the apples off the branches. The apples could have been picked with an apple-picking pole, but the boys had such fun, they would stand underneath the tree while their father climbed the tree. He would give just a small shake to make an apple or two fall, our children would run out from underneath the tree giggling and laughing as they would hear plunk, plop as my husband continued to shake the apples from the tree. Once the shaking had stopped you’d think we had struck gold! We all scrambled to get the apples to put in the basket, somewhat like a contestant in a race would. We had apples piled up in our shirt that we had pulled up just a little bit in the front to hold the apples in a make shift pocket. We’d go to the basket and pour our pouch of apples in, checking to see if someone else had picked up more apples than the other had, scurrying back to get another pocket full! Then once the job was done; it was time to for momma to prepare the apples, preserving them in various forms for the winter. Apple pie and baked apples were the family favorites for me to fix and eat!

I hope you enjoy the baked apple recipe, as our family has. Have a "Happy Fall" and if any of you don't have access to an apple tree, seek out an apple orchard if you live in a region that has them and take the kids for this years "apple picking time."

This story hopefully painted a picture memory for you, or brought back some old memories of your own!