Apple Crumbles

A couple of years ago, we went to an apple farm to pick apples. It was tons of fun and we picked many apples. With that amount of apples, it was hard to eat them all raw. So I found this crumbles recipe from Ina Garten and turned it into apple crumbles.

Today, I am finally posting this recipe. The apples were tender with a little bite. It was warm and tart with the crispy topping. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it was like apple a la mode. It is a very easy dessert with little work to do. If you still need a dessert for the holiday party, this would be a winner. Light and comforting. Great flavors to end a feast!

Happy Thanksgiving! Have a blast with your families and friends! Eat more!

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Apple Pie Cupcakes

Before I get into the cupcakes, I have an announcement to make. Last week, I took my oath in the Naturalization Oath Ceremony. I am a United States citizen finally! Woo hoo!!! (Doing the happy dance!)

After being in the US for 11 years, I am finally a citizen. It really has been a long journey. I have to say that I never thought I would be a US citizen. When I first got to the US, I just thought to complete school and go back to Hong Kong. But then I met Bryan, we fall in love and we got married. And here I am. I am so honor and proud to be a US citizen. Now, I can really call the US home. 🙂

When I was in the process of getting my citizenship, I wanted to make some food and write a post in here to celebrate my love of this country. What food is a good representation of America? It definitely has to be apple pie. But I think apple pie is too classic. Therefore, I present you these apple pie cupcakes! They are light and sweet with some slighty-tart apple bites. Great for any occasions. Hope you will enjoy them!

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

With my 18 apples from apple picking, I had to figure out some ways to use them. Most of the apple dishes are sweet, so this savory pork chop recipe was just perfect for this fall season. The pork chops were moist and juicy, and the apples were sweet with a bite. Delicious! I have used pippin, macintosh and red delicious apples for this recipe, and they all came out good. I think you can really use any apples, but tart apples like granny smith maybe better than sweet apples like gala or fuji. For side dish, creamy mashed potatoes is just the perfect pair. Enjoy!

Apple Picking at Los Rios Rancho

It is Fall! It is time for apples and pumpkins. On Saturday, Bryan, my sister and I went to apple picking in Oak Glen Los Rios Rancho. We had so much fun, and we brought home tons of goodies. I have always wanted to go to pick fruits, ever since my parents took me to pick peaches in Beijing many years ago. Finally, I got to go!

Los Rios Rancho in Oak Glen, California

Los Rios Rancho is pretty big. Other than farm land, there is a store, bakery, sandwich shop, and petting zoo. We started off our schedule by picking apples. Choose, grab, twist and pull. We picked some macintosh, red delicious and pippin. We got 24 apples. Oh wow…. So many apples for the 3 of us.

After doing some works, we headed over for lunch. Their applewood smoked tri tip sandwich was delicious. The meat was very juicy and flavorful. The apple pie was good too, but I have had better. The store sells many different kind of homemade jams, butter and preserve. They all tasted good, but I didn’t get anything at the end.

Applewood Smoke BBQ

Tri Tip Sandwich

Jam, Butter, and Preserve Samples

My favorite part of the day had to be the press-your-own-cider. Bryan and I made our cider with an old-school machine. We grinded and pressed about 50 apples, and we got a gallon of yummy apple cider. The cider was amazing. It was sweet with a hint of tart, and most importantly, it was all nature and fresh.

Apples for Cider

Our Cider

It was a really fun day! I can’t wait to use the apples to make some great dishes!