After the tomato day, next was apples! We had a bunch and we always like to do our apple pie bars as the first apple dish of the season. Amara loves to help bake or cook and the fun tools make it even more special.
She and daddy carefully selected the apples, then he gave her a refresher lesson on the crank.
They quickly made short work of the big pile! We used a variety of apples too, some sweet, some crunchy, etc. for the best balance.
Cora wanted in on the turning action too--she loves apples and being involved, so by the time one of them was bored, the next one was ready to jump in.
Amara followed it through though, all the way with me, till putting it in the oven (while little sis went to bed). I love getting that time with her to watch her little mind work. And boy did she EAT them! She ate the most I think I've ever seen her eat of sweets of any kind!
- Ingredients
- FOR THE CRUST:
- 2-1/2 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter
- 1 egg
- Milk (about 2/3 cup)
FOR THE FILLING:
- 1-3/4 cups cornflakes
- 8 cups peeled and sliced cooking apples (see first tip below)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
FOR THE TOPPINGS:
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Using a pastry
blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture
is crumbly. Separate the egg yolk and white, reserving both parts. Beat
the yolk in a liquid measuring cup, then add enough milk to measure 2/3
cup and blend well. With a fork, stir together the yolk-milk mixture and
flour mixture until the ingredients form a sticky dough. Halve the
dough and flatten each half into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Cover the disks
in plastic wrap and refrigerate them until well chilled, at least 30
minutes.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the cornflakes into a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to lightly crush them.
- On a sheet of waxed paper, roll one portion of dough into a 15-1/2- by
10-1/2-inch rectangle. Transfer the dough to an ungreased 15- by 10-inch
jelly roll pan. Sprinkle the crushed cereal over the dough, then layer
on the apple slices.
- Roll out the remaining dough as in Step 3. In a small bowl, mix the
sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg for the filling. Sprinkle the mixture over
the apples, then lay the dough on top. Use the tines of a fork to seal
the dough edges.
- In a small bowl, use a fork to beat the reserved egg white until foamy,
then brush it over the dough. In another small bowl, stir together the
sugar and cinnamon for the topping and sprinkle it on the crust.
- Bake the pastry until lightly browned, about 50 to 55 minutes. Let it
cool for an hour, then mix the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla
extract to make a glaze and drizzle it over the top. When the dish has
completely cooled, cut it into bars and serve.
After the parade, we came home for a quick nap, and then got on the road for Mallory and Mikeala's party at Chuck E Cheese. We got there a little late, so the playing was in full action, but we made the most of it! Everyone got to play games and ride rides, and then we all met back up for pizza, cake, and to sing to our birthday girls, it was PACKED!
Thanks for having us to the party, girls--your 3rd and 4th birthday parties were a blast--maybe your mom can get me a pic of you to add, I had my hands full of pizza and cake and didn't get a pic of you two with yours :) 
With all the heat this summer, we didn't make it many parades--and the ones we did didn't have candy, WHAT?? When arts in the alley rolled around, we were thrilled to get ready for it. The girls got their buckeye Tshirts ready and daddy loaded the wagon up. Susan gave us the scoop on a great location in front of CVS and we rolled out.
The parade wsa long, but the girls were great--Cora pretty much entertains herself and Amara sucked up all the candy near her like a vacuum!
Cora was too happy to wave on the kids in the parade--we had a great morning and a fun time. The weather warmed up just as the parade was finishing too. We saw and heard a few bands, and kids, and her school (Primrose) even had a float in the parade!! 
Our buddies Mallory and Mikaela came over for a little play time and boy did they ever have fun! They played all kinds of games together and had a grand old time.
At one point, I made the mistake of letting one of the girls climb up into the window--which turned into an all out party, but I really didn't mind, I (and a couch) were right underneath them.
We tried to get a good pic of all of them, but after I think 12 shots, we stopped--you get the picture, the smiles say it all. Fun times!
Our annual end of summer tradition continued this year, and the girls were happy to help! We started off by picking and washing with grandpa--
...which is kind of like herding cats, because they take them out of the water as quickly as he puts them in there :) Dad is so patient with them, though--he doesn't ever say a word to them.
We got quite a good batch done while the girls napped!
Afterwards it was time for refreshments outside.
The bellies are easier to clean than the clothes, so off they come!
The apples are all falling so early this year, we had to dodge the landmines of ripe and rotting ones while they rode the airplane swing and played a bit more. Have to love the end of summer--still warm enough for no shirt and popsicles, but no sunscreen required!
While eating dinner, we saw the prettiest rainbow out the back porch--the girls couldn't wait to get outside to see it! It was really brilliant and they kept turning around to watch it to make sure it didn't disappear.
These are a little past-due, but not by much! We had such a hot summer, that it was late August before we could really be outside and enjoy any weather. Cora always loves to plane-spot whenever she's outside. I know most kids love planes, but she is SO animated!
The girls didn't seem to mind our dead and crunchy grass--rather focused on the popsicles at hand :)
Cora holds them by the cold part--no matter how hard Beanie and I try to show he the other way...stubborn....
We had a great day outside, popsicles, picking raspberries, and splashing in the pools, this might be the last one for the summer!.JPG)
