I came out of a 2 hour appointment with a patient to be met with a GORGEOUS sunny day, shining in the large windows on the front side of my office building that gets all morning light. In my windowless office, I really only know if it’s pouring rain due to the sound.
But I saw that sun and got incredibly excited about my team’s off-site time today at a Spartan obstacle course! This excitement, coming from the girl with 2 bad feet/ankles….who didn’t (couldn’t) play hockey 2 days ago due to pain. I’m literally the worst patient, ever.
I skipped some of the balance beam exercises, went easy on the burpee jumps, and walked at times over jogging, but I pushed through and was very glad that I did. It was a lot of fun. I haven’t been with my co-workers, sans mask, since March. It’s nice to see what they look like, nice to get out of the office and out on a beautiful day, and even better to be spending the afternoon being active together. It was perfect!
Ends up, we only managed to make it through half the course (it was all woods to me!), but we’ll just have to return! There were tire flips, 50 pound sand ball slams, climbing across ropes, the whole bit. Did I feel Spartan-like? Not a chance. But I got my heart rate up a bit and it was something new and social. I’m always up for new and social!
A few weeks ago, we went apple picking. The day was gorgeous – a day just like today. Sunny and flirting with 70 degrees. We picked all different varieties of apples and they were all together in a GIANT bag. A half bushel, to be exact. I stored the apples in whatever available fridge space we had and we’ve been snacking on them since.
We’ve been making progress, but enough progress for a half bushel and 4 snackers! Naturally, I decided to make my first ever apple pie. And not just one, but two! One for home and one for a work birthday. Admittedly, apple pie isn’t my thing, but, I mean…I still really like apple pie. Warmed up with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream? HECK YES!
Traditional Apple Pie
I mean...it's apple pie. A DARN good apple pie. It will be loved!
Ingredients
Filling:
- 4 lbs apples (about 10 medium), peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch thick half-moons
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Pie:
- 1 (14 oz) package prepared pie crusts, thawed if frozen
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp water
- 1 Tbsp coarse sugar (e.g. turbinado, sucanat)
Instructions
- Place prepared apples in a large bowl and sprinkle with the sugar. Gently toss until no sugar remains in the bottom of the bowl. Transfer the apples to a large, fine mesh colander and set the colander over the now empty bowl; set aside for 30+ minutes to soften.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a baking sheet into the oven as it preheats.
- Place one of the pie crusts in the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate, gently pressing down to mold to the shape of the pan. To the second crust, use a paring knife to cut 4-5 vent holes into the center. Place on parchment and refrigerate both crusts.
- After 30 minutes, discard any liquid released from the apples and transfer the apples back to the large bowl. Gently toss with the cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt until cornstarch and cinnamon are evenly distributed.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Remove the crusts from the oven and brush the prepared pie plate with egg wash, including the lip of the crust.
- Arrange the apples in the pie pan so that few gaps exist. The apples will be heaping. Place the second crust with the vent holes over the top of the apples and using a fork or your fingers, seal the two crusts by applying gently pressure.
- Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Recipe from The Kitchn
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 384Total Fat: 12.5gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 335mgCarbohydrates: 71.6gFiber: 2.8gSugar: 40.1gProtein: 1.9g
Loving fall recipes? Ch-ch-check these out!
- Apple Cider Caramels
- Crock Pot Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats
- Gluten-Free Oatmeal Apple Blender Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pie Bars
Be well,
