Apple Picking: Mission Accomplished

     A friend of mine invited me to go apple picking the first fall I spent living on the east coast. Blame it on being a California beach girl, but I had actually never heard of this activity. Once she explained it to me (spiked apple cider was all I really heard...), I knew it was something I just had to do. Unfortunately I wasn't able to go with her that fall - or the next four falls after that for that matter. 

     Now that I'm living out in the middle of the country, I figured there had to be plenty of apple picking farms around for me to visit. Not to mention, I have a car to take me there this year - rather than walking to the train to take me to the bus that would finally drop me off within the near vicinity of a farm (gotta love NYC public transportation). 

     I won't tell you about the failed apple picking experience, due to the extreme heat the midwest encountered this past spring/summer, but I will tell you that I ended up back home with plenty of apples and a dozen apple cider doughnuts. All in all, I guess it wasn't such a failed mission after all. 

C.A.B.B. Burgers (Chicken, Apple, Bacon, Brie Burgers)

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground chicken
1 apple, finely chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil
6 pieces bacon, cooked
Brie, sliced
Honey mustard
Challah rolls, toasted

Directions: 
Combine chicken, apple and red onion in a bowl. Once combined, form 4 chicken patties. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil over medium heat in skillet. Add burgers to skillet and cook each side for about 7 minutes each, only flipping once. 
Assemble burgers by placing the chicken patty on top of the bottom half of the toasted challah roll, followed by the brie, then bacon. Spread honey mustard on top half of the roll and place on top. 
Serve with a side of barbecue chips. 
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     My Mom suggested I make my Grandma "Gummy's" Apple Crisp recipe with some of the apples I acquired from the farm. I'm sure you can agree that your Mom's recipes may be the best, but your Grandma's recipes rule above all. 

Gummy's Apple Crisp

Ingredients: 
10-12 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3 tsp. cinnamon
Salt, to taste
1 cup water
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
Vanilla ice cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread sliced apples along the bottom of a 3 quart casserole dish.  
Mix water and lemon juice together in a bowl, then poor over apples.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and a dash of salt. 
Using a pastry blender - combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar, flour and a bit of salt together until crumbly. (TFM: You can also use two forks to combine if you do not own a pastry blender.) Spread mixture over apples. 
Bake for 1 hour, until bubbly and browned. 
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. 

Sunday Funday

     It's the first official NFL football Sunday! Yippee!! I know, 
I know - you're wondering why I care, so let me give you the scoop: 

(1) I have joined a Fantasy Football League. Sure, the league is all girls and sure, none of us actually have any idea what we are doing, but we're determined to show the boys that we can play too. 
(2) I love nothing more than a good excuse to day drink and eat junk food. Football season gives me just that. 
(3) My friend, Lisa, has come up with a genius plan to host her birthday bash at Soldier Field this year and tailgate before the Bears game. 

     So, in celebration of Fantasy Football (and real football), cheap beer, junk food and Lisa's birthday I'm going to make my mom's famous Cinnamon Cake or what has become better known as Monkey Bread to my best buds. 

Cinnamon Cake (aka Monkey Bread)

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 cup sour cream
1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp. cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix cake mix, eggs, oil, sour cream and vanilla pudding together in a bowl. 
In another bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar together.
Grease a bundt pan and pour 1/2 of the cake mixture into the pan. (TFM: Make sure you use a bundt pan - it doesn't turn out the same otherwise).
Sprinkle 1/2 of the cinnamon and sugar over the cake batter, then swirl in with a knife. (TFM: Don't overswirl, as the cake will turn brown). Pour the rest of the cake mix in the bundt pan, then repeat steps. 
Bake for 1 hour. 
Enjoy!