Apples, Cousins and a Great Cake

Apple picking at Grammy's house!  My mom and dad have two apple trees "down over the hill" at their house. It seems like they haven't had a good apple crop in a long time but maybe I just don't remember. (That happens to me more and more often post kids.) So, we made out with lots of apple and have enjoyed them immensely. Even with the bee stings. How do honey bees smell fresh apples and suddenly appear?

So so so so adorable. Little Mia ran to show Aunt Kelly her prize every single time my dad gave her one.

Always thoughtful Dora.                 

Annie can smell my camera from a mile away. She always smiles for her mother's camera so I don't really know what she has against mine. On summer vacation she asked if she could be in some pictures with her new baby sister and after two she said, "thanks keek, I'm done." (KiKi is my aunty name. Sounds like it belongs in the list of 29 year old cocktail waitresses from You've Got Mail, but I love them so I'll keep it.)

Nicholas thought he was a very big kid helping John Patrick fill the bags.

I love my dad's face in this picture. It's so classic. He loves apple picking kind of things and most other outings that some dad's/papa's might shy away from and he's always there with a, "Hey, now Buster, watch out that you don't poke your eye out and make sure you share with everyone else!"

Hope and I just sat and watched and ate apples as big as half our heads.

It's so much fun doing things with my kids that I did when I was there age. Darn, I should have showed them how to turn the apples into a Box Car Children stew using the wild onions on the hill. Next year. :-)   

And last butt not least. :-)  Mags. Wonderful, beautiful baby Mags. Love the turkey.

And after dinner my mom made the most amazing apple cake. I highly recommend it!!

3 tablespoons sugar

 cups sugar

3 teaspoons cinnamon

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

3 eggs

3 cups chopped apples ( about 3 apples)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup raisins

 Preheat oven to 325°F

Grease 10" tube pan, combine 3 Tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, coat pan with sugar mixture.

Mix flour, soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon; set aside. Beat oil and sugar until blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and then stir in apples and vanilla. Add flour mixture until blended; stir in pecans and raisins.

Transfer to pan and then drop and shake the pan to release bubbles.

Bake 1 1/2 hours - 1 3/4 hours until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on rack 15 minutes, remove from pan and glaze (my mom made a brown butter glaze but I dont' have that recipe)