The Apple of My Eye
Is her.
She is so full of life and energy and creativity. This picture displays her personality beautifully. Ruffled. In motion. Spontaneous. Arms open ready to receive. Not everyone, though. For she can be slow to love. But when she does, she loves deep. And she clings tight to moments of holding and snuggling and being together. Surely this is abandonment redeemed by togetherness. And her heart knows it. And needs it.
My blond haired, blue eyed girl is the image of myself. This brown haired, browned eyed girl reflects my spirit. The spirit God breathed life into when her dark curls bounced throughout our home. She is when I was born again.
This girl. Who will always be small, but mighty in my heart. For she taught me to open my home. To expand my heart. To welcome the unnatural. To broaden my family. I was led by this child. To places my heart nor eyes could imagine.
Her beauty captures eyes, so may God’s spirit capture her. That she will live and share his story to all who watch.
Consider today the ways children lead us. We often count the ways they hold us back. And keep us from freely living. But isn’t it that they keep us really living? All that they bring and see and speak. It’s bursting with life! They create life and beauty in the spaces they dwell.
Let us watch them and follow.
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As the chill becomes our normal and the leaves start to color our world, you’re gonna want to make one of these recipes!
Apple Dumplings
1 (8 oz.) can crescent rolls
1-2 apples, peeled, cored
1 stick butter
1 c. sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 c. orange juice
Cut 8 wedges of apples (about 1/4 of the apple per wedge). Roll each apple wedge in a crescent roll, starting at wide and seal edges. Combine sugar, orange juice and butter. Heat until butter melts. Pour over dumplings. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. (The sauce will thicken some, but it’s rather runny). Serve with vanilla ice cream with lots of the yummy sauce drizzled on top!
This is a super easy desert to make for company.
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Hot Apple Tartlets
1pkg refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts come in a pkg)
½ Cup sugar
1 T butter, melted
½ t cinnamon
¼ t nutmeg
2 each red & green apples, thinly sliced
1 block Cracker Barrel White Natural Cheddar Cheese, thinly sliced
Heat oven to 425. Unfold pie crusts, cut each crust into 14 rounds using a 2 ½ inch cookie cutter. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from heat. Reduce oven temperature to 350. Mix sugar, butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toss with apple slices.
Top each round with cheese slice and one slice of each colored apple. Bake 2-3 minutes or until cheese begins to melt. Makes 28 tartlets.
This makes a nice appetizer during the Fall season.
