An Apple a Day

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

We all know this saying. Apples are full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, not to mention versatile and tasty for recipes and snacking. Fall is known for colorful leaves, colder days, and apples! One of my favorite memories is of picking my own apples from an orchard and bringing barrels of them home to enjoy over the next month.

As soon as Foodbuzz called bloggers to submit their meal ideas for 24×24, I thought of apples. They’re comforting. They’re healthy.

A few friends gathered to share this spontaneous meal, and we gathered on my back porch that looks out over a small lake. We lit a few candles, and the chatting and eating began.

Buffet-Layout Apples — P.S. Ping Pong tables make great buffet-tables. Simply lay a tablecloth over it and serve.

My own rule for the feast: every dish must contain apples. And, yes, I did make all the food without a kitchen. I used the outside table as a prepping station, the laundry room’s sink as a washing station, and a brand-new oven we just plugged in.

Apple Benefits: a flavanoid called phloridzin that is found only in apples may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and may also increase bone density. Boron, another ingredient in apples, also strengthens bones. The pectin in apples lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and it supplies galacturonic acid to the body which lowers the body’s need for insulin and may help in the management of diabetes.

Thanks to FoodBuzz for sponsoring this meal, and allowing me to share it with others.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Do you have a favorite apple recipe to share?

Also, don’t forget to sign up for the Sugar-Free Challenge! Each participant is entered to win some Artisana nutbutters.

Don’t worry, I didn’t have too much fun while I was away from you guys…just driving…

My family and I drove from Florida to Iowa which is about 3 days full of driving. Ugh!!!! My butt is so sore from sitting!

Anyway, I just thought I’d pop in for a little bit to let you know I’m still here. I just haven’t had a chance to sit down at the computer yet (And I don’t really want to sit anymore!)

Ok. On our way up from Florida, we stopped in Georgia for a couple days for my sister to play in a tennis tournament. We stayed at a place called the Wyndham, and let me tell you it has the BEST Breakfast buffet EVER!!! I was in heaven 🙂 It’s usually $16 (AH!), but since my sis was in the tournament, they gave us a discount (phew!)

The minute I stepped into the room full of food, I was in aw! My family kept telling me to calm down because I was just so excited to try all the yummy delicacies!

Let me take you down memory lane…

The Continental half of the dining room was the first thing to meet my eyes, and a waiter in a black and white tux stood before us smiling, “Good morning, how many people will be joining us today?”

“Five”, we responded.

As he escorted us to the table, I couldn’t help but smile. I felt like a child staring at all the unopened gifts on Christmas morning.

Once we were seated, he took our drink orders, and I ran to the plates. Fruits of all shapes and sizes were laying before, nestled in between decorative greens. A poster of the human body was color-coded to reveal which foods were best for what part of the body: Muscles, Brain, Nerves, Bones.

With my plate in hand, I slowly walked down the aisle, and contemplated what foods I should try first. Yellow watermelon, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, grapefruit, apples, and a banana smoothie beautifully poured into a champaign glass and topped off with a slice of fresh lime. Oh my.

After I passed on the donuts, pastries, and dried cereal, my eyes met up with another line of fruit: plums, pineapple, kiwi, cherries, and raspberries just to name a few. Then a beautiful arrangement of lox and capers met my eyes. ‘I’ve never tried lox before,” I thought as I placed a few slices on my plate.

I almost dropped my plate with the next thing I saw: a full hot oatmeal bar! Any imaginable dried fruit laid perfectly still in white porcelain bowls: dates, cranberries, figs, mango, papaya. And nuts: flax, almonds, walnuts, pecans… Quickly, I grabbed a bowl and filled my oatmeal to the rim with figs, flax, nuts, and blueberries.

After setting my plate down at my table, I wondered over to the Hot Section. The usual shiny silver containers sat there, hiding their treasures within. I looked through the silver containers to find the usual bacon, breakfast potatoes, biscuits and gravy, and sausage. But something was missing. Where were the eggs?

Ah-ha! I whipped around and stood in front of a man wearing an impressively-tall chef’s hat. In front of him, three skillets stood ready to be put to work.

“What kind of eggs do you want? Or what do you want in your omelet?” The friendly man in the white hat asked. I ordered a veggie omelet with spinach, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and peppers. Quickly, he sauteed in the veggies in oil, and then ladled pre-whisked eggs into the skillet. As it cooked, he prodded the eggs with a spatula until he felt like they were ready. Once ready, he flicked the omelet into the air. As the eggs and veggies soared, the chef stood ready to catch them. Bingo! They landed perfectly onto the skillet and cooked thoroughly the rest of the way.

I thanked the man for his good-dead, and complimented him on his handiwork as I spooned fresh guacamole and pico de gallo onto the omelet. Happlily, I walked passed the fresh whipped cream, butter and syrup waiting to be spooned onto freshly-made belgium waffles, and took a seat next to my family.

I slowly devoured my breakfast, enjoying every minute of it. I decided it was the best omelet I’d ever had, and decided that I really loved “fig newton” oatmeal. I also decided that I didn’t like raw salmon much, and vowed to stick to my cooked fish. Another thing I figured out was that I loved a certain yellow fruit that looked like kiwi on the inside, but didn’t taste like it. What was this sweet, yellow delicacy?

Plate upon plate, I went back for seconds, thirds, and fourths. I needed to try a little bit of everything. Satisfied, I smiled and declared it was the best breakfast I’d ever had.