# It's starting to feel like Fall...



## severine (Sep 14, 2010)

Took the kids apple picking this afternoon. First time I've gone, though they've been before with my FIL. Beautiful day: about 70 degrees, sunny, a little breezy--perfect Fall weather (even though it's technically not Fall yet). I let the kids pick their bag sizes, which was a mistake--$21 later and I probably have over 15 lbs of apples right now.  Guess I'll have to take out Warp-Daddy's recipe for Amaretto Apple Crisp soon!

A few pics... I'm disappointed overall. Been playing with my new-to-me fisheye lens but it's fully manual (including the aperture) and I'm having a hard time finding the sweet spot for focus. (Plus I was using it on a new-to-me DSLR body that had somebody else's leftover presets on it...) Still, it was a nice day to get outside.


----------



## Greg (Sep 14, 2010)

Love March Farms. We went to Lyman this year. That's a lot of freakin' apples...


----------



## bvibert (Sep 14, 2010)

Good thing the kids eat 2-3 apples a piece every day that we have them...


----------



## snoseek (Sep 14, 2010)

Wow! Those a great pictures. What kind of camera are you using? The pic of your kid with the fisheye lens came out pretty good I thought


----------



## o3jeff (Sep 14, 2010)

bvibert said:


> Good thing the kids eat 2-3 apples a piece every day that we have them...



If they run out let me know, for some stupid reason I thought for one person I needed a big basket of apples while I was at the orchard the other day.


----------



## severine (Sep 14, 2010)

snoseek said:


> Wow! Those a great pictures. What kind of camera are you using? The pic of your kid with the fisheye lens came out pretty good I thought


Thanks.  I just moved up to a Canon 20D from a 10D. Nothing like a 6-year-old pro-sumer DSLR. :lol: Works for me, though. I can thank Lightroom for helping me fix some of the underexposed shots from when I was trying to figure out what the heck kind of presets the previous owner had on the body.


----------



## bvibert (Sep 14, 2010)

o3jeff said:


> If they run out let me know, for some stupid reason I thought for one person I needed a big basket of apples while I was at the orchard the other day.



Bake yourself some apple pies


----------



## severine (Sep 14, 2010)

o3jeff said:


> If they run out let me know, for some stupid reason I thought for one person I needed a big basket of apples while I was at the orchard the other day.



What kind? Mine are all Macouns. Maybe we can trade some. Good pies come from a mix.


----------



## drjeff (Sep 14, 2010)

Greg said:


> Love March Farms. We went to Lyman this year. That's a lot of freakin' apples...



Lyman is nuts!  Just love that place!  It's one of the few places that my wife will actually encourage me to go golfing at(and they have 2 really good golf courses there) since she knows that when I get home, I'll have some really good fruit + veggies + baked goods from their farm store (I'm practically drooling right now thinking about their apple cider donuts!)


----------



## RootDKJ (Sep 14, 2010)

Hell yeah it's looking like Fall.  I see leaves changing everywhere.


----------



## bvibert (Sep 14, 2010)

Leaves are starting to cover the local MTB trails already..


----------



## AngryHugo (Sep 15, 2010)

all the Octoberfest and pumpkin beers are now out, which is a good sign things are a-changin'


----------



## ctenidae (Sep 15, 2010)

RootDKJ said:


> Hell yeah it's looking like Fall.  I see leaves changing everywhere.



Tons of pool service trucks out the past couple of mornings, and boatyards are starting to fill up. People are winterizing already.


----------



## hammer (Sep 15, 2010)

ctenidae said:


> Tons of pool service trucks out the past couple of mornings, and boatyards are starting to fill up. People are winterizing already.


Not yet for me...one more fall camping trip and then we'll start working on getting the pop-up ready for winter storage.

Been wondering why our leaves aren't changing already...the birches usually start before Labor Day.


----------



## 4aprice (Sep 15, 2010)

Nice nip to the air during my morning workout.  A little color showing up in the trees.  A good crop of acorns on the ground already and the squirrels are busy with their bombing runs.  Starting to think about putting the boat away for the season.  I feel the fever starting to rise.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


----------



## bvibert (Sep 16, 2010)

severine said:


> I probably have over 15 lbs of apples right now.  Guess I'll have to take out Warp-Daddy's recipe for Amaretto Apple Crisp soon!



I ended up making it last night... Yummy!  Thanks WD!


----------



## o3jeff (Sep 16, 2010)

Never mind the cool temps outside this morning, it was a crisp 64 in the office this morning when I came in!


----------



## ForsakenKit (Sep 16, 2010)

Great Photos, I really need to get out to the apple orchard and take some pictures, ive always wanted to.


----------



## hammer (Sep 16, 2010)

How much did you get? A full bushel?

We usually get a packed half-bushel for a family of 4...and we're practically sick of apples after a few weeks...


----------



## bvibert (Sep 16, 2010)

hammer said:


> How much did you get? A full bushel?
> 
> We usually get a packed half-bushel for a family of 4...and we're practically sick of apples after a few weeks...



She got a peck and a half, which came out to just over 15 pounds (a peck is supposed to be about 10.5 pounds).  A bushel is supposed to be about 42 pounds, so I guess we ended up with a little less than a half bushel.

I will say this; my kids picked some of the smallest apples I've ever seen....  Which made it somewhat more tedious getting the 3 pounds needed for the recipe peeled and sliced, since I had to go through so many apples...


----------



## hammer (Sep 16, 2010)

bvibert said:


> She got a peck and a half, which came out to just over 15 pounds (a peck is supposed to be about 10.5 pounds).  A bushel is supposed to be about 42 pounds, so I guess we ended up with a little less than a half bushel.
> 
> I will say this; my kids picked some of the smallest apples I've ever seen....  Which made it somewhat more tedious getting the 3 pounds needed for the recipe peeled and sliced, since I had to go through so many apples...



Do you have one of these?  They work pretty well...


----------



## Greg (Sep 16, 2010)

Brian the baker. I love it!


----------



## bvibert (Sep 16, 2010)

hammer said:


> Do you have one of these?  They work pretty well...



Yes. I would have givin up otherwise.


----------



## bvibert (Sep 16, 2010)

Greg said:


> Brian the baker. I love it!



Its not good for my waist line, but I've been trying to make better use of my idle time than just sitting around mindlessly surfing the web... ;-)


----------



## SKIQUATTRO (Sep 16, 2010)

heading up to Lymans on saturday, have lunch (anyone any local resturants to eat outside) ....stay over with my folks and head back to the island sunday morning....apple orchards on the island are aweful....we also hit Rose's in Glastonbury for our tree at xmas time.....why do i live here????


----------



## severine (Sep 16, 2010)

I <3 Lyman's but it gets to be a mad house there once the leaves start to change. March Farm was beautiful and I will definitely go back. Need to get some different apples once we work through all these Macouns.

And *I* kind of like Brian baking (and cooking). It's nice to have time for other pursuits.


----------



## o3jeff (Sep 16, 2010)

bvibert said:


> Its not good for my waist line, but I've been trying to make better use of my idle time than just sitting around mindlessly surfing the web... ;-)



Can you make a whoopie pie?


----------



## bvibert (Sep 16, 2010)

o3jeff said:


> Can you make a whoopie pie?



Nope, not getting into that.


----------



## drjeff (Sep 16, 2010)

SKIQUATTRO said:


> heading up to Lymans on saturday, have lunch (anyone any local resturants to eat outside) ....stay over with my folks and head back to the island sunday morning....apple orchards on the island are aweful....we also hit Rose's in Glastonbury for our tree at xmas time.....why do i live here????



Can't go wrong with most of the restaurants on Main Street in Middletown - just take 157 which borders the Northern edge of Lyman's farmstand/corn maze North, and in about 10 minutes you're on Main Street in Middletown.  A bunch of good restuarants there, many with outdoor seating (Eli Cannon's is one of my favorites for GOOD pub type food and a GREAT beer selection) 

And there's always the restaurant right at the Golf course at Lyman Orchards - good, but not great food and a really nice deck high up on the hillside overlooking the finishing holes of both the golf courses there and the rolling hills of CT


----------



## severine (Sep 16, 2010)

drjeff said:


> Can't go wrong with most of the restaurants on Main Street in Middletown - just take 157 which borders the Northern edge of Lyman's farmstand/corn maze North, and in about 10 minutes you're on Main Street in Middletown.  A bunch of good restuarants there, many with outdoor seating (Eli Cannon's is one of my favorites for GOOD pub type food and a GREAT beer selection)
> 
> And there's always the restaurant right at the Golf course at Lyman Orchards - good, but not great food and a really nice deck high up on the hillside overlooking the finishing holes of both the golf courses there and the rolling hills of CT


The new chocolatier in that area has some very yummy offerings. Not cheap, but oh-so-good.


----------



## SKIQUATTRO (Sep 17, 2010)

thanks Jeff...great up in portland, went to Xavier in Middletown, just havent been up that way to eat in years ...Elis opens at 3, going to hit Guidia's on 66 for some great footlongs.....


----------



## Geoff (Sep 17, 2010)

hammer said:


> Do you have one of these?  They work pretty well...



Jeez.   Hand-peeling apples for one apple pie isn't that big a deal.   I do one every Thanksgiving.   If I were making 2 or 3, I'd head out to the kitchen store and buy a peeler but it's only about 15 minutes to peel, core, and slice 10 apples.

The toughest thing I make for prep time is Todd English's "Eggplant Caponata".   It's the best thing I've ever had on a cracker and it freezes really well so you can make a double or triple batch.

A link:
http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/143810/eggplant-caponata


----------



## WakeboardMom (Sep 17, 2010)

Geoff said:


> Jeez.   Hand-peeling apples for one apple pie isn't that big a deal.   I do one every Thanksgiving.   If I were making 2 or 3, I'd head out to the kitchen store and buy a peeler but it's only about 15 minutes to peel, core, and slice 10 apples.
> 
> The toughest thing I make for prep time is Todd English's "Eggplant Caponata".   It's the best thing I've ever had on a cracker and it freezes really well so you can make a double or triple batch.
> 
> ...



I love the turn that this thread has taken!  I make an apple pie or apple crisp once a week or so at this time of the year, depending on how much company we have on a weekend.  I'm not a big fan of that contraption, prefer to do them the old-fashioned way.  ; - )

I wanna try that eggplant recipe!  I cooked eggplant for the first time as part of an attempt a ratatouille a week or so ago.  My husband enjoyed it except for one thing.  "Honey?  You're supposed to peel eggplant."  Who knew?  Thanks for the link, Geoff!


----------



## ctenidae (Sep 17, 2010)

You don't have to peel eggplant, depending on how you cook it.
I bought a small chayote the other day, supposedly can be cooked like eggplant. Haven't cooked it yet.

The apple tree across the street is totally loaded. I'm considering picking up a ton and making cider, but don't have a press, and haven't decided if I can make one easily using Home Depot buckets, scrap wood, and a 2 ton hydraulic jack.


----------



## WakeboardMom (Sep 17, 2010)

ctenidae said:


> You don't have to peel eggplant, depending on how you cook it.
> I bought a small chayote the other day, supposedly can be cooked like eggplant. Haven't cooked it yet.
> 
> The apple tree across the street is totally loaded. I'm considering picking up a ton and making cider, but don't have a press, and haven't decided if I can make one easily using Home Depot buckets, scrap wood, and a 2 ton hydraulic jack.



I sliced the eggplant into circles, laid them in a glass baking dish, covered with sliced fresh native tomatoes, fresh basil and oregano, mozzarella and provolone cheese and baked it.  It would've been better had the eggplant been peeled.  ; )

I'll take a gallon of cider, please.  Thank you.


----------



## SKIQUATTRO (Sep 20, 2010)

surfed sat am 6am-9am (chest with OH sets and clean)..got home, back in the car at 10am, took  1.5hrs to get off the island, finally arrived Guiada's on RT66 at 1 for some great hot dogs...headed over to Lymans, went right to the orchards (top of ridge to the left) and skipped the corn maze and all....was very quiet up there, colors starting to pop, views of Powder Ridge, beautiful up there.....


----------



## dmc (Sep 20, 2010)

...frost advisory in effect from 1 am to 7 am edt tuesday...
The national weather service in albany has issued a frost advisory...which is in effect from 1 am to 7 am edt tuesday for southern vermont...northern berkshires...eastern catskills...western mohawk valley and portions of the southern adirondacks and upper hudson valley.
As high pressure settles over the region...clear skies and light winds will allow for ideal radiational cooling. This will allow temperatures overnight to drop into lower and middle 30s.


----------



## billski (Sep 20, 2010)

dmc said:


> ...frost advisory in effect



I'll take frost over surf any day.  Save the baking for those rainy, sleety days.    Nothing like hiking with temps in the 50's & 60's yesterday.


----------



## Glenn (Sep 20, 2010)

Had some fires this weekend. Doesn't take much to get the lower level up to 77F. :lol:


----------



## Warp Daddy (Sep 20, 2010)

bvibert said:


> I ended up making it last night... Yummy!  Thanks WD!



Hey GLAD U guys enjoyed it . 

Just got back tonite from a couple weeks at the Cape & Lake George  That AA crisp  recipe would be GREAT 2 nite  its supposed to be 31 degrees here on the River tonite with frost -- got the fireplace cranking now


----------



## severine (Sep 20, 2010)

Warp Daddy said:


> Hey GLAD U guys enjoyed it .
> 
> Just got back tonite from a couple weeks at the Cape & Lake George  That AA crisp  recipe would be GREAT 2 nite  its supposed to be 31 degrees here on the River tonite with frost -- got the fireplace cranking now


Definitely need to make it again. YUM!


----------



## Warp Daddy (Sep 21, 2010)

severine said:


> Definitely need to make it again. YUM!



Yah and remember the Dessert Chef must ALWAYS do a QA on the base ingrediant during the process -- this usually REQUIRES several samplings   some with ice shavings , some in "snifters"  , some "warmed up"


----------



## RootDKJ (Sep 21, 2010)

A leaf blew in through my sunroof today.


----------



## tjf67 (Sep 22, 2010)

Colors starting to POP in the ADK's.  two weeks later than normal.


----------



## WakeboardMom (Sep 22, 2010)

tjf67 said:


> Colors starting to POP in the ADK's.  two weeks later than normal.



Driving from southern NH to Lake Chautauqua, NY Thursday night and Friday morning.  Coming back Sunday.  Should be beautiful.


----------



## billski (Sep 22, 2010)

tjf67 said:


> Colors starting to POP in the ADK's.  two weeks later than normal.


Just like last year 
And warming two weeks earlier in the spring.


----------



## Warp Daddy (Sep 22, 2010)

Our drive home  Monday from the Cape  thru  NH, VT and the Dacks was pretty colorful -- more change than i would have imagined .


----------

