Mountain Apple Dumpling Recipe

 

 

Do you still have any apples left?  As promised, I’d like to share with you our Mountain Apple Dumplings.  Now, I’d like to tell you some wonderful, woodland tale about backpacking deep into the Cascades and stumbling across a story book cottage of a sweet, elderly, mountain lady who kindly shared with us her treasured family recipe.  That’s the fable that plays in my head when I hear the name but, no, not quite so romantic.  The name comes from the secret ingredient: Mountain Dew.

Is this healthy?  Eh, “healthy” is a continuum, right?  It’s better than some, has real fruit in it and is amazingly delicious!  This recipe is quick and easy and always ends up being a hit at get-togethers.  I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been asked for this recipe!  And the funny thing is that, though I got this recipe from my Mom ages ago, she and I have both evolved it to our own tastes, and now we would write it out completely differently.  So take this recipe as a general guide and have fun with it!  I’ll include some comments about different ways you could tweak it. 

 

Mountain Apple Dumplings

Ingredients:

2-4 apples

2 refrigerated crescent dough (or pie dough)

1 c. butter (she uses 1/2 cup)

½ c. sugar (or 1 cup for tart apples)

1 can Mountain Dew (I don't usually have soda in the house and have used orange juice in a pinch.  I works, but changes the flavor)

1-2 TBSP Cinnamon (I like to add nutmeg, cloves or allspice, too!)

See!?  Every ingredient is adjustable!  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Core and slice apples into 16 pieces.  You may peal them if you desire, but I usually leave the skins on. 

 

Wrap each slice in a triangle of dough (it’s okay if it’s not completely covered) and place in greased 9x13” pan. 

 

They will probably all be touching.  Pour sugar evenly over dumplings, then spices over the sugar. 

 

 Gently (so as not to wash all the sugar off dumplings) pour butter, then Mountain Dew evenly over dumplings. 

 

Cook for one hour, then enjoy!  These taste amazing warm with a little ice cream!

 

Can I just share the story of this plate while I have it in a photo.  I know it’s not much, but I think it’s beautiful: emerald on the top and cobalt underside.  My kinda colors!  So, we were on our daily walk down our dirt/ice road last breakup (spring) in Fairbanks.  As the snow had just begun to melt it revealed this beautiful plate, surprisingly unbroken, on the side of the road.  Though I immediately wanted to take it home (is that gross?  I sanitize!) I figured it belonged to someone farther down, so I set it upright in a snowbank so any one passing would be sure to see it.  I let a week pass and it remained, so I brought it home and thought of it as my lovely scavenger’s treasure.  Not long after before we were having a meal on our porch because it was finally ABOVE FREEZING!!! And the baby pushed the plate off the table and it shattered into a million pieces.  Aw man, sad!  Oh well.  I threw it away.



Does he remind anyone else of a tiny Kristoff?

My walking buddies

 

 

The next day on our walk, I found the exact same plate in the exact same spot!!!!  What?  Wow, thanks, God!  Hee hee!  Now my little miracle plate makes me happy every time I see it.  And who said God doesn’t care about the little things! =)

Hot Dog Octopus & Book Review

I have been blessed with a fun mom and I'm trying to remember the things she did so that I can pass them on to Fynn.  He's being a bit of a picky eater right now.  He takes bites great, and chews them, but then he spits it out and tries to throw it on the floor!  I got him to eat a bit last night, though, by making one of our old favorites: Mac & Cheese and Hot dog Octopus.  Or Quadpus as the case may be.

Take a hot dog and make two opposing cuts about two thirds up like so:

Then hollow out two "eyes":

Boil until the arms curl and use to top the noodles!

I am having so much fun going to the library and reading books with Fynn.  There are just so many I really love, I have a hard time choosing!  I just thought I'd post about some of my favorites for those with similar tastes (and so I can remember them for futures).

Right now Fynn's favorite is Time for Bed by Mem Fox.  (Check it out at Barnes & Noble).  He wants to read it every night!

Ages: 6 mo. - 3 yrs.

Format: Large board book = not easily mangled by sharp new teeth.

Story: Relaxing, rhythmic rhymes of mama animals telling their little ones it's bedtime

Illustrations: (this is really important to me!) Gorgeous!  Large watercolor animals that Fynn loves to look at.  He points out the eyes, ears, nose...

Life walk

I'm seeing all my family and friends back home right now enjoying the beautiful Skagit Valley Tulip Festival (Is this beautiful or what!)  And I find myself a bit desperate for spring.  This is our road now:

  So today we went on a life walk, looking for signs that old winter didn't kill off every form of life! 


1) chickens!

2) silly dog puddle splashing

3)faint green fuzz on the hill

4) buds on branches

5)fresh moose prints

6. grass shoots

7. fireweed sprouts

Bonus: sweet little Fynn lad:

Oh yeah!  Break up is coming!  The last few days have got above freezing and it looks like we might be nearing the end!  Fynn has been positively fascinated by the drips of liquid water falling off the tips of the icicles this last week.  When I drove into town today, there was water on the roads and the banks of snow were beginning to wither!  I love it!  No more coat for me!  I was even able to force a couple willow boughs to put on the table.

Our venture into town included a stop by the library.  Why don't I do this more often?

The glorious sun shone enough yesterday to bring the temperature up into the 50s!  I took Fynn out to feed the chickens without his snowsuit and it was so nice we decided to stay out a bit.  I plopped him down on the porch where all the snow had melted.   At first he wasn't so sure, then he got really excited, discovered a pile of hay and then some pine cones.  What joy!   A walk followed, and both Fynn and Clancey were just ecstatic!  This time of year is so much fun!

The winters here are undeniably long and many get cabin fever, especially stay at home moms.  Although I found myself plenty busy and am a bit of a home body anyway, I made it my goal to learn something new this winter.  So now, I can proudly say I have acquired a very modest ability to crochet!  All thanks to the patient guidance of my dear friend Willow.  It is so addictive, I just want to crochet all the time, but as it is warming up, I think I'll soon have to put away my needle and yarn and break out my gardening tools.  Speaking of witch, I also started planting my indoor seeds this week!  Have I mentioned I love this time of year.