an apple a day

golden delicious | stribling orchard in markham, VA | september 2008

a couple of weekends ago, we went on our annual family apple picking trip. mostly we go for the kids but with a hidden agenda since all us adults love to cook, myself included. one cousin made a pie, another apple turnovers. me, i settled on an apple tart to bring to a girls weekend (more on that later). i thought it would a great accompaniment to a lazy morning coffee.

a new addition to my repertoire: apple tart

instead of following all the recipes i found online, i got the idea and created my own dough. while it's not quite perfect (yet), it's another thing that i can kinda claim as my own. for all you cousins out there, this is what i'm bringing for thanksgiving -- if we can ever decide who's hosting.

about: st. elmo's

there's something to say about a local coffee shop where cell phones aren't allowed, where free wi-fi is abundant, local artist's work is displayed on every wall, and is quaint enough that a barely year old child can waddle laps around the coffee shop's mish-mosh of unmatched chairs and distressed vintage tables without disturbing the korean war vet on the couch, the family soothing their newest edition, and the blogger on her computer. the coffee and fresh baked goods while motown pours through the surround sound aren't so bad either.

if you can't tell, i'm enjoying this calm morning.