An Apple a Day.......

This is what my kitchen will look like come Wednesday morning as my shipment of apples are delivered. I will be busy peeling, coring and canning these delicious rounds of juicy fiber. I love the smell as it fills my kitchen, it signals the arrival of fall to me. It is apple season and as a I have mentioned once or twice before, we are to eat our fruits in season as was intended by our creator. If you are in the practice of selecting your produce from a farmers market, you will be doing just that. I have been purchasing the local fresh apples, just picked at the Mesa Farmers market and the smell and taste is unbelievable. It is what an apple should taste like. Not a grainy, watery , low flavor taste that you get from the local supermarket. Anyways, now it is time for a little apple education so you know exactly why the saying goes "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

Apples have been around forever. We have even tell about them in Biblical times, remember Adam and Eve? There are 100's of varieties of them and they are grown everywhere around the world. They were used medicinally to cure many ailments especially with the Greeks who often prescribed apple juice as the first known antidepressant. The Greeks would also serve them raw at the end of a meal to stimulate proper digestion. The apple is filled with insoluble fiber which adds bulk to the intestinal tract keeping in water to help cleanse the intestines and move the food along. It is also full of soluble fiber which helps to prevent cholesterol build up. Another component of the apple is the content of flavonoids which is an antioxidant used to improve immune function; thus, as the saying goes, keeps "the doctor away."
The pectin content in the apple also helps regulate blood sugar level controlling the insulin level. This helps the sugar to release slowly unlike sugary junk food. The apple contains many nutrients such as folate, Vitamin A, C, and Calcium. In addition, the apple is great to munch on for massaging gums and cleansing teeth. Make sure you leave the peel on as it contains 1/2 of the Vitamin C and contains much of the fiber. There is 3.7 grams of fiber in one medium apple. Don't give in to those pre-sliced and peeled apples in those cute little packages. We already went over that with baby carrots. Do it the old fashioned way and cut them yourselves. My Costco now carries organic apples which I have to say were incredibly delicious and a great price. I love you Costco!

If you also find yourself with an abundance of apples, here is my apple crisp recipe that is simply delicious, especially if you don't leave it in the oven too long and have apple mush instead of apple crisp. I know a girl.....

Apple Crisp

6-8 apples
1/3-1/3 cups sugar
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
3 T. flour

Peel and slice apples into desired size.Toss lemon juice and above ingredients. Place in 9X13 pan and top with:

2/3 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. flour
1/2 C. oats
3/4 t. cinnamon
1/3 C. butter.

Mix until crumbly. Use hands, foods processor or pastry cutter. Crumble over apples. Bake at 375 for about 30 min or until apples are done.

So, do as the Greeks !!! Eat an apple after every meal and keep those Dr. bills down.Add a little natural peanut butter for a perfect snack. YUM.