Apple Cake Recipe From Janet Willis

I got this Apple Cake recipe from Janet Willis.  (A friend, from a church that our family use to attend.)  I used some of the Winesap Apples we got from The Orchard to make it.  

Winesap is a well-known American heirloom apple, and was a major commercial variety in Virginia during the 19th century.  Its origins are unknown but it probably dates back to the 18th century.  It has all the qualities needed for commercial production - it is a regular heavy cropping tree with very little biennial tendency, and the apples can be kept in natural cold storage for a good three months or more.  It can be eaten fresh but is primarily a culinary apple, also popular for juice and cider production.

 I did not make the "Butter Sauce" to ice the cake with, but instead left it plain.    The "Butter Sauce" would make the cake a bit sweeter, and maybe more fancy/formal if you wanted to serve it after a sit-down meal with guests.  Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream next to the warm cake and this would make a lovely fall dessert that guests would remember for a long time.

The recipe calls for 4 cups of diced apples, so I diced 4 and a half medium sized Winesap Apples and the girls and I ate the remaining half of the last apple while I prepared the rest of the cake.

I substituted a stick of butter for the half cup of shortening.  The mixture of sugar, shortening (butter), salt, and cinnamon mixed easily together.

Next I added the flour and eggs to the mixture.  It was a little tough to stir, and became relatively dry, but when I added the diced apples to this mixture it got easier to stir/mix and more moist.

I preheated the oven to 350 degrees.  Then I greased a glass 9x13 baking dish and poured the apple cake mixture, spreading evenly in the pan with the back of a spoon, into the pan to bake.

I baked the Apple Cake for exactly 40 minutes.  Then, let it cool on the stove top.

We each ate a piece of the Apple Cake for dessert that night.  Everyone in the Hendrickson household liked it except Silas, who seemed to not like the little chunks of apples.  This is a recipe we would recommend.  It was very easy to prepare, and a good way to use up some apples.  (Any apple variety could be used)  

Sarah's Sweets

**GUEST BLOGGER**

 ~ Sarah Hendrickson ~ (edited by me, Mommy)

It took daddy a few days for daddy to build this SARAH'S SWEETS booth.  Me and mommy and Phoebe and maybe Silas liked it.  Me and mommy looked on the computer.  We found some treat recipes.  I wanted to sell them at Kansas Barn Sale.  Kansas Barn Sale is something that my mom helps Beki do every year.  There is food, crafts, drinks, old furniture, music, and lots of other stuff to see and do there.

Phoebe pretended to buy something from my booth.   I got kind of angry.  Here's why, she was close to taking a bite of one of my smores treats. 

I am sitting at my booth, "Sarah's Sweets" in the picture below.  I was kind of nervous cause I didn't know if I was going to sell anything.  I had marshmallow pops, Chex Mix. Fall Mix, Smore packs, Rice Krispie Treats, and 7-Layer Brownies.  I also helped mommy sell name bears.  When the customers started going crazy shopping I sold almost all my treats.  I only got to eat two of my treats.

I had to get up that morning at 5:00 am.  I usually get up at 7:00 am.  Mommy woke me up and I jumped right out of bed since I was excited to go to the Barn Sale.  I liked the Barn Sale because I sold my treats and made money.  I liked listening to the music and I liked the lady that gave us a box of pumpkins.  I got a cinnamon roll made by Johannah and Jess.  And, I spilled my hot chocolate on it, and it made it taste even better!

The Orchard

Last weekend we visited my parents.  Saturday was a beautiful fall day and so I suggested we all visit "The Orchard", Owned by Bob Karr, north of town on Highway 99.  If you have never been, we would recommend going there.  You can purchase freshly picked apples out of the small store there, or you can go out into the orchard and pick your own apples.  There are MANY varieties of apples to pick.  Also, available at The Orchard to purchase is honey from the local bee hives, apple butter made from The Orchard's apples, hot apple cider, gallons of cider, and apple cider slushes.  Other activities to do at The Orchard include, walking trails, feeding the catfish from the dock of the large pond, and miniature golf.  Bob Karr and his apples can also be found on Saturday mornings at the Emporia Farmer's Market in downtown Emporia.

For a link to the Emporia Farmer's Market, CLICK HERE!

Bob Karr taught math classes at the high school where my Dad also taught for MANY years.  Not only was he a math teacher, but he was the head Cross Country and Track coach for Emporia High School.  I ran for him all four years of high school.  He was a very good coach, taking our teams to state each year!  He made us work hard every day.  We ran a lot of miles.  At the peak of our Cross Country seasons the boys and girls teams may have run anywhere from 12-18 miles a day during each practice.

We picked a few apples to eat and bought some that were already picked to bring home to use in an apple cake.

The kids, Eric, and my Dad liked throwing Catfish food into the pond from the dock and watching the giant Catfish come to the surface to eat.

Silas got really tired of walking and kept telling us, "Pick you up".  This is what he says to us when he wants us to pick HIM up.  The only person who was kind enough to pick him up was Sarah.  She carried him a very long way, at least a quarter of a mile, only putting him down a couple times for a break.   What a nice big sister!

After feeding the Catfish, picking apples, and walking all around The Orchard, we headed back to the small store.  There we visited with Coach Karr a little bit more and made our purchases.  

An apple slush was an excellent way to end our trip to The Orchard!

The Day After The Wedding ~ Good-Byes and Hellos

The day after Lindsee and EP's wedding was a day of good-bye's... and a few hellos.

Good-bye to life-long AmeriCorps friends, Liz and Jessi.

Good-bye to family friends...Keith and Sandy.

Good-bye to cousins, Aunts, and Uncles... Paul, Debbie, Judy and Ernie.

Hello to leftovers for days.  Good-bye "oh so yummy mint-maker" and friend, Ziggy.

Good-bye to new in-laws!

Hello to new family members and great times ahead.  Good-bye to fun-loving Patti and Jim.

Hello to a little NFL team rivalry, and a Broncos win!

Good-bye to a car LOADED to the max with wedding stuff.  Good-bye Saidee dog.  And, a sad Good-bye to my favorite sister and new brother-in-law.  Hello to married life!

The Wedding

It has almost been a month since my sister, Lindsee, and EP got married.  I have LOTS of pictures to share... The wedding was beautiful.  It was a lovely day.  Mild weather, sunshine, and lots of smiles!  Enjoy the pictures and just a few notes and short stories about some of them below...

Lindsee had all sorts of signs that she wanted painted and used for decorations the day of the wedding.  The official sign painters were myself, our Dad, Lindsee, and EP's Mom and Step-Dad.

Below is the view of the barn from where the guests would be seated later in the day.

Lindsee had a very beautiful flower bouquet made by herself and her friend Amelia.  For the wedding Lindsee wore a pair of our Grandpa, Ernest Grant's boots.  (He passed away about 4 years ago this fall. ) They looked great with her dress!

Lindsee and EP saw each other before the wedding, which then allowed us all to take a bunch of pictures before the wedding started.

LOTS of Lindsee and EP's friends came from many different states to watch them exchange their vows and then join in the wedding PARTY!

Below are the Bridesmaids and Flower Girls ~ Anne, Stacee, Lindsee, Amelia, Christen, Sarah, and Phoebe

Below are the Groomsmen and the couple, left to right ~ Jeff, Josh, Nick, Lindsee, Eric, Shawn, and Ben

Below are just a few of some of the best friends and ultimate frisbee team players a couple could have from Colorado.

Let the wedding begin! Walking down the aisle... EP and Cory, Ben and Christen, 

Jeff and Anne,

Josh and Amelia, Nick and Matt,

 Lindsee had told the girls before walking down the aisle that they shouldn't have any flower petals left once they got to the end of the aisle.... Phoebe threw out a few.  Sarah threw out a lot and what she had left at the end, she turned her burlap bag upside down and emptied out onto the ground before she walked over and stood between Uncle Matt and I.  (She took Lindsee very seriously about the Flower Girl job!)

Best Man ~ Shawn and Matron of Honor ~ Stacee, Flower Girls ~ Sarah and Phoebe. 

Hugs all around  This probably was one tear-jerker moment for some people... Lindsee and our Mom.

There were two readings during the ceremony.  One by a friend, Hannah, and the other by EP's Step-Dad, Jim.  Our Mom did a blessing and Matt sung a song.  The happy couple also participated in a tree planting during the ceremony.  They used dirt from their parents yards to plant the tree in... A combination of 3 soils from 3 different states (Kansas, Colorado, and California) coming together....

Hooray for being married to your favorite!

After walking back up the aisle with her HUSBAND, Aunt Lindsee and Silas did a fist bump!

After the wedding, there were special coloring books, bubbles, and hula hoops for all the kids...

And, yard games for anyone else who wanted to play before the dinner was served.

Wedding favors ~ "Let Love Grow" seed packets

There were some great places to take pictures all around the barn.  Our Dad made this gigantic barn wood picture frame to hang and for families and groups of people to pose behind.

Great friends ~ Jackie and EP, Christen (9 months pregnant) and Jesse,

Kristen and Alan,

Arline and Lindsee, Delia and Lindsee,

Friend, EP, Hannah, and another Friend

Fun times!  Wedding party introductions and entrances... Shawn and I couldn't think of a funny way to come in when we were announced, so literally last second he says to me, "We're in slow motion.  Go!"  It was hilarious.  Especially when we did a slow motion jump!

Below, my favorite sister and I in the dinner line, and our "Popcorn Man", serving up the BEST WEDDING POPCORN in the state of Kansas ~ Uncle Charlie.

Smile and pig out for the Holidays, I mean the WEDDING!

And, there MUST always be LOTS of glass tinging and KISSING at a wedding!  I am sure that this wedding met the kissing quota.

A dessert table ~ one of the YUMMIEST parts of any wedding!  There were cupcakes, mints, nuts, no-bake cookies, a carrot cake, and lots of fruit pies.

Below, is a view looking down from the loft in the barn, just before and after some of the toasts.

After Matt and I did our toast we made sure to give Lindsee and EP a "sibling sandwich".

Let the dance begin.

Dad and daughter dance, then the mother and son dance, then a little Chicken Dance.

Then a break from dancing to play a little who knows each other better game with Lindsee and EP.

~ BEST DAY EVER ~

Happy Wedding sweet sister Lindsee and great new brother-in-law and fun Uncle EP!

I am so very happy for you both and loved being a part of your very best day ever.