Wonders of the World - Apples!

Today's post is in response to Rebecca Ramsey's Wonders of the World blog party.

Since I live in the great state of New York, I thought I'd go with something local - apples!

We've got lots of apples around here. In fact, before I moved to New York, I had no idea that so many different kinds of apples existed. There are 2500 varieties in the United States alone.

Let's check out some cool pictures from New York's Apple Country website to get everybody into an apple-y mood:




Did you know that most apples are still harvested by hand? We've got several orchards around here where we can go pick our own apples, and the grocery stores are already stocking up on the early varieties. While my oldest son is partial to Empire apples, I prefer Honeycrisp. Doesn't just the name make you hungry? Mmmm, honey . . .

Speaking of honey, did you know that if an apple flower is not properly pollinated, it will have a lopsided shape? That's why apple orchards often keep bee hives in or near their orchards.

Here's one of the little guys at work (picture from vutrax):

That's not an apple tree, but you get the idea.

I personally like all of the stuff you can get that's got apples on it. My favorites are the pie plates with lids that make them look like an apple pie:

Mine never look that good. That's okay. Everybody always eats them, no matter what they look like.

I like to make applesauce, too. Here's some from yumsugar.com:

And now that we're all in an apple-eating mood, how about a recipe to end the post? Here's one for something different - apple brownies - that I've had lying around for a while. I mean, who can resist healthy brownies? (okay, so there's a cup of butter; but they've got fruit in them!) Have a great day, everyone!

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 chopped apples, any kind
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Combine all dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Add eggs, butter, and vanilla. Mix well, then add apples, nuts, and raisins. Pour into greased 13x9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.