Do you ever have special times with your family and think, this is what it is all about. If I could just stop time right here and hold on to this moment. That is apple night for us. We did it a little different this year and it was so fun. In the past we have just had a simple dinner of apples, sausage, cheese and bread. We would sit around by candle light and read our fall books. But this year we spent the afternoon making indian corn bracelets out of these beautiful ruby red corn. They look like pomegranates. I made a triple bracelet!! Then my mom and sister came. For dinner we had grilled sausages with caramelized onions. I had 4 different types of apples, which I labeled and we had fun comparing the different taste and texture. Sweet potatoes biscuits, Monterey jack cheese, English cheddar and sage cheddar. Spiced nuts. My sister make an orange carrot salad with raisins and my mom brought cheddar crackers and pumpkin cookies from the local bakery. Hot tea and cold cider. I set it out in my kitchen like a big buffet. We only use candles on apple night. (except we did keep on the twinkle lights I have around the house.) I set up a seed craft on our dinning room table in front of the wood stove. I set out white and black card stock and fall cookie cutters. You trace and cut out a shapes and glue seeds and beans to decorate. I set out a large assortment of different beans and seeds. I think I will use these to make a garland. While we decorated we read all our fall picture books. Then we went outside and built a big bon fire. We looked at the stars and sang silly songs and laughed our heads off. hopefully the girls will have had happy memories !!

 

Here is a list of some of our favorite Fall picture books

Cranberry Autumn By Wende and Harry Devlin

Cranberry Halloween By Wende and Harry Devlin

Old Black Witch By Wende and Harry Devlin

Pumpkin Moonshine By Tasha Tudor

Brambly Hedge Autumn Story By Jill Barklem

The Apple Cake By Nienke van Hichtum

Little house picture book County Fair

Goody O"Grumpity By Carol Ryrie

When Will The Snow Trees Grow? By Ben Shecter

Ox-Man Cart By Donald Hall Yonder By Tony Johnson

Harvest Song By Ron Herschi

 

Some other ideas I had for apple night but did not have the time to do. We will probably try to do these on different nights through October.

Make apple doll heads

Make doughnuts

Take the crock pot out to the bonfire (on a long extension cord) filled with caramel sauce and some cinnamon/sugar in a pan. Have apple slices to roast over the fire and then dip in cinnamon /sugar or caramel sauce

wax leaves

make apple sauce

make flowers with the corn stakes of the indian corn