So much of who we are and what we gravitate towards food-wise tells a story. Nothing comforts a soul more than a hot plate of food and good conversation. There are many times during my days when I can’t remember where I put my keys, whether or not I picked up the mail, what I wore two days prior, or that I have an impending dentist appointment in exactly 45 minutes. I can, however, remember that certainly day in Italy when I experienced my first gelato and the rich, European silkiness I felt on my tongue when eating it. I can remember the very first time a group of first year college students and I were so desperate for a meal outside of campus grounds that we ravenously pillaged through sub-par bowls of chips and salsa from a nearby Chili’s. I can remember as a child watching my mother put together one of the weekly dinner menu rotations after long hours at work. Hot dish on Mondays, pork chops on Tuesdays, spaghetti on Wednesdays, porcupine balls on Thursdays , and the nights of glorious freedom for her on Out to Eat Fridays. Part of what makes so much of the story memorable is not always the quality or originality of the food. Our stories are enhanced by the meaning behind the food, the comfort in knowing it was Hot dish Monday, or that the gelato was so good simply because it was 10,000 miles away from my Midwestern life–a once in a lifetime culinary experience so to speak.
Food to the Taste Buds is constantly evolving progression of stories that were built in our past, lived in today and anticipated in the future. To us, a recipe is not just a recipe, but a piece of ourselves–part of our history. Each of our recipes has a story, and a memory. We hope that our recipes and stories inspire our readers to reflect on their own lives.
That being said, let us introduce you to our version of the best apple crisp out there.
It is full blown winter in the upper Midwest and nothing motivates us to shovel the driveway faster than knowing that an apple crisp is bubbling in the oven. We have enjoyed conducting several failed epic kitchen experiments over hearty conversation and warm mugs of tea to make sure that this recipe is nothing less than perfection.
The No-Rest- for- the- Shoveling -Weary -Apple Crisp Recipe
- 6-8 large organic apples peeled, seeded, and sliced– may be a combo of sweet & tart
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
- 1 cup flour (1/2 of this whole wheat flour for added nutrition)
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 – 2/3 cup softened butter
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 8×10 inch deep baking dish
- Put apple slices in the baking dish.
- Mix all dry ingredients together before incorporating the butter. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.
- Sprinkle topping over apples.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until the topping becomes a bubbling golden brown. Let cool at least 10 minutes (We couldn’t wait that long) to avoid burning your tongue.
- Great served warm with vanilla ice cream.
- Variation – add 1/4 cup chopped pecans or almonds to the topping mix before baking (the variation comes highly recommended)
Taste Buds 
