Hard to beat…

I went into this past weekend knowing it would be busy, but didn’t know how satisfying all the *busy* would be.  It started with my first free pre-natal yoga class with Claudia, and was almost immediately followed by a manicure with Sonja and Michelle at The Spa. The weekend was already fantastic – and it wasn’t even 5 o’clock yet.

Sunday was just as amazing.  We got up early and hopped in the car with Sonja and Mark and headed out to meet Michelle and Gary at the apple orchard!  I haven’t been apple picking since I was a young cub and I was excited to replicate a photo my mom took the last time I was there.  Though I remember the trees being a lot bigger when I was six…which is obvious…but still worth mentioning.  Most of the apples we saw were reachable with both feet on the ground; the ladders were almost unnecessary.  That is until Sonja and I went on the hunt and found the perfect one for my picture.  Et voila!

So, back to the story. 

We got on the tractor and drove out toward the red speckled trees.  We had the choice of Spartans, MacIntoshs or Lobos and after a quick lesson about how to pick them and which were best for what purpose, we were off!  We quickly filled up 2 and a half bags (and ate 1 or or 3 pieces in the process) and then hit the stand for freshly baked donuts.  Just-picked apples are delectable.  So are warm donuts.

The day was capped off with a downtown photo-taking mission (my favourite part), an apple-centric dinner, which the girls prepared while watching Sixteen Candles.  Each dish we chose had fresh apples as an ingredient, and somehow no one complained about being appled-out, even after they had finished their second or third helping.  We served an apple and broccoli salad, baby carrots glazed with apple, porkloin with and apple and prune cream sauce and we finished with apple crisp. 

Gary claimed it was the best meal he’d had in 2006.  I might agree.  Plus it was fun to break in our dining room table and guarantee that the boys treat us to the same kind of meal in a few weeks…though something tells me theirs will involve less preparation and more burgers.

Some of my favourite moments……