Godstruck Ministries 4 Kids September 2014 Newsletter

Blessings Blog: Apple Adage

Of the four seasons, I would say that autumn is my favorite. As a child growing up in the northeast, it meant the start of school, clear crisp weather, and trees that boasted the most spectacular colors. It also brought an abundance of apples: sweet juicy Cortlands, tangy McIntosh, tart Northern Spy, and crunchy sweet Red Delicious. Whether baked in a pie or cake, featured in a side dish, or picked and eaten fresh, the apple is indisputably linked with fall, and it is a fantastic fall treat.

As I’m thinking about apples this month, I am reminded of the idiom, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” My daughter, Kelley, and her daughter, Libby, are great examples. When Kelley was little and able to speak fluently, it was clear that she believed that whatever she thought was correct, just was. One time a friend of mine complimented Kelley on her short set, to which she emphatically replied, “It’s not a short set; it’s an outfit!” In her mind there was no room for the possibility that someone could refer to what she was wearing as anything but an outfit. Recently on a video chat with me, Kelley mentioned that Libby was using the undies that I purchased for her. I commented, “What a big girl you are to use panties, Libby.” She immediately countered, “They’re not panties, they’re underwear, Nonnie.” See what I mean? While many things can influence our tendency and choices, in this particular case, Libby showed the inherited propensity to be decisive and unyielding, which her mom displayed as a youngster. Our little apple did not fall far from the mama tree.

As believers, we can display traits indicative of our connection to God the Father, manifested in the life of Jesus His Son and enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit. We do, however, bear more responsibility in order to be imitators of Christ than Libby does to be like her mom. There are two passages of Scripture that speak about exhibiting the virtues of God, and they both use the analogy of the cultivation of fruit to make the point.

In John 15, Jesus refers to Himself as the vine, and He calls those who are His own the branches. Verse 5 states, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Then verses 7-8 affirm, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” To remain in is to stay vitally connected to Jesus. To do so, it is imperative to immerse ourselves in the ways of God by learning His Word, communicating with Him in prayer, worshiping Him and interacting with other believers. These practices will allow us to become as close to Jesus as possible. Our fruit will be sweet and sacred because we are an extension of the true vine.

The other passage is found in Galatians 5. After discussing the legalism that was pervasive in Galatia, the apostle Paul admonished his readers to live by the Spirit so as not to give in to sinful desires such as sexual immorality, idolatry (anything that garners our attention and pulls us away from God), hatred, jealousy, and selfish ambition. He then discussed the characteristics of those who live by the Spirit of God. These virtues are called the fruit of the Spirit: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (verses 22-25). To live by the Spirit and keep in step with Him involves faith and obedience. Faith in Jesus brings the Holy Spirit into one’s life. Opening one’s heart to Him daily and obeying His principles keeps us growing in faith and allows us to be more like Him.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have others recognize our connection to the Lord by the behavior and characteristics they see in us? The other day I was telling my sister-in-law about Libby’s inclination to be literal, and the first thing she said was, “She’s just like Kelley.” Oh to be known as a child of the King by my actions and inclinations so that those around me will say, “This apple has not fallen far from the tree.”

Family Activity: Enjoying the Harvest

Apples are the theme of September’s newsletter, and one of the best suggestions for this month’s family activity is to go to a local orchard and pick apples. There are many farms that are set up for just such an adventure. This is a great outdoor activity with a very tangible reward. Do a web search for participating farms in your area. Once you locate an orchard open to the public, call to confirm crop availability and days and times when they are open.

Here are some picking and storage tips:

Be sure to choose ripe apples; once an apple is picked, it stops ripening. Apples ripen from the outside in to the center of the tree. Ask the farmer or the orchard hands how to determine which apples are ready for picking. Different varieties will have different characteristics, but in general, ripened apples should be crisp and firm.
Avoid any apples that are bruised, spotted or rotten. These will affect other apples that may be perfect when picked.
To pick, roll the apple upwards off of the branch and give a slight twist. If you or your helpers drop one, check it and keep it if it hasn’t been crushed or bruised in any way.
Be careful when placing apples in your basket, crate, or bushel. Obviously if your helpers have the tendency to slam and throw almost anything in their hands, teach them how to be gentle with this task, or let them pick and you pack.
Do not wash the apples until it’s time to use/eat them.
Keep apples in a cool, dark place away from potatoes. A small amount can be put in the produce bin of the refrigerator; a larger quantity can be stored in a pantry or a cellar/basement. Do not allow them to freeze – they will turn to mush.
Apples can keep in these conditions for several months. If they will be stored into the winter months, wrap them in individual sheets of newspaper that have no colored ink. This will keep the apples from touching, and therefore keep spoilage to a minimum. Examine each apple as you are wrapping to insure there are no bruises, soft spots or cuts in the skin. Any that cannot be stored long term are likely fine for immediate consumption or for use in cooking/baking.

Perhaps due to location or other factors, the only place you can pick an apple is out of a bin at the grocery store. This can also be turned into an activity by doing a little research on the many varieties of apples, looking at what is locally available, and then comparing colors, sizes and even varied shapes of the types found in your store. Choose more than one variety to buy and try. Make a game out of sampling several kinds. Guess before eating if an apple will be sweet or tart, mild or full of flavor, crisp or tender, juicy or dry. Discuss what was discovered with each tasting, and then choose a favorite.

While apples themselves are associated with autumn, apple pie is quite notably a favorite fall dessert. A great way to spend an afternoon with your family is to bake together using apples from your picking or shopping activity. As many people now are more conscientious about health and nutrition, the following recipe is for a bite-sized treat. Both my mother-in-law’s Dutch Apple Pie recipe and a tartlet recipe found in a magazine inspired this dessert.

As a teacher I was known for using cooking and baking as a teaching tool in my classroom. These essential skills involve reading, following directions, measuring (math), science, art (presentation is everything), and best of all, working together and building relationships. Cooking culture-specific and ethnic foods also engages the social sciences. The occasional mishap (and likely there will be one) gives the opportunity to work through problems and help each other solve them. There are many things in this apple recipe that can be done by children with only a little guidance and a good dose of patience.

Have a blast as you make these together. Oops, maybe I better rephrase that, “Have an awesome time as you make these together.”

A+ Dutch Apple Bites

Topping:

½ cup quick cooking or old-fashioned oats
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp unbleached flour
½ tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter or margarine at room temperature

Start by making the topping. Put oats into a food processor or blender. Process until the oats are only a little coarser that flour. Remove from the processor and add the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon and mix with a fork. Use a pastry blender, if you have one, to cut in the butter. You can also do this with a couple butter knives held together. The topping is ready when all the butter is incorporated, but it should be a loose, crumbly mix, not a dough. Set aside.

Crust:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
⅓ cup shortening
Approximately 2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp of very cold water
¼ tsp salt
Pinch of sugar

Place the flour in a large, flat-bottomed bowl. Put the shortening in the bowl, spooning some of the flour over it to lessen sticking. Use a pastry blender or a couple butter knives held together to cut in the shortening. The resulting mix should have pieces the size of small peas (Some of the mix will be less coarse.) Put a tablespoon of the water into the flour mixture, and blend it with a fork. Continue to add the water until the dough begins to pull together and can be easily gathered into a ball with floured hands.

Shape the ball of dough into a disk. Put a dusting of flour on a pastry mat or board, or another clean surface on which you can roll the dough. Dust a rolling pin with flour and use it to make a dough circle that is a little less than ⅛ of an inch thick.

Use a biscuit cutter, or find a glass that is approximately 2 ½ inches in diameter. Dip in flour, and cut out circles as close together as possible. Place each circle into a compartment of a mini muffin pan to which a light coating of cooking spray has been applied – press the dough down carefully to mold into the entire cup. It is ideal to have each dough shell stand a little taller than the mold so the filling does not stick to the sides of the cups. Gather and reroll dough until you are able to fill about two mini muffin pans. Set pans aside until the filling is ready.

Filling:

2 ½ cups apples, cored, peeled and chopped (Approximately 3 fairly large apples - we used Granny Smith)
3 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ - ⅓ cup water
Small amount of lemon juice

If you have a gadget like the one in the picture, children can help peel and core the apples by the turn of the crank. Otherwise, peel and core by hand. Children can also try to chop up the apples. The apple pieces should be small, but not decimated (watch any champion choppers in your household).

Sprinkle a bit of lemon juice over the apples after they are chopped to reduce browning. Place the apple pieces in a medium microwaveable bowl that has a cover. Toss apples with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the water. More water will create more juice, but this can be lessened when spooning into the mini pastries.

Cover the bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir the mix. Microwave for 2 minutes again and then stir. Remove the cover and microwave for 2 additional minutes.

Assemble and bake:
Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit.

Fill each dough cup almost to the top with the cooked apples. Use about a tsp of topping and layer over the apples in each pastry. Lightly pat each top.

Bake for 25-27 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned. Remove pans from the oven and place on cooling racks.

Apple bites can be served warm or cold. Try a bite with ice cream, whipped cream, or a small wedge of cheese. Refrigerate any that are left over.

Tip: You may have apple filling and topping left after making all the dough cups. Spray a small glass dish with cooking spray. Place the remaining filling in the dish and top with the topping. Bake at 400° Fahrenheit until golden brown on top. This is akin to an apple crisp.

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver” (Proverbs 25:11 ESV). As you relax and enjoy this time creating together, make it a double blessing by sharing encouraging words and paying attention to what your children have to say. Thank the Lord for this time of sharing together.

Website References

As the theme verse for Godstruck Ministries 4 Kids, Colossians 3:16 speaks to the heart and soul of why this ministry exists. Our mission is to help children hide God’s Word and principles in their hearts through His wonderful gift of music.