Friday, September 11, 2009

Dessert : Harvest Crisp

Of course you have heard the term "you reap what you sow" Well hopefully some apples are on the list of reaping because I have created a recipe for what I call Harvest Crisp. It is the low carb solution to Apple Crisp and quite tasty. you will ingredients:

FILLING
3 apples, sliced or diced
1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice concentrate
3 tsp minute tapioca
1/8 tsp cinnamon
a pinch of salt


TOPPING
1 cup of rice crispies, stirred until it is a powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tbs splenda
Pumpkin seeds, Chopped
almonds, chopped
raisins and/or craisins, chopped
non - stick cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 425

2. mix all of the filling ingredients together and allow to sit for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Put into a small pan or little souffle dishes that have been sprayed with non stick cooking spray.

3. Make topping by mixing all ingredients together except the cooking spray. spoon on top of apple filling and then spray with the non - stick spray.

4. Bake for 20 minutes.

5. Serve hot or cold. sugar free cool whip is a good garnish



I visited my Great Grandmothers old apartment, secretly, a few years ago. I miss her. She would be upset to see how the old building looks now. She owned it for many years. You know the green building on main street in Hardwick right next to the health food store. The wall where to old furnace was, was a giant hole of wood slats and Sheetrock type dust. Walls busted up everywhere. The bathroom was a mess and well I guess that is what happens when a building is kind of abandoned. It becomes a wreck, unhealthy and sad. My memories did not disappear however they just came flooding back and for as awful as the place looked I couldn't have found a happier more sweeter place to be. My Great Grandmothers name is Alma Mary Bedard Hill. She was born in and raised in Canada. Later on she ended up in Barton, Vermont where she met my Great Grandfather, Arthor Hill. I never met him. He died long before I was born. They had many children.... I think 8 to be exact, but many of them died as children. My Great Grandparents owned the old IGA, which later was owned by my Grandparents and then my Uncle Micheal, before it became Buffalo Mountain Coop. They Raised their children in the Dewey street home, we call "The House". Later my Grandparents bought The House from my Great Grandparents and raised their children there. The best part about the house is that it is a gathering place for the holidays. I have wonderful memories there, But I can share those another time. Right now I have seemed to lost track of where I was going in this blog. My Great Grandmother lived to be 105 years old and unfortunately in the last year of her life seemed to have really stopped talking as much as she once had. As a matter of fact it wasn't until well after her passing I suddenly could hear her voice and laugh again. She was an evil checkers player. She had this knack for setting up the game. You wouldn't even know she had ya. She would say "if you have opportunity to Jump you have to take it.... you can't make another move until you do". You would take the jump and then from out of nowhere she would have 7 jumps lined up and take you out. I don't think she liked to lose and that is why she made that rule. I am not convinced that she followed her own rules but considering I didn't notice her getting ready to clear the board who am I to say? She is the only person I know that made a tuna fish sandwich by putting dry tuna on the mayonnaise covered bread. I hated mayonnaise. Just the look of it and I make that gross face. Imagine how hard it was for me to be polite and eat it. She ate Dinty Moore beef stew every night for dinner. She loved watching wrestling and would punch at the air and whoop and insult the one who she was not rooting for. She walked everywhere. I never even knew she owned a car. She did. She never used it after her husband died. My Uncle Gary now drives her old car in the parade and enters it in car competitions. He has blue ribbons for her car. It is a beaut. She at Halloween made the best popcorn balls. She always gave us two but it never was enough. When she lived in this old apartment building that she owned we went over often and she loved us around. I don't ever remember saying it was a bad time to come over or her asking us to leave. If she was heading to the store she would ask if we wanted to go with her. She once had an empty apartment up on the 4th floor. It was our club house. She brought up plastic fruit to play with. We had the whole place to ourselves. One more memory I want to share.... Once my cousin Nicki and I made Great Gram Chinese food. She had never had it before. We decided to make Lemon Chicken. Honestly, It was awful. She never said an ill word. She told us it was very good and ate the whole thing. She was one of those amazing women I keep hearing about. She kept her sanity even when her family was passing away around her. Even though she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs in anger but couldn't for fear she would be sent to waterbury if she showed any signs of cracking. She was busted up on the inside like her old apartment is now. She may have felt abandoned when her husband passed and she was left to take care of her family on her own. She was wrecked and sad with every sick child passing and yet she carried on and made life happier and sweeter for every ones life she touched. I miss you Gram and think of you almost everyday. I am not sad you are not here physically.... I know your body was old and your mind not as sharp. It is your laughter. I have it in my head and heart again and I know it is a gift from you. Thank you for everything.

2 comments:

  1. Jacqueline Alma RichardsonSeptember 12, 2009 at 7:43 AM

    I remember that apartment. Mom would take me there and I would play with the pots and pans. Then I remember that she lived with us for a while. That woman could alway make you smile. It's a honor to carry her name, and share her birthday.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I remember the apartment as well. I visited her with Dad many times. Unfortunately she was not all that with it from what I remember, and when she moved in with us it was far worse. Great Gram, never could remember my name, I was "that boy" and I she accused me of stealing her purple polyester pants, which is funny because I was about 5' 8" and she was about 4' 8". I guess I could have been waring them as shorts...Anyway Gram Richardson was my special grand Mother. She was always so nice and tried to feed me every time she saw me. Plus I for years dad lived at their house so I saw her all the time.

    ReplyDelete