Delicious Blessings

The temperature outside was 18 degrees and we had ten brave crazy hikers come to walk in the woods around Noon Hill, Medfield.  I was amazed at the beauty of winter.  My favorite image is the ice around branches dipping into the water.  I should say dipping into the ice.

We walked for about an hour and a half, stopping for hot tea and Mary Connor's apple bread:




1/2 cup melted butter                                                     1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of sugar                                                                1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs                                                                             1 teaspoon baking powder 
2 cups of flour                                                                2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon salt                                                             1 cup chopped unpeeled apples
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt the butter in a large bowl and add the sugar gradually. Add beaten eggs and mix.

In a smaller bowl mix the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

Add half of the flour mixture to the big bowl. Mix.  Add one tablespoon of buttermilk.  Mix. Add the rest of the flour mixture.  Mix.  Add the other tablespoon of buttermilk.  Add vanilla.  Mix.  Add the chopped apple.  Mix. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a bread pan.  Pour the mixture into the pan.  When the oven is the right temperature, put the bread pan into the oven and bake for 55 minutes.

Parchment paper lines the bread pan.

You have no idea how delicious hot tea and apple bread can be on a freezing winter hike.  Thank God for such blessings.

Mary talking to Nick