From the Beaches of Nebraska an Apple Butter is Born...

"The heat of autumn

is different from the heat of summer

One ripens apples, the other turns them to cider."

Jane Hirshfield

Nothing inspires me more to create than cool, crisp Autumn.  I find beauty in the changing colors of leaves and the beautiful stark white trunks of the Aspens, and thus, my personal rebirth is really just inspired through death....annnnnnd, apples.  Mmmmm.  I remember trips to the apple orchards of North Carolina this time of year.  Apple slushies, apple cider donuts fresh off the line, and hot apple cider to warm my soul (FYI: don't even try to bring those preservative free donuts home, because that deliciousness is meant to be double fisted and for immediate consumption).  My favorite orchard was "Sky Top Orchard."  A friend here in Colorado just visited an adorable orchard nearby in Lyons, called YaYa's Orchard.  It's definitely on the list for an upcoming day trip with my Canon and a possible upcoming blog post!  

Recently I went on a beach camping trip in Nebraska with a group of friends.  We drove to Lake McConaughy for a relaxing weekend.  The sand was so soft, so white and extremely Zen.  Some of the attractions of Lake McConaughy are the fishing and the wind surfing (and getting stuck in the sand and paying a guy on a tractor $100 to tow you out).  I could watch the wind surfing all day.  It's so lovely and entrancing to watch both the traditional water/wind surfers and the guys/girls who get up on the foils and literally look like he/she is "hover boarding" over the waves.  We laid out by the water listening to music, painting with water colors, sipping adult beverages, paddle boarding and exploring the beach/lake.

Our tents situated under a whistling tree, it sounded like nature singing every night while I cuddled up in my sleeping bag.  The star gazing was incredible.  With no light pollution, we had a full panoramic sky full of stars each night.  Great connections with the earth, walking around bare foot all weekend is such a great way to recharge (there are actually so many (mental and physical) health benefits to walking barefoot in the sand) .  Fall was officially in the air with a nippy and beachy evening breeze and the aromatic and arousing aroma of the wood crackling on the sandy campfire pit all while facing and gazing out at the sunset's reflection on Lake McConaughy.  

The weekend recap would be incomplete if I did not hand out mad props to this entire group of culinary campfire geniuses.  We feasted one night on fajitas, another night on steaks cooked over the campfire (w/asparagus and potatoes, and teriyaki chicken kabobs (w/a mango rice and black bean cilantro salad).  I'm not officially spoiled with this camping experience.  

One morning we awoke and my friend was making some stove top coffee + cooking up a delicious breakfast.  I volunteered to be sous chef and do all the chopping.  After she toasted up the English muffins, I one layer of ghee (which provides a saltiness) and some of her daughter's homemade apple butter generously atop the muffins.  Holy deliciousness!  Coffee and apple butter muffins on a crisp cool morning on the beach.  Hopefully you just read that in my NPR "Delicious Dish" voice: "Mmmmm, naughty little apple butter on my muffin."

Well, it's the God's honest truth.  That naughty little jar of homemade apple butter campside inspired me to begin my research and learn the artful slow cook, thus "Colorado Kimmie Apple Butter" was born.  And, then it happened.  It goes without saying but, TIS THE SEASON to start dabbing apple butter on sour dough toast, muffins, pancakes/waffles, an accompaniment for your charcuterie board, in your oatmeal, or dabbed on a porkchop.  These delightful jars of heaven are slow cooked, or slow burned as I like to say, for twelve hours.  Located in a perfect locale for locally sourced apples, it was just meant to be that Colorado Kimmie would start small batching her own "butter."  For Colorado Kimmie's Apple butter I combined Fugi, Honey Crisp and Granny Smith for just the right amount of sweet + tart.  I added some delicious spices and some vanilla before a quick puree and then a pour into the mason jar. 

As I type this blog, I wish I could share out to all of my readers to amazing aroma radiating my entire loft.  Ahhhh, apple heaven up in here!  Here are a few snaps of my kitchen during a small batching process: 

If you're interesting in trying my artisan butter with locally sourced Colorado apple varietals, feel free to shoot me an email at oloradoKimmie.com.  Also, here are a few captures from the beach camping trip and an inside look into where the inspo happened:

Have a lovely rest of your weekend, and I hope you catch some beautiful changing colors (or, watch the awe-inspiring death), my friends!  An apple a day keeps the doctor away, so just imagine what the butter could do for ya!?  Peace + love, friends.

XX, CK