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Monday, October 4, 2010

Apple Cider

I grew up in Chicago (well suburbs of). Almost the first 18 years of my life were spent there. That is why I am genuinely surprised at how much I love Denver. I feel like this is more of my home than Chicago ever was. I hate Chicago's humid sweaty summers. I hate it’s freezing, windy, icy winters. But there are a few things that I do miss about it. Some are strange, like worms. Yes, I miss the worms. Every time after it rains the ground is covered in hundreds of worms. You have to consciously try not to step on them there are so many. For some reason I loved it.

Not everything I miss is strange. The one thing that Denver will never be able to live up to is the Fall. Chicago has the most beautiful Fall season. The trees are amazing! Sure Colorado has its trees, but nothing like the ones in Illinois. One of my favorites parts about Fall was going to the Farms. Now I don’t know where these Farms are, but I have so many memories of them. Going and picking apples and pumpkins. Getting to pet actual farm animals. It was so much fun. This is something that I have yet to find here in Colorado. At least nothing that compares.

This past Saturday I found something that may be the closest that I am going to get to my Illinois Farms. It was the Lakewood Apple Cider Festival. Now it wasn’t a farm, but it had some farm like activities. Ethan got to experience a petting zoo. Aaron and I got to make our very own apple cider!  

I have been wanting to do this for years, but haven't gotten around to it. When I heard that they had an apple press that we could use, I knew we had to go!

First we got our apples. (Then we waited in line for an hour, worth it though!)

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Then we cranked the wheel and crushed the apples.

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Then we put the pressure on and squeezed the juice out.

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Then we poured ourselves some apple cider!

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I am now begging Aaron to build me my own apple press and plant me a fully grown apple tree in the back yard. That’s not to much to ask, right ;)

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3 comments:

Carla said...

Love it! I wanna join in the fun fall festivities! And I second your request to Aaron. If it makes your wife happy, then it's not too much to ask. ;) hehe

Lyssa said...

What fun! Homemade apple cider sounds so good. You guys should also try Anderson Farms. It about 35-40 minutes away but worth the drive. It has a cajillion pumpkins and you ride a little tractor pulled wagon out to the fields. There are hay bale and corn mazes. There are animals and silos and roasted nuts and kettle corn. Our family really loves it. I can't do anything about the leaves, though. I, too, miss the Chicago fall. It was stunning!

Christina said...

I've been asking Jason to build me an apple press too! It looks so fun!