"MOM'S APPLE PIE" COMES FROM CHUDLEIGH'SMilton, Ontario, Canada
As a mom I feel an obligation to do all sorts of ‘mom stuff’. You know, wipe runny noses, cart rowdy kids in soccer gear round in a mini-van, bake apple pie. I’m game for most things, but I also know when to to say no, and baking is one of those things I am willing to leave to the professionals. So when my eight-year-old daughter decided our next cooking project should involve pie crust, I knew I’d been beat.
Fortunately, living in southern Ontario, home is a short drive from the famous Chudleigh’s Apple Farm. No need to publicly admit defeat. No need to say I couldn’t do it, that mom’s famous apple pie might be better labeled mom’s really bad and burnt apple pie. Instead I quickly changed the topic using a regular mom trick - “Who’s up for a road trip?!” Not just one, but two kids were ready for a trip. The trip was to Chudleigh’s, moms baking nightmares were dispelled, and apple pie was beginning to sound like a great idea. A short while later the family arrived at Chudleigh’s and the smell of home-baked goodness wafted out through the parking lot. I followed my nose in the direction of the bake shop - in reality, a beautiful old barn, spilling over with flowers, and piled with farm-fresh home-made country fare. Clearly Chudleigh’s is a mecca for moms across the region who are not yet ready to admit their lack of baking expertise. Specialties such as Lemon Lava Cake and Pineapple Upside Down Cake looked delectable, and much of the baked fare, including Chudleigh’s signature “Apple Blossoms” come fresh or frozen so you can stock up. A little more browsing and I knew I’d also be stocking up on some delicious chutney and apple jelly. But, as kids are known to do, mine had quickly forgotten our mission, despite the fact that it was mostly dessert oriented, and had joined in the ruckus at the children’s play area. Four giant slides with connecting gangways and towers provided opportunity for running, yelling and sliding, and loads of straw was well placed to cushion the inevitable tumbles. More of the same at the straw maze - more yelling and running, and this time, hiding from impatient parents. I took a seat on a hay bale with a cup of warm apple cider and settled in to watch the mayhem of fifty little ones with way too much energy. As exhaustion set in, and the pace slowed - just a little - we made our way over to the petting zoo. My son made friends with a wild-haired lama kid who truly must have been the cool dude of the lama herd. They ‘hung out’ and shared a snack of ice-cream cone supplied by Chudleigh’s staff, and my son was half-disgusted, but really quite pleased to get a dirty lick across his face from lama-boy. And despite many other animals to visit - pigs, donkeys, large bunny families with multitudes of furry wriggly-nosed babies - my daughter quickly discovered the dogs. It seemed that every day is bring-your-dog-to-work-day for Chudleigh’s staff, and a pen was brimming with shaggy, waggy-tailed canines loving the attention of each new dog-crazy kid ruffling their fur. This petting zoo needed only one lama and a bunch of dogs, and the entertainment for my family would have been complete. Now we are worn out from a whole load of fun. Most people would buy their pie and head home at this point. Instead I spotted seats - on a wagon - and the kids had plopped their butts down with no plans of moving. The inevitable happened - a lovely and bumpy ride round Chudleigh’s beautiful 100-acre orchard. Our overall-clad wagon driver carried on a running dialog - sharing history of the farm and apple-growing techniques. He pointed out each variety of apple, described its qualities as we trundled past and was able to rattle off a list of about eighteen varieties grown at the farm. Lots of apples were collected - all for eating - none for baking - and we were delivered back to the barn a little rested from the ride. Now, being one of those mums who doesn’t let a little detour deter me from a mission, next stop was another trip to the bake shop. Blossoms were purchased, pie and chutney was purchased, and every possible sample was tried by two apple-filled but still greedy kids. As my car headed out across the bumpy field, two worn-out kids snored loudly as visions of pie danced in their heads. Mission accomplished - mom has escaped the baking nightmare unscathed! To learn more about Chudleigh’s Apple Farm visit: http://www.chudleighs.com/ |
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