Prunes

I've started eating prunes. I guess I really like dried fruit. And one of my coworkers was eating them the other day and let me try one. I think the prune jokes turn people (including me) off a lot and I found that I actually liked them. So I bought some at Costco the other day.

I know I don't eat nearly enough fruits and vegetables, not like when I was living at home... cuz my parents are just so dang healthy. Plus it's hard to manage fresh fruits and vegetables. Inevitably, we have things going bad.

Anyway, one of the best things about prunes is how filling they are. I get hungry a lot... at least every three hours. So I need to carry snacks around--usually things like crackers or popcorn. If I end up buying something, it's usually from a vending machine or coffee shop, so it'll be Doritos, pretzels, bagels... definitely carb heavy. Prunes are much healthier and sometimes it only takes a couple to hold me over.

Anyway, we'll see how long I can keep this up. Last year I went on a Larabar kick, eating like two a day for almost the whole school year. And now I can't eat them anymore. I can sort of see the same thing happening with the prunes. And maybe even sooner than that.

Cinnamon Sugar Apples

I don't really like fruits. I mean, I have always preferred vegetables. And while on a hot summer day, a juicy plum or peach can be the best thing, in the winter, fruit is just cold. For some reason, I prefer dried or cooked fruits. Hrm... maybe it's cuz that usually means there's sugar in it... oh well, it's still a good way to make sure I get my fiber, etc. in the winter.

This fall I started making cinnamon sugar apples, which my dad used to make for me when I was little. He makes it again now for my grandma and grandpa since raw apples are too hard on their false teeth.

I guess this is not really a recipe but I have still picked up some tips for making them. So far, I like Fuji or Granny Smith apples for this. I peel and slice the apple. I used to just slice it into wedges, but Kea likes to core the apple and slice it into rings. And they are kind of pretty that way. When I do the rings, I slice them about half a centimeter thick. Then fry 'em up with cinnamon. When they start getting on the softer side (almost ready to eat) sprinkle some sugar. If you put the sugar too early, it can burn, but be sure to cook the sugar a little bit so that it melts rather than just having sugar granules on your apples. That's it! Now eat them! Yum!