A Wonderful Visit

Over the weekend, our friends, the Diperts, visited us from Arkansas. I lived with Erich, Sara and Elizabeth (who was 1 at the time) when I was in Prague. They were kind enough to let me live with them when I withdrew from school for a semester. Now, they have 4 kids! Elizabeth (who is now 11), Aaron (9), Jonathan (6), and Katherine (3). The kids slept in our playroom and Erich and Sara stayed in the office. They were amazing guests! So thoughtful and considerate. They helped with dishes, cooking and holding Aria. We had so much fun sitting around after the kids went to bed talking and laughing. They are awesome friends and we are praying that the Lord would open a door for them here so that they could move closer. It is rare to find good friends like them, but of course, they live far away.

While they were here we walked around Old Town, went to the park and went to Estes Park. I didn't take very many pictures while they were here, but here's some from Estes Park. Cadence and Finn liked playing with all their kids, but Cadence seemed to get attached to Elizabeth.

It was a great weekend full of wonderful friends, delicious food, and a lot of laughter!

They also picked some apples for me from our neighbors tree, with which I made some yummy apple pie bars. It was so satisfying to make something with fresh ingredients grown right in our neighbors backyard. The apples weren't very sweet, which I think was perfect balance for this recipe.

Recipe Highlight:

Apple Pie Bars

Ingredients

• FOR THE CRUST:
• 2-1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 1 egg
• Milk (about 2/3 cup)
• FOR THE FILLING:
• 1-3/4 cups cornflakes
• 8 cups peeled and sliced cooking apples (see first tip below)

• 1 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• FOR THE TOPPINGS:
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly. Separate the egg yolk and white, reserving both parts. Beat the yolk in a liquid measuring cup, then add enough milk to measure 2/3 cup and blend well. With a fork, stir together the yolk-milk mixture and flour mixture until the ingredients form a sticky dough. Halve the dough and flatten each half into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Cover the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate them until well chilled, at least 30 minutes.

2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the cornflakes into a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to lightly crush them.

3. On a sheet of waxed paper, roll one portion of dough into a 15-1/2- by 10-1/2-inch rectangle. Transfer the dough to an ungreased 15- by 10-inch jelly roll pan. Sprinkle the crushed cereal over the dough, then layer on the apple slices.

4. Roll out the remaining dough as in Step 3. In a small bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg for the filling. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples, then lay the dough on top. Use the tines of a fork to seal the dough edges.

5. In a small bowl, use a fork to beat the reserved egg white until foamy, then brush it over the dough. In another small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon for the topping and sprinkle it on the crust.

6. Bake the pastry until lightly browned, about 50 to 55 minutes. Let it cool for an hour, then mix the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to make a glaze and drizzle it over the top. When the dish has completely cooled, cut it into bars and serve.