Cider Press Adventure!

So I haven't cooked.  Or baked.  Well, I made nachos.  But those don't really count.  The pulled pork was frozen.  And otherwise, it's just layering.

But!  Yesterday, NES and I went to a cider press!  JB and RB invited us to go with them -- it's a yearly tradition.  When they invited us, I figured that we'd be there eating and talking and such while a few (experienced) people made cider.  That's not quite how it went.

You have to understand that JB and RB are the type of people who are going to work if there is work to do.  And NES and I tend to be the same way to a certain extent, and, well, since JB and RB were the only people we knew there, we kinda stuck with them.  So, long story short, we ended up pressing many, many apples.

RB and I, along with JB and NES for part of the afternoon, were smashing apples.  Pressing apples is a two step process: first they are smashed up into smaller pieces, then all the juice is pressed out of them.

When we started, there was almost half a tarp-full of apples waiting to be pressed.  When we stopped, they were gone.  We were determined.

Meanwhile, NES and JB were working the press with some of the other men.  And NES was taking pictures for me.  Thanks NES!

We even had some little helpers!

There was also music -- fife and drums, to be particular!

And there was so much food.  Good food.  And crazy desserts!

This is a pumpkin pie in a spice cake.

This is a cherry pie in a chocolate cake.

And this is a apple pie with bacon and cheese!  Woah.

What could be more fall than apple cider?