Going to the Beach (Again) - Chai Apple Crisp

It's the most magical place on earth. Or maybe the greatest; I'm not exactly sure what the phrase is. But Flower clearly did not think so. She climbed into her stroller, pulled the shade down with a flourish, and went to sleep. She was hot and tired and decided she had had enough.

We went to Disneyworld a few years ago. Poet and Flower were just three or four, and we thought we'd do a little test run. Maybe spend a day at the park, see some of the highlights and come back in a few years for a bigger vacation. We were all disappointed. Before we went, the kids had heard a few Disney songs and watched a few snippets of movies, but they were not enamored. Princesses, giant mickeys, and pineapple dole whips were not going to make them jump with joy. Instead, they said no thank you.

Flower was tired in the heat and promptly went to sleep. Not even her favorite song from Frozen could wake her up. Poet was fascinated by all the people and the excitement. He loved the old-fashioned race car ride, called Tomorrowland Speedway. It debuted at Disneyworld in 1971. He walked by all the big flashy rides and happily rode the creaky old go cart cars.

The next day we changed gears and headed to the beach. We couldn't have had two more happy little people. They jumped glee into the sand. Using buckets and shovels, they played happily. Who knew all they needed was a little sand and sun.

G and I have learned from that experience. We headed up to northwest Indiana las weekend to check out G's new art exhibition, Indian American Modernism, at Indiana University's Northwest campus. We decided to make a mini-weekend out of it and then visited New Buffalo in southern Michigan. In the summer, it's a cute beach town with shops and restaurants. It was too chilly for ice cream at Oinks, but it looked like some place we would love to visit again.

And so we found ourselves out on the beach on a chilly October morning. The beach was beautiful and empty, just a short walk from where we were staying. The kids discovered a rock jetty and spent time hopping from rock to rock. They are fearless little creatures. While G and I worried about who would have to jump into the cold (not quite icy) water to rescue them, they played with glee. Afterwards, they ran up and down the dunes until they were ready for lunch. It was not Hawaii, Bermuda, or Costa Rica, but it was perfect.

Sometimes you don't need the most elaborate plan or vacation. Sometimes it's just the simple things.

Chai Apple Crisp

Apple crisp is a perfect fall dessert. I love the sweet apples topped with crispy crunchy oat topping. A little chai masala gives this classic a little bit of a twist.

Serves 8

For filling

• 8 medium apples (peeled, cut into 1 inch slices)
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chai masala (see notes)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For Topping

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chai masala
• 1/2 cup (1 stick unsalted butter, cubed. Keep cold.)
• 1 cup old-fashioned whole oats
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds or pistachios

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all the filling ingredients . Spread into the prepared pan.
3. To make the topping. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, almonds and chai masala. Cut in the butter using a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the oats and then sprinkle over the apples.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
5. Serve warm with ice cream or all by itself.

To make your own chai masala:
10 cardamom pods
10 cloves
5 1-inch sticks cinnamon

Grind in a dry mixer. Store in an airtight container.