Autumn comfort food, can you picture it, smell it? Another school day has ended and coming home, there’s a chill in the air. The ground is littered with leaves that crunch underfoot and there’s this feeling of something coming to an end.  That’s because it’s the end of summer with all its freedoms and the bittersweet beginning of the new school year.

Instead of a long day stretching out ahead and a never-ending list of how to spend the time ( or skip the list and do nothing at all), there is school. Every day. All day. All year.

After the initial excitement of new schoolbag, new teachers, and the return to the familiar chalk and pencil smell of the classroom, gloom can set in. Your child may not have a name for what she’s feeling. But you can see how it is when she comes home from school.  You can see it in the way she holds her back and her relief at being home, her childhood terra firma.

Sometimes parents wish they could wave a wand and make things all better. But as children grow and stretch their wings, we understand that we must let them have their life experiences up to and including the natural disappointments that occur from time to time. We can’t wave these away.

But we can offer our love and warmth, which is considerable. Parents have superpowers, don’t you know? We know when our children are sad and there’s a lot we can do to make them feel better.

A cuddle is good. A joke helps. And then there is comfort food.

When you read that last item did you cringe, thinking, “Of course. There’s always something these blogs tell me to do that involve WORK and MESS. Now they want me to COOK.”

Okay, so yes. I want you to cook. But I want you to have a magical experience, too. I want your cooking experience to be nearly effortless and with very little washing up. And I want the fruit of your labor to delight your needy child, home after what must have seemed like a day that would never end.

Moreover, I want you to make something that evokes the season.  Something with cinnamon. Something warm.

So now, what could be easier, quicker, or more comforting than a baked apple you make in the microwave?

Magic superpowers? You may not think you have them, but after your child sees how fast you whip up this scrumptious treat, she’ll be utterly convinced that Mary Poppins has NOTHING on you. Her smile tells you that. And it’s all the reward you’ll ever need.

Microwave Baked Apples

Good as is or with vanilla ice cream and maybe some granola sprinkled on top!

2 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 apples
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 pitted dates (optional)

Method:

1. Core the apples, but not all the way through. Leave the bottom of the apple intact.
2. Mix brown sugar and spices, fill apple cores with this mixture. If using dates, place one inside each apple cavity. Top each apple with a teaspoon of butter. Place the apples in a microwave-safe casserole, cover.
3. Microwave for 3 ½ to 4 minutes or until apples are tender.
4. Allow the apples to stand for two minutes before serving.

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