As I was raking I thought back to a segment we did last fall with Priority Health.  Could this annoying task actually be benefiting us more than just sprucing up the curb appeal of our house?  I dug into the Where You Live archives and found that raking leaves for one hour can burn up to 250 calories.  In addition to the health benefits, I realized there were some other rewards I was reaping as well.  When I heard Sophia’s giggles come out from under the big leaf pile, I realized that this was precious time my husband and I were both spending with our daughter.  In the hustle and bustle of the work week, it’s a rare occasion that the three of us all have a couple hours to spend together just having fun.

At the end of the afternoon, the task that had started out “annoying” to me, turned into a lot more than just a neat row of yard waste bags at the curb.

Any chores or tasks you’ve dreaded doing that have turned out to be a blessing in disguise?

A few weeks ago I went on a tour of apple country – right up Fruit Ridge road off of I-96.  The site of the orchards with tree branches full of bright red and green apples was truly amazing!  Our tour took us from the orchards, to the packing houses and finally to a kitchen to create delicious apple recipes.

Chef Paul Penney had us participate in a hands-on cooking class and I wanted to share one of my favorite and easiest recipes with you.  I made it the other night in my crock pot and woke up to the smell of cinnamon apples.

Easy Apple Breakfast Cobbler

• 4 medium-sized Michigan Apples (try Gala, Ida Red, Jonathan or Cortland), cored and sliced (I prefer not to peel for the extra fiber and nutrients)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon trans fat free margarine
• 2 cups low-fat granola

Place the apples in a crock pot and stir in honey and cinnamon.  Top with granola and drizzle with margarine. Cover and cook on low 7 hours (overnight) or on high for 2 hours. I like to serve this warm topped with low-fat milk or vanilla Greek yogurt – yum!