Yesterday afternoon while my girls were snuggled beside the woodstove "studying" an episode of Little House on The Prairie, I slipped off into the kitchen to make a little thank you gift for my favorite veteran. If you didn't see the video I shared yesterday, that my father shared with me, I hope you'll take a few minutes to watch it. I tend to think I'm a pretty grateful, patriotic person--yet watching that video reminds me of how easily we take our freedoms and safety for granted. It is important to see the faces, hear the words and memories of a generation that has kept our generation free.

So, this little "Veteran's Day Apple Cake" is a good one. Simple, quick, and best of all it's a "one to keep, one to give" kind of cake. The recipe makes two loaves. I owe the discovery of this cake to my sister--who made it for me on our last visit. And I'm pretty sure it comes out of her church's recipe book. I swear, those little church recipe collections are full of culinary greatness.

:: Veteran's Day Apple Cake ::

p.s. this cake does not fall in the low-fat, low-cal category. but it is high in the yum-factor.

1 1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar (see what I mean?)

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups chopped, peeled apples

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla. (I mix the whole cake by hand, and don't bother getting out any kind of electric mixer or my kitchenaid). Sift dry ingredients and add to wet. Fold in apples and nuts. Pour into two greased (or parchment lined) 9 x 5 loaf pans. (my pans are different sizes, I just monitor their doneness at the end.)

Bake for 1 hour at 350. Turn off the oven and let stand in the oven for five minutes or until loaves test done. The tops should be nice and dark and crunchy, the insides will stay moist (one of my all-time most despised words) and delicious.

Now, I know it will be hard, but wrap one of those loaves up and share it with someone special. And enjoy the other one yourself.

Yum.