Day 4.
It was stormy and icky outside today. We're all still sick and were stuck inside---I had a bunch of work I was trying to get done and the kids seemed fine playing with cardboard and tape. So much for the thousands of dollars worth of Christmas toys.

When I emerged from my computer fog, I started poking around the kitchen. After last night's cooking disaster, I was determined to make something that everyone would like. Or at least eat.

I scoured the fridge and cabinets and came up with enough ingredients to make an apple crisp. I also hoped the smell would put us in good spirits and warm the kitchen a bit.

Ingredients used:
--9 smallish apples
--1/4 cup butter
--1/3 cup brown sugar plus another 2 tablespoons for crumb topping
--1/4 cup orange juice
--2 tablespoons vanilla extract
--1 cup crumb topping:
since we're gluten-free, I used GF gingersnap crumbs mixed with crushed Perky-O's. You could use anything that you normally use for a crumb topping---smashed cereal, graham crackers, oats, cookies--whatever.

Preheat your crock on high, and butter the inside of the stoneware. Chop up the apples and plop them in the bottom and cover with the remaining ingredients. Cube your butter.

Toss the orange juice, cubed butter, brown sugar, vanilla and apples together.
Smash up your topping of choice and add 2T of brown sugar. Layer on top of apple concoction.
Cover and cook on high for approximately 3 hours, or until apples are sufficiently tender.

If you like your crumb topping crunchy (I do!) broil the uncovered stoneware on the lowest rack of your oven for 4-7 minutes.

huh. I need to clean the oven.

Serve with vanilla icecream.
Amazingly good.
I look forward to eating the leftovers for breakfast before anyone else wakes up.
more yummy stuff: