Yummy! Yummy! Awesome Apple Bread!

If you don't already know, Hubbie and I met at Chick-fil-A while we were both in high school.  Hubbie was infatuated with me.  I was....well..... I did not like him at ALL.  He surprised me on Valentine's Day with a card and flowers.  I was so embarrassed.  I did not know how to let "this guy" down easily.  If you asked him, he'd say I lead him on and I did talk to him for a few months on the phone, but once I realized that he wasn't a "good guy", I decided to let him know that whatever "it" was, was over!  Thankfully for me, he went away to school, became a Christian and came back a different dude!  I was smitten when I saw the "new" dude.  During this time, I was still working at the chicken place and I chatted and became friends with a gal named Cristin.  She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met.  I actually told her once that I was considering dumping Hubbie and thankfully for him, my feeling changed and we got "serious" i.e. began to talk marriage, future, etc.  Its kinda fun to have a whole sleuth of people that had seen our relationship from the beginning- Hubbie liking me, me disliking Hubbie immensely and then me falling for Hubbie and Hubbie getting the girl.  We still have contact with quite a few of the people that saw the whole relationship and Cristin is one of them.

Through the wonderful world of Facebook, Cristin and I have gotten back in touch.  We both just had a baby and we both have 3 kiddos, so I feel like we are in the same boat- her new baby boy is only 2 weeks older than Baby Bean.  I wish she and I lived closer, but we plan to get our brood together one of these days since we don't live THAT far away!

Cristin published this recipe below on Facebook last weekend.  I saw it just in the nick of time.  My youngest brother made a quick trip to our favorite apple picking orchard and was kind enough to bring us back a 1/2 bushel!  Last Monday I made two batches of the Apple Bread and LET ME TELL YOU, it is awesome!  I have no clue where she found this recipe, but its a keeper!  I made two batches- 3 loaves and 12 muffins and I gave only one loaf away!  I had made a loaf for our next door neighbor in thanking them for the baby gift for Baby Bean, but Hubbie hadn't taken it over there yet, so I stole it!  I plan to make another double batch again on Monday and take 2 loaves to MOPS on Tuesday!  So, you MOPS gals, be prepared for awesome!

Apple Bread 
1 (3-pound) bag small apples
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Peel and finely chop enough apples to equal 3 cups. Set aside.

Stir together sugar and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl.

Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients; add to sugar mixture, stirring just until blended.
(Batter will be stiff.) Fold in finely chopped apples and 1 cup pecans.

Divide batter evenly between 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans, and cool on wire racks.

Can also be baked in muffin pans or 8-inch round cake pans.