Romantic Tree Tunnels

Romantic Tree Tunnels

This article was written by David Eaves, a blogger from Lancaster. The views expressed in it are his and do not necessarily match those of Free Dating.co.uk.

BECKONING CREATIVITY

Ever find yourself yearning for a shot of creativity when you need most it, not when it needs you?

Creativity

Oh, wherefore art thou my pen, my brush, my song of songs?

C”mon creativity, where did you go?  Where is the “on demand” feature?

And, despite the pleading and the begging, your creativity is apparently off to see the wizard.

OH, WE DO LOVE CREATIVITY!

There is a yummy feeling that comes with the energy of inspiration flowing through us.   It is the energy of life moving through our veins, and we know it.  There is nothing like it.  And yes, it keeps us young and happy.

In a state of bliss, all seems to go well  — effortlessly!  The big blue sky of creativity opens up, shining happy streaks of sunny love color all over life and we’re sparkling with ideas.

WEST ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY CHOIR

Recently, I went to hear the West Asheville Community Choir.  On that particular day, I was truly muddling along, ready to be uplifted by song.   I had never heard of this choir, but I can tell you that when they sang, the cells in my mind and body woke up.  In less than 30 seconds after they began to sing, I was lifted into “oh, now THAT’S better….”   and within 45 seconds was transported straight to happy.  After a whole minute, I was floating over the moon and the floating lasted for the rest of the hour.

Time disappeared.  I was in a state of wonder.  The sounds were beautiful.  I found myself wanting to stand up and shout, “That’s what I’m talkin’ about!”  It was also meditative.  Gorgeous. Intricate.  Simple.  Moving to my heart.

THE FLOWER OF CREATIVITY

Moonflower Opening -- photo courtesy of Lois Yeager

The 50 member choir sang traditional a cappella songs, from South Africa, the Balkans, Caucus Georgia, as well as American Shape-Note and Gospel songs. Suzannah Park and Nathan Morrison, the directors, also sang a duet together.  I don’t even remember the song really, not because the song was not memorable, but because the emotional experience of hearing them sing together took center stage.

I vividly remember the feeling of the song.  It was not your average listening experience, that’s for sure.  I don’t even know what happened to me when they sang, but I know their expression changed me somehow.  When Suzannah and Nathan sang it seemed as if the entire audience expanded to make room in their hearts for whatever it was the two were offering.  The audience opened.  I opened.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…………….!!!  Now that’s much better!

THE JOY FACTOR

I don’t know the best way to get anyone’s creative juices flowing, but it sure helps to “get to happy.”  What gives you a boatload of joy?  Do more of that.

Suzannah and Nathan are downright darling.  They love each other and make no bones about it, but it’s not syrupy and it’s not an act.  They have known each other since they were 14 years old.  Suzannah, when she is talking, but especially when she’s singing, is like a 1,000 watt light bulb.  You can’t help but catch the rays of her bright love.  She is unabashedly happy when she sings, directs, talks about her husband or how much she loves the choir.  She includes you in her energy field, and yes, it’s HUGE, and pretty soon you are transported to wherever she is singing from if you let yourself go there.

And I did.

And I’m glad.

As of this writing, the experience was 48 hours ago and I’m still flyin’.  Joy is very good medicine.

IS CREATIVITY YOUR LONG LOST FRIEND?

Artist: MacKenzie Joy Crosby

Missing your creativity?  Find what makes you laugh.  Find the young kid in you.  If your pets are funny and help you into a good mood with no effort, spend a little time with them.

Play a little.  Jump up and down, dive into a pile of leaves, roll down a hill.  Dance.  Sing.  Play with your kids or grand kids.  You’ll feel better when your life-giving juices begin to flow.  Being able to play –  being able to get into a playful mood at will — is one of the best ways to deliberately create joy.  When you have joy, finding the creativity button is easy.

Or, hey — go listen to the West Asheville Community Choir.  Or the music of Suzannah or Nathan.  Bon Jovi.  k.d. lang. The New York Philharmonic.  Leonard Cohen.  The Beatles.  Diana Krall.

Do whatever opens the floodgates for YOU, darling, because that makes the world a better place, immediately and forever.

SING OUT, PEOPLE!

It seems to me that most of the world’s problems could be solved by singing.

Try singing an argument

It’s hard to sing and fight, sing and be angry, or sing and be in a bad mood for long.

Have you ever tried to sing an argument?

No?

OK, imagine doing it.

My point exactly… See  what I mean?  You can’t stay mad for long.

It could work.  World peace could be closer than you think.

If you have a story about how the simple act of singing works wonders for you and your creativity, I’d LOVE to hear it.

Or when do you find yourself in your highest creative state?  How do you get there?  Do tell!

Note:  Moonflower Photo courtesy of Lois Yeager.  For more information on artist MacKenzie Joy Crosby go here.

A Poem For Those Who Were Not Exactly Enamored with School

This is a poem for those of you who could not stomach school growing up. 

This is for those who waited patiently for the teacher to stop talking, the bell to ring, the day to be over.  This is for those who got tummy aches so they wouldn’t be shuffled to the dreaded school bus, yet again.  This is for those who couldn’t wait for summer.

Clearly, this poem is not for everyone.  Some folks just love school.

But alas, this is only for the bunch who couldn’t love school no matter how hard they tried.  And interestingly, this is often the bunch who grew up a little off the record.  And they became successful, integrated, and happy human beings despite the fact that they may have chosen the road less traveled.

Hats off and halleluyah, if you know what I mean.  Life works so many different ways, through so many different channels, in so many versions.  It’s good if you can find one that works for you.

Just As The Calendar Began to Say Summer

by Mary Oliver

I went out of the schoolhouse fast

and through the gardens and to the woods,

and spent all summer forgetting what I’d been taught –

 

two times two, and diligence, and so forth,

how to be modest and useful, and how to succeed and so forth,

machines and oil and plastic and money and so forth.

 

By fall I had healed somewhat, but was summoned back

to the chalky rooms and the desks, to sit and remember

 

the way the river kept rolling its pebbles,

the way the wild wrens sang though they hadn’t a penny in the bank,

the way the flowers were dressed in nothing but light.

 

Mary Oliver Is A Wise Woman

After pouring over words from Mary Oliver –  any of her words, take your pick on any page of any of her books — there is really nothing else to say.  You just close the book and sit in silence.

So I’ll mention where this Mary Oliver quote comes from and then turn the rest over to her.  The rest, the important part, is from “Long Life” by Mary Oliver.  Page 33.  (You can find her on www.amazon.com.)

Enjoy…

“Once, years ago I emerged from the woods in the early morning at the end of a walk and — it was the most casual of moments — as I stepped from under the trees into the mild, pouring-down sunlight I experienced a sudden impact, a seizure of happiness.  It was not the drowning sort of happiness, rather the floating sort.  I made no struggle toward it; it was given.  Time seemed to vanish.  Urgency vanished.  Any important difference between myself and all other things vanished.  I knew that I belonged to the world, and felt comfortably my own containment in the totality.  I did not feel that I understood any mystery, not at all; rather that I could be happy and feel blessed within the perplexity — the summer morning, its gentleness, the sense of the great work being done though the grass where I stood scarcely trembled.  As I say, it was the most casual of moments, not mystical as the word is usually meant, for there was no vision, or anything extraordinary at all, but only a sudden awareness of the citizenry of all things within one world:  leaves, dust, thrushes and finches, men and women.  An yet it was a moment I have never forgotten, and upon which I have based many decisions in the years since.”

Kidney Cleanse Recipe

I’m aging myself for sure by starting to write about physical issues, cleanses for the body, and so on.  When I was younger, none of this concerned me and it never crossed my mind that scheduling regular maintenance for my “vehicle” was a good and useful thing in the long run.

Not really.

When we’re young, we really do think life will go on with the same energy, vitality and health that we have when we’re 20 years old.  Well, things sometimes change a little on the journey….

Time for reflection, time for “cleaning the closets” of our bodies.  So I’m doing periodic liver flushes, a parasite cleanse, and a kidney cleanse.  It must be time to let go of the old and make room for the new.

For more information, you might check out anything written by Andreas Moritz, a German medical intuitive and practitioner of Ayurveda, iridology, shiatsu and vibrational medicine.  Not your average western medical doctor for sure.  He seems to know a thing or two about health.

One of his books is called “The Liver and Gallbladder Miracle Cleanse.“

His website is www.ener-chi.com.

He offers a kidney tea recipe.  These are Andreas Moritz’s directions and advice, directly from his book that I mention above.  I’m not a doctor.  I know nothing, I’m not trained in medicine — I’m not offering advice.  I’m just following Andreas Moritz’s advice.  I recommend getting his book for more background information and the whole picture.

Kidney tea. Yum.  Here goes.  Confession:  I have not consumed this yet, I am only mixing it up.  No clue what it tastes like!  Could be scary….

Ingredients:

Marjoram (1 oz.)

Cat’s Claw (1 oz.)

Comfrey Root (1 oz.)

Fennel Seed (2 oz.)

Chicory herb (2 oz.)

Uva ursi (2 oz.)

Hydrangea root (2 oz.)

Gravel Root (also called Queen of the Meadow) (2 oz.)

Marshmallow root (2 oz.)

Golden rod herb (2 oz.)

Directions:

Take 1 ounce each of the first three herbs and 2 ounces of each of the rest of the herbs and thoroughly mix them together.  Keep them in an airtight container.  You may put them in the refrigerator.  Before bedtime, soak 3 T. of the mixture in 2 cups of water, cover it, and leave it overnight.  The following morning, bring the concoction to a boil, then strain it.  If you forget to soak the herbs in the evening, boil the mixture in the morning, and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes before straining.

Mix ingredients throughly.

Drink a few sips at a time in 6 to 8 portioins throughout the day.  This tea does not need to be taken warm or hot, but do not refrigerate it.  Also, DO NOT add sugar or sweeteners.  Leave at least one hour after eating before taking your next sips.

Repeat this procedure for 20 days.  If you experience discomfort or stiffness in the area of the lower back, this is because mineral crystals from kidney stones are passing through the ureter ducts of the urinary system.  Any strong smell and darkening of the urine at the beginning of or during the kidney cleanse indicates a major release of toxins from the kidneys.  Normally, tough, the release is gradual and does not significantly change the color or texture of the urine.  Important: Support the kidneys during the cleanse by drinking extra amounts of water, a minimum of six and a maximum of eight glasses per day, unless the color of the urine is dark yellow (in which case you will need to drink more than that amount.)

Store in frig in airtight container.

During the cleanse, try to avoid consuming animal products, including meat, dairy foods (except butter), fish, eggs, tea, coffee, alcohol, carbonated beverages, chocolate, and any other foods that contain preservatives, artificial sweeteners, coloring agents, and the like.  In addition to drinking this kidney tea each day, you may also chew on a small piece of rind from an organic lemon on the left side of your mouth and a small piece of carrot on the right side of your mouth 30 to 40 times each. This stimulates kidney functions.  Be sure to allow at least a half an hour between chewing cycles.

If you are doing liver cleanses, make certain that you do a kidney cleanse after every three or four liver cleanses.

In addition, those suffering from large kidney stones may benefit from drinking the juice of one to two lemons (diluted with water) per day for about 10 to 14 days.  After that, drink the juice of half a lemon per day indefinitely.”

Again, all of this is from Andreas Moritz.  You can visit his website for more information or to contact him.

 

Raw Beet Summer Salad

Organic Whole Beets

Raw beets, huh? Those messy red root vegetables don’t really ring your chimes?

Well, read on.  I’m here to convince you to eat them, and eat them raw.  Come on into the world of really red food.  It’s beautiful in here.

Granted, my motivation for eating raw beets came from a place of “needing to eat them.”  Apparently, consuming raw beets helps keep the digestive bile thin and moving in the body.  We produce a quart of bile  — per day — for digestion.  For those of us focusing on the cleaning out and renewal of the liver and gall bladder, this can be an important reason to eat beets.  So I am eating beets.  I had to find a way to eat them regularly and happily.  Here goes.

You need three ingredients.

Barleans Flax Oil

1. Beets, organic if you can find them or grow them.  If they are organic, you can scrub them and use the skin and all.  Buying loose beets, without the tops is just fine.
2. FRESH flax oil, Barleans is best.  Always check for the date it was pressed.  Buy it if it was pressed within the last month, and buy a size that you can consume in about 2 months.  On the bottle, it will also give you the “use by” date.  If acquiring Omega-3 rich flax oil will deter you from making this simple salad, you can substitute really good olive oil.  It works just fine.
3. Fresh lemons.
4. A hand grater.

Now you’re ready for the fun part.

I may be exaggerating a bit about calling it fun.  Pretend you’re about 5 years old when you make this salad and you’ll be fine….

Raw Beet Salad

RAW BEET SALAD

Ingredients:

Beets, scrubbed clean, enough to make two cups of grated beets.

2-3 T. Flax Oil.  If you don’t have Flax Oil you can substitute cold pressed Olive Oil.

1 juicy lemon

 

Trim off the thinnest layer possible of the roughest skin on the top of the beet.  Also cut off the bottom root. Grate two cups of beets by hand, skin and all.   Here’s the weird thing.  If you grate the beets by hand, rather than with a machine (Cuisinart or other mechanized grater), THE SALAD IS SWEETER. Go figure. 

 

I’m here to tell you that the mess is worth the difference in taste.  I don’t know why it is so different, but it is.

 

 

 

To the grated beets, add Flax Oil and the juice of one lemon.  Stir and eat.  You could also add salt and fresh ground pepper, but I find it needs absolutely nothing.

Raw Beet Salad with Chives

 

How easy is that?  Messy, but easy.

 

Note:  Yes, your hands will be red from the beet juice.  This is the part where you have to pretend you’re five years old.  It’s messy work.  Wear an apron.  Smile a lot.  Recall your finger-painting days.  I always manage to splat red beet juice somewhere that it shouldn’t be…. but, I digress.  To get the red off your hands, wet your hands, sprinkle baking soda on them and rub together.  Rinse. Repeat if necessary.

 

This salad is crunchy, sweet and heavenly.  Surprisingly so.  You can also add grated carrots, daikon radish or other grated vegetables for more variety.   Or fresh chives, basil, thyme, parsley or any fresh herb you like.

 

Enjoy this raw beet salad!  Your liver and gall bladder will thank you.

Summer Greek Salad with Shrimp and Marigolds

Summer Greek Salad with Marigolds and Shrimp

It sounds slightly wacko, this idea of eating flowers.  Not just flowers, but marigolds, of all things.

But I am a farm girl, and I figured that since chickens eat marigolds (did you know that?),and we eat eggs, then marigolds must be good for us!

Actually, marigolds are better than good… more on that in a minute.  So why not consume the marigolds even more directly?

For anyone who has never been around a chicken coop — chickens eat growing things of every color if left to their own devices.  Meaning — if they are truly free range and can get outside to enjoy bugs and flowers and plants, they are healthier and produce beautiful eggs with gorgeous yolks, high in nutrition.

Marigolds in a Window Box

Chickens are often given marigolds to make their egg yolks a deeper yellow, which is especially nice in the winter time when they spend less time outside eating vibrant colors in their happy chicken yard.

The really lucky thing is that besides the beautiful yellow color of marigold leaves, all that vibrant yellow color contains two wonder ingredients — lutein and zeaxanthin — vital food for healthy eyes.

Eating enough lutein and zeaxanthin (most Americans don’t) can prevent or slow macular degeneration. Macular Degeneration  is a serious subject and you can learn more here.

Keeping healthy vision is reason enough to eat marigold leaves.

But then there is the subject of color — the vibrant sunset colors of marigolds.  Ahhhhhhhhhhh!  Adding marigold leaves to a salad makes the entire salad come alive with color.

In my book, any way to make food more beautiful is simply icing on the cake.

Marigolds could be my new favorite salad ingredient.  I don’t know.  They are bright.  They are healthy.  There is a fierce competition going on in my kitchen, however, between red and green shiso and marigolds.  I’ll update you, I’m sure you can’t wait to hear.

So far, I think the marigolds are winning, and to be fair, it’s probably because I have them planted everywhere.  There is something to be said for strength in numbers.

Edible Flowers -- Marigolds

By the way, pansies and nasturtiums are edible as well, and used often in gourmet salads.  Substitute freely if those are more available.

The benefits of marigolds are many, and not just for your diet, or the diet of your chickens.  According to Mother Earth News marigolds help ward off pests in the garden.  Sprinkle them everywhere in your garden.

Planted in borders around a garden, or in rows next to vegetable crops, marigolds are an above ground trap for Japanese beetles.

But did you know that marigolds are at work below the surface of the soil in your garden as well?

Underground, they ward off nematodes, which attack the roots of plants.  Good for marigolds, my new heroes!

Here is a recipe for a summer salad that is flexible and easy.  This list of ingredients is for starters.  Feel free to add or subtract depending on your tastes.

When preparing food, just remember that color is key.  The more colors in the meal, the more nutrition present, guaranteed.

To your health!

Summer Greek Salad with Shrimp and Marigolds

Romaine lettuce — a large handful per person

Soaked pumpkin seeds — 1 T. per person.  See “Soaking Nuts”  note below.

Chopped green onions — about 1 T. per person

Kalamata Olives — about 5 per person, or to taste.

Tomatoes — chopped fresh.  About 1/2 tomato per person.  Use heirlooms if available.

Fresh oregano leaves — to taste.  Or the leaves from a 6″ tall spike per person.

Marigold leaves — the leaves from one or two marigold flowers per person, depending on the size of the marigold.  Put in enough to make a color splash!

*********

Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar — 2-3 tsp. per person

Olive Oil — 1 T. per person

Salt and Pepper to taste

*********

Feta Cheese — 2 T. per person

Cooked Shrimp — 5 large Shrimp per person

 

Combine romaine through marigold leaves.  Toss with the simple dressing of cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and cracked pepper, or your dressing of choice.  Divide onto plates.  Sprinkle each serving with crumbled feta cheese (it looks nicer than adding it before tossing).  Arrange cooked shrimp on top. 

 

Oh, and expect “oooo’s and ahhhh’s.”

 

Soaking Nuts — Soaking seeds and nuts is a great benefit nutritionally and they are easier to digest.   For starters, go to The Nourishing Gourmet.  She gives directions for soaking any kind of nut.  You can simply put them in a small bowl, cover with spring water, and soak overnight in the refrigerator.  You can also soak them in salt water, which is what The Nourishing Gourmet suggests. 

 

Herbed Tomatoes Au Gratin

Herbed Tomatoes Au Gratin

Do you spend much (or enough) time alone?  Do you make sure you have that delicious do-whatever-you-want time, with no one around to pull your attention anywhere in particular?

The day I began writing this entry was a heavenly day of freedom, not that I don’t like humans, just that I enjoy solitude whenever possible occasionally.

It was a deliciously long and luxurious winter day which began with lying in the morning sun on my living room floor while talking to long-distance girlfriends.  Then came a little (delightful) research on the computer, yoga practice, a breath meditation, and finally a long bath including singing in the tub.  About that time, I noticed my rumbling tummy….

Lunch ideas began with dreams of tomatoes.

Yes, it was the middle of winter.  Go figure.  It’s not like there was a garden overflowing with heirloom tomatoes just outside my window.  I don’t know what came over me.

Just to be fair, “what to do with tomatoes” all began because of the two huge tomatoes ripening on my counter.  All morning, I walked by them, pondering the possibilites.  Thinking about how  I might prepare them, I wandered into my pantry to retrieve something.  My eyes fell on a cookbook I love and I thought, “I’ll just open that up…..”

You know how one thing leads to another.  I opened the cookbook to a page about baked tomatoes of all things.

I love how this works.  Just start thinking of tomatoes, and then open the perfect cook book to the perfect page….

To begin with, this is a gorgeous side dish.  Secondly, it’s downright delicious, easy to prepare, and impressive to any reasonable set of taste buds.

This recipe is adapted from “Hudson Valley Mediterranean” by Laura Pensiero.  This is a wonderful cookbook, and I can’t sing her praises enough.

Here we go.

Oven 450 degrees

Fresh Herbs

2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for the baking pan

1-1/4 c. coarse and crusty bread crumbs (I used Ezekiel sprouted bread)

You can mix in 1-2 T. chopped parsley if you like.

Mix bread crumbs (and optional parsley) with Olive Oil and set aside.

Use more Olive Oil to grease a 9″ square casserole, or the equivalent.

1-1/2 pounds of tomatoes (2 huge or 3 large). Slice 1/2 to  3/4″ thick.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

A handful or two of fresh baby spinach leaves

1/2 c. soft goat cheese

1/2 c. Asiago cheese, crumbled or broken

Putting It All Together

3 T. fresh chives, or a combination of fresh and dried herbs of your choice that go well with tomatoes.  I used fresh chives, parsley, thyme, and sage, all growing in pots on my window sill.

 

Assemble in layers.  Tomatoes, then salt and pepper, then herbs, then spinach leaves (not too many, mostly for color) then cheese and bread crumbs.  Then add two more layers,  finishing with bread crumbs on top.

 

Bake somewhere in the neighborhood of 15-20 minutes, until bubbly and slightly browned on top.

 

Penne With Color

Penne With Color

Americans eat quite a bit of food without color.  There is beige food everywhere.  White or light bread, pasta with cheese, iceberg lettuce, and french fries.  It’s comfort food.  (Well, not the iceberg lettuce exactly…. )

If you’re looking for small steps in a brighter direction, you’ve come to the right place.

Lacinato Kale

Here’s an easy philosophy to navigate the world of blah looking food.  You can jolly well eat beige food once in a while,  just put some redeemable color with it.  Put spinach leaves or ripe tomato slices or grated carrots on that meat sandwich.  Add chopped deep green Lacinato Kale to your lettuce salad.

Besides, if you eat bright color that grows in the ground — we’re talking red, green, yellow, orange and purple — nutrition is pretty much guaranteed.

So let’s take pasta, beige for sure, but an all American standard.  You can make a fabulously beautiful and healthy version in under 30 minutes.

4 Servings

Start by preparing enough pasta (your favorite kind) for 4 people.  Set a timer so you notice when to check to see if it is done.   If you want leftovers, double it or use more generous amounts of everything.

YOU NEED:

Yellow Squash

Red onion, yellow squash, collard greens (or chard, spinach or kale) and fresh garlic.  Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade from Trader Joe’s. (If this is not available, use chopped red tomatoes). Feta cheese (can substitute Parmesan or Asiago or Goat).

While the pasta is cooking, saute the color:

1. A medium red onion, cut in chunky-ish pieces.

2.  Diced yellow squash or two, depending on the size of the squash.

Collard Greens

3. When the above two are almost done, add a small handful of chopped collard greens per person.  Also, add a clove of garlic per person — and one extra for the heck of it.  Take the clove of garlic and lay it on its side, and smash it.  Then cut it in about four pieces.  In other words, DON’T mince it.   This flavors the dish well, but allows eaters to avoid chunks of garlic, should they choose.

Turn off the burner, toss all together, and let the greens wilt into the vegetables. This will steam the garlic a little bit, but don’t burn or brown the garlic.  Cover with a lid for just a minute.

By now the pasta should be done.  Drain and add to the vegetables.  Toss well.  Add a jar of Trader Joe’s Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade.  Stir it into the pasta and vegetables.  Serve Feta Cheese on the side and let each person top their serving with Feta, or the cheese of your choice.

And there you have it!  Beige Food with all of it’s colorful and nutritious friends!  You can also skip the Feta and add another protein of your choice — chicken, salmon, shrimp and so on.  Be creative.  Be flamboyant!  Your tummy will be happy about the colors of the rainbow — to your body all that color is like the warm sun on a cold and dreary day!

Honey-Caramel Ice Cream with Apples

Honey Caramel Ice Cream with Apples

I made this recipe and took it to a friend’s for dinner.  The short story?  It was a big hit.  If you can imagine guests standing around the kitchen, asking for a chance just to smell the pan the sauce was in, you get a sense of the scene.

And then there was the out and out drooling…

Here you go.  Whenever I need a great recipe, I often turn to Bon Appetit.  I regularly try new recipes on company, because I know they will work.  Bon Appetit is a great resource. You can always go to their website www.bonappetit.com.  I also go to www.epicurious.com for recipes from both Bon Appetit and Gourmet Magazine.

Ingredients

Sauce

• 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Apples

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, each cut into 8 wedges Note:  I used McIntosh, worked great.
• 3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
• Vanilla ice cream
• Toasted pecan halves (optional)

Preparation

sauce

• Stir sugar, cream, butter, honey, and 3 tablespoons water in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; bring syrup to boil. Add spices, pinch of salt, and pinch of black pepper, shaking pan to blend. Boil without stirring until sauce coats spoon, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 week ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm before using.

apples

• Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples; sprinkle with sugar. Sauté apples until tender and brown in spots, about 12 minutes.
• Scoop ice cream into dishes. Top with sauce, apples, and pecans, if using.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/01/honey_caramel_ice_cream_sundaes_with_apples#ixzz1B2tnXRfK