The "An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away!" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Tuesday, November 4 and my wife, Carol, had just asked me what time I want to eat supper.  "Just so supper is over before 'Wheel of Fortune' starts," I said to her.  She returned with, "No way is that going to be on tonight, since election results will be on night...on just about every major network."  And...she was right.  Election results were on every channel I like to watch.  So, I said, "I'm ready to eat whenever it is ready."  Well, was I in for a real treat when she called me for supper about half-an-hour later.  My gourmet chef made for the first time something called "Pork Ala Mode."  "That's not what it's called!" she yelled to me after I told her what I had just typed for this story.  "It's called what it says on the paper on the counter."  So, I got out of my lounge chair and checked out what I should call it.  Pork with Sweet Potatoes and Apples Sheet-Pan Dinner was what was written across the top of the Betty Crocker paper on the counter.  But, that's not what it looked like and tasted like when I began to eat.  Seems she took all the ingredients and instead of just spreading the on a cookie sheet, as is shown in the recipe, she built me a tower of culinary delight.  On my plate she placed two inch-thick pieces of pork loin.  On top of that was a layer of sweet potato wedges, a layer of onions and apples, all roasted to perfection.  Next came drizzling it with maple syrup that had a bit of lemon juice in it.  She topped that off with a layer of pecans. It looked like something in a food magazine!  Unbelievable, so it was!

 And then, I spoiled it.  I took off the pecans, since I don't enjoy the taste of pecans.  She said, "Take a photograph of it before you take off the nuts," which I did.  And then, I spoiled it again.  I put a big scoop of applesauce next to it on my plate. I NEVER, EVER, have my meal without applesauce on the side of my meal.  

 A big scoop of applesauce was needed.

Goes way back to when I was a kid and my Mom told me that "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."  Only evening meal I eat that I don't put applesauce on is when we have apple dumplings.  Plus, when we go out to eat or visit friends for supper.  Carol told me to never ask for applesauce when we are not at home.  "Not polite!" so she says.  Well, I looked at the four to five inch high stack of goodness and was amazed at how neat it looked.  Just had to grab my phone to snap a couple of photos of it before I ate the whole thing.  I wasn't quite sure how the apple would taste mixed with all the other food groups, but it had an amazing taste.  Told her it is one of my all-time favorite meals she has ever made.  And, that includes hundreds of different meals, since she loves to cook and tries different recipes all the time.  Years ago, when I was still teaching printing in high  school, I printed a recipe book with Carol's recipes in it.  Printed a few hundred with hopes of selling them.  Advertised the cook book in a few publications, including the "National Enquirer" with hopes of getting rich.  We sold 5 copies!  Had to use the rest as gifts.  Some people probably got two of them over the years.  Still have the first one, but may have to print an extra page so I can add her new concoction.  But, you know that everything tastes good with applesauce.  It was an ordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.