A Boy Becomes A Man and Apple Eggrolls

I have a garden shed. TBHITW built it for me years ago. I wrote about it here.

I love that shed. I keep all my gardening supplies it it. Pots, soil, a small rototiller, spades and shovels and tomato cages.

Last winter some very clever squirrels ate through the roof in the back corner (where we couldn't see the damage) and made a lovely winter nest. Oh how warm they must have been all winter long. They had hauled in all manner of comfy leaves and twigs and had even cached a nice supply of acorns and bird seed. Imagine my surprise (and theirs) when I opened the shed in the spring and found them all nestled in warm and dry in the back corner. A whole little family. Hmmm...

They moved out as soon as the babies went off to college (or wherever squirrel babies go in the spring). All summer long TBHITW would say, "I've got to fix that roof".. well, he never got around to it.

This past weekend the 16 year old kidadult decided to tear off the old roof and put on a new one. He measured and thought and measured some more. On Saturday morning he asked me to drive him to The Home Depot. He had a list of roofing supplies he needed.

We bought plywood and tar paper and shingles and nails. He even bought some chicken wire to lay down so those clever squirrels couldn't eat through the roof again. I don't know how he knew how to do all this. Maybe he is more clever than a squirrel?

He worked all day Saturday and into Sunday. He tore off the old roof and nailed down new wood.

He got out the saw horses and the circular saw and measured and cut (I couldn't watch that part)

Then he shingled the entire thing.

Who is this child?

Yesterday he never made his bed or picked up his dirty clothes or wet towels from the floor. Today, he is rebuilding a shed roof. Hmmm... I think my little is growing into a man.

Apple Eggrolls: (makes 4)

It is high apple season around here. I have canned 12 quarts of spiced apples and 6 quarts of apple sauce. We eat an apple a day and I still have apples in bowls, in the refrigerator and on the counter. Since it is just the two of us a pie is too much. I think these rolls are the perfect substitute when a pie is too big.

1 large apple (your choice) peeled and chopped into small pieces
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Generous pinch cinnamon
1 teaspoon flour
4 egg roll wrappers
Oil for frying
powdered sugar for sprinkling

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Add the apples and saute until just a bit soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the apples and cook for about 30 more seconds to thicken sauce. Cover and chill.
When apples have cooled, spoon a generous amount onto each egg roll wrapper, wrap up like an envelope.
Fry each egg roll until golden. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar and serve warm. Preferably to a boy about to become a man.