A Folklore Hero of America: Johnny Appleseed

"A hero of American folklore, Johnny Appleseed was said to be a barefoot wanderer with a tin pot hat, and a sack of apples, so he might leave the start of trees everywhere he went. But unlike his tall tale colleagues Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, Appleseed's story was based on a real man. His name was John Chapman, and his real life was far richer and more interesting than his legend. Here are nine things you might not have known about the man behind the myth, in honor of Johnny Appleseed Day."

Mental Floss ran this headline last year and I couldn't help but read the whole article immediately; I'm a Johnny Appleseed fan. 

I grew up on 3 small acres outside the Kansas City, Missouri area with a yard full of walnut trees, pear trees, mulberry trees and my most loved and also most hated, apple trees scattered about.  They would draw bees, worms and critters at night and as they rotted on the ground they would stink. My mom would have us gather them as a punishment because she said, as they often do, 'that one bad apple will ruin the bunch'. 
There's actually TRUTH to that.

Anyway, my sister and I would throw the rotten apples in a bucket and hopefully not get a handful of worms or a bee in our flip flop.  Most of the time we survived just fine and even with delicious fruits of our labor.  Mom would dust them with cinnamon, make pies, desserts and put them in a hot bacon-wilted spinach salad from the garden. Picking apples was something I learned to do well.

My mom never claimed to plant the trees. One day, I asked her who was responsible and she told me to ask my teacher.  After a game of adult hot potato, I came to believe that most of the Apple trees in Missouri were a big THANKS to Mr. Johnny Appleseed.

Now living in Minnesota, home of Babe and Paul, I also adore keeping FOLKLORE alive, so naturally we're going to be celebrating this amazing day, and PERSON in History. A few fun Johnny Appleseed facts and quick recipes today:

He really was a devout Christian and he really was real. The man with a big long beard and preferring bare feet as he traveled didn't just like apples, he lived off of them. Planting orchards for future land sales and growing 'spitters' to avoid the spoil of his crop. This apple was tart and used for cider - a Midwest lifesaver.

If you have any normal cake mix, muffin mix or even Grand's Crescent rolls laying about, you can come up with a great dessert if only apples are laying around. If they're a bit bruised you can even pass them off once you toss them in cinnamon, sugar and molasses. You can cook them down or keep them fresh and crisp - but a dollop added to any recipe can take it to the next level.

I also always pick up dried fruits at the Dollar Store when I'm about because they make for perfect plate decor!