Johnny Appleseed Friday Five

Across the Pacific from here, they are celebrating the 234th birthday of Johnny Appleseed. Singing Owl has posted a Friday Five in his honour:

September 26, 1774 was his birthday. "Johnny Appleseed" (John Chapman) is one of America's great legends. He was a nurseryman who started out planting trees in western New York and Pennsylvania, but he was among those who were captivated by the movement west across the continent.

As Johnny traveled west (at that time, the "West" was places like Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois) he planted apple trees and sold trees to settlers. With every apple tree that was planted, the legend grew. A devout Christian, he was known to preach during his travels. According to legend, Johny Appleseed led a simple life and wanted little. He rarely accepted money and often donated any money he received to churches or charities. He planted hundreds of orchards, considering it his service to humankind. There is some link between Johny Appleseed and very early Arbor Day celebrations.

So, in honor of this interesting fellow, let's get on with the questions!

1. What is your favorite apple dish? (BIG BONUS points if you share the recipe.)
Apple crumble. The recipe depends what is in the pantry but the basic idea:
Put rolled oats (about a cup), walnuts (or almonds, or other nuts) (1/2 to 1 cup), 1 tbs brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon or allspice, and any seeds on hand (pumpkin, sunflower etc) and 50-75g cold butter into a food processor and blend until butter is in small pieces. (If no food processor put dry ingredients in a bowl and chop butter into the mix)
Cut up plenty of apples and slice into a pie dish.
Pile on the rolled oats topping
Bake at 180 degrees celsius until top is golden and apples are soft.
Almost everything in this recipe can be substituted. It is OK with white sugar, wholemeal or even plain flour, and other grains and spices.
2. Have you ever planted a tree? If so was there a special reason or occasion you can tell us about?

When I bought my first house it was newly built and I planted out the section with lots of trees. We planted a tree to mark the place where we placed each of our children's placentas. Our son co-planted a tree to commemorate a church anniversary when he was two years old. Our daughter was born in 1989 and we planted a tree in a community planting the following year to mark the 150th anniversary of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Treaty between the indigenous people of New Zealand and Queen Victoria. We have planted lemon and peach trees in our garden. I've not before reflected on trees in my life but there have been quite a few!
3. Does the idea of roaming around the countryside (preaching or otherwise) appeal to you? Why or why not?

Appeals greatly because I like the feel of the earth beneath my feet and sun (through the sunblock) on my skin. Not so keen on the preaching - but meeting people on the way and sharing our stories would be grand.

4. Who is a favorite "historical legend" of yours?

Again so many! Sir Edmund Hillary. Kate Sheppard. My great-grandfathers - legends within their families.

5. Johnny Appleseed was said to sing to keep up his spirits as he traveled the roads of the west. Do you have a song that comes when you are trying to be cheerful, or is there something else that you often do?

It's a happy day
And I praise God for the weather
It's a happy day
And I'm living it for my Lord
It's a happy day
And things can only get better
Living each day by the promises in God's word :-)