National Apple Pie Day is tomorrow! Okay, I have a weird tradition with apple pie. Maybe it’s a Midwest thing but I love putting sharp cheddar cheese on it! Something about the sweet and saltiness and the gooey sticky bites. Yeah, you want some now, too, don’t you?

This got me thinking. Why were apples such a big deal back home? Not only was there pie, but we always made a big deal of going to pick our own bushels from the orchards. Then, it hit me. Johnny Appleseed.

This tale stems from the life of a real man named John Chapman. As a kid, Chapman was an apprentice on an orchard. That spark led to his planting throughout the Midwest, primarily Pennsylvania and Ohio, though he was originally from Massachusetts.

He was strategic planting his orchards among new frontier. They would later serve as land claims. When he died, he owned roughly 1200 acres of land. He was a pacifist and opposed any kind of violence including animals. He even became a strict vegetarian. Most of his life was spent near Mansfield, OH. This was only one hour from my hometown!

Well, in honor of Mr. Appleseed and the fruit of temptation, I did some baking.

I’m not so great at making pie, but I aced this Apple Crisp. Now, that’s tempting. My husband vetoed the cheese for vanilla ice cream. I’m okay with that, too.

Note: National Chocolate Chip Day is Friday if you’re not into the fruit sweets.