Tonight Several Special Treats for Stargazers

Stargazers are in for a treat today September 27th when a supermoon combines with a lunar eclipse for the first time since 1982.

The supermoon eclipse will last 1 hour and 11 minutes, and will be visible to North and South America, Europe, Africa, and parts of West Asia and the eastern Pacific, according to NASA. Weather permitting, the supermoon will be visible after nightfall, and the eclipse will cast it into shadow beginning at 8:11 p.m. ET. The total eclipse starts at 10:11 p.m. ET, peaking at 10:47 p.m. ET.

A rare phenomenon, there have only been five supermoon eclipses since 1900 (in 1910, 1928, 1946, 1964 and 1982). After Sunday, the next supermoon eclipse will occur in 2033.

A supermoon occurs when a new or full moon is at its closest to the Earth. "Because the orbit of the moon is not a perfect circle, the moon is sometimes closer to the Earth than at other times during its orbit," said Noah Petro, deputy project scientist for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in a statement. "When the moon is farthest away it’s known as apogee, and when it’s closest it’s known as perigee. On Sept. 27, we’re going to have a perigee full moon—the closest full moon of the year."

I hope to be enjoying this rare occurrence (weather permitting with a clear night) with our neighbors sampling two desserts; warm apple crisp and my neighbor's Peach Cobbler. The cobbler recipe will be posted Monday. 

Cook's notes: I have updated my apple crisp recipe by making the topping first and placing the bowl in the freezer until needed to crumble over the diced apples. 
The dish went to a whole new level by using Saigon/Vietnamese Cinnamon which intensifies the cinnamon flavor. It is a bit stronger than regular cinnamon but trust me it is good. The spice is readily available in stores and local co-ops. Use a 2 qt. baking dish or a 9 x 9 glass baking dish.

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

Topping: 

• 1 cup of flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups of quick cooking dry oats
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1-2 TB. Saigon cinnamon
• ¾ stick of cold butter (6 TB.) diced into small pieces

Filling

• 5 large apples (tart baking apples) diced 
• 1-¼ cup of sugar
• 2-1/2 TB. flour
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 2 TB. Saigon Cinnamon 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• In a large bowl mix topping ingredients. Add in topping ingredients one cup at a time in food processor. Pulse just until large clumps are still visible. Place bowl if freezer while making apple filling. 
• Dice apples and mix with rest of filling ingredients. Crumble topping over apples and bake uncovered for 50 -55 minutes or until apples are tender.
• Serve warm with ice cream-try maple nut or cinnamon instead of vanilla

Bon Appetit!