Quick and Easy Sour Cream Apple Kuchen
Byrd is 7 years old this year. She still runs around like a puppy, but suddenly her eyes are cloudy, her fur is thin, and every now and then, her back goes out without warning. My heart vehemently protests each new sign of aging, but time marches on.
Byrdie.
It probably sounds morbid to say I think about her dying all the time, but it’s not — and I do. I worry about it, sure, but mostly I think about it as a self-check. I think, “When she dies someday, am I going to be satisfied with the life I gave her, or am I going to have regrets?” Dogs live such heartbreakingly short lives. It feels like the only way to make it slightly less tragic for them to leave us someday is to make those brief lives as special as possible.
Having that as my goal has made a lot of decisions easier. For instance, when Byrd’s knees started giving her problems a few years ago, there was no question that we had to fix them immediately. Fixing them meant prolonging her ability to fetch, which was crucial to her having a happy life. Other decisions become harder: should I get her bad teeth pulled to prevent infection, or should I let her keep them so she can definitely continue to enjoy her daily carrots? Those kind of decisions produce a lot of fretting and the occasional way-too-long conversation with the vet.
Recently I’ve started kind of a dog bucket list for Byrd, filled with things I want to be able to say I did with her while she was still relatively young and healthy. I hope she has MANY, many years left, but of course I don’t want to scramble toward the end of her life to try to get in the “good stuff.” Just a few:
1. Play fetch daily.
2. Let her “smell the roses” more outside.
3. Go to the beach and bury things in the sand for her to dig up.
4. Get her a heated bed.
5. Give her occasional “wet food” treat days.
6. Drive through Chick-fil-a to get treats every now and then.
7. Have at least one “Byrd day” filled with all of her favorite treats, food, and playtime.
That last one was inspired by an article I read once (you’re gonna need some tissues) about a dude who gave his dying dog one last perfect day. My takeaway from the article is that I wanted to do this before Byrd gets too old or sick to really enjoy it. While she’s still young, I want to give her a day full of fetch, wet food, carrots, digging in blankets, belly rubs, car rides, and snuggles.
When it is time to let her go someday (hopefully a day far, far in the future!), I’m thinking of following the lead of a friend of mine. She had a vet that made house calls, so he was able to come and put her greyhound to sleep on the comfy dining room rug where he always napped. She was right by his side in the comfort of their home. I love that and hope I can arrange the same for my sweet girl (who, as if to underscore that she’s still young and spry, is ferociously attacking a blanket beside me as I write).
Those sort of thoughts are so hard, right? But it actually does my heart good to know I have a plan for making her little life as joyful and comfortable as it can be. Do you ever think about this for your pet? What would your pet’s bucket list look like?
* * * 
After one of our quick dinners last week, Mike and I had this quick, simple dessert made with a box cake mix. Byrd didn’t get to enjoy any, but don’t worry. She had plenty of her own food, which she likes to chomp-chomp-chomp just as Mike and I are going to sleep each night.
My mom made this for us all the time growing up, and it was one of my favorites. The sweet apples and sour cream complement each other perfectly, and the toasted pecans are the perfect nutty touch. Whip it up and throw it in the oven while you eat dinner. Serve it warm with some vanilla bean ice cream on top!
One year ago: Gooey “German” Pumpkin Skillet Cake
Two years ago: Easy Sopapilla Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Three years ago: Honeybun Cake with Caramel Sauce
Four years ago: Homemade Puff Pastry and Vol-au-vents
Quick and Easy Sour Cream Apple Kuchen
Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 6 servings
This quick and easy recipe was a dessert staple in my house growing up. The sour cream and apple combination is perfect, particularly with the toasted pecans on top.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup sour cream
1 egg
2 (15-ounce) cans (or 2 cups fresh, peeled) sliced apples
toasted pecans*
Directions:
*Note: To toast pecans, spread them out on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for about 6 minutes or until fragrant, tossing several times.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter cubes into the cake mix until crumbly. Press this mixture into the prepared pan, building it up slightly on the edges. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. In the meantime, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a small bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and egg until smooth.
When the crust is done, arrange the apples on it (I used canned). Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the apples. Drizzle the sour cream mixture over the apples (it won’t completely cover them). Bake for 25 minutes or until edges are lightly brown. Don’t overbake. Sprinkle on toasted pecans and serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
16 Comments on Quick and Easy Sour Cream Apple Kuchen
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Nancy Soucek
October 6, 2013 at 2:28 am (11 years ago)Warning, I am getting out my “soap box.” We have an almost 17-year-old Siamese with chronic kidney disease. While she can’t have her teeth cleaned because of the anaesthesia issue, I do brush her remaining teeth. If he is able to go through the surgery, it may be best to get rid of the bad teeth, rather than let the infection spread. We also monitor her diet and make sure she gets high-quality all-natural food – canned, grain free every day. It’s important for her to get enough moisture in her diet and canned food works! We have also learned over the years to feed our big dogs – Danes, collies, Greta Pyrennes – good food. A good diet does add to their health and longevity. Just like with us — garbage in, garbage out! Read ingredient labels, like you do for your family. As small as he is, he wouldn’t need much good food a day – the better the food, usually the less you need to feed. Byrd is young for a small dog, only 7 – he has many good years left! You may get some push back from your vet about a new diet; I do, but I hold my ground, because it has added time to all our pets lives, which our vet acknowledges, and for that we are grateful. Don’t start being sad yet – you and Byrd have many grat days ahead of you!!! I love your recipes and blog. Pets are amazingly resilient. Best of luck from our pack!
Julie Ruble
October 6, 2013 at 2:36 am (11 years ago)Thanks — Byrd’s health is carefully managed.
Nancy Soucek
October 6, 2013 at 3:17 pm (11 years ago)Julie,
I am so sorry if my remarks sounded like I was criticizing what you and your vet were doing. I did not mean that at all! I just know how hard it is to have a pet age before your eyes. We have worked with our vets, butted heads afew times about food, etc. but in the end we worked as a team to give our pets a very good life!
I wish you all the best with Byrd.
Again so sorry if I was out of place.
Nancy
Kathy
October 6, 2013 at 2:29 am (11 years ago)I’m wondering what kind of apples you used in the recipe that is pictured…canned or fresh?
Julie Ruble
October 6, 2013 at 2:33 am (11 years ago)I used canned in the photo!
Kathy
October 6, 2013 at 7:19 pm (11 years ago)Thanks for the info. This is on my grocery list now for next weekend’s baking! Looks so good.
Cheryl
October 6, 2013 at 2:40 am (11 years ago)Hi!
I love what you are doing for Byrd! I have had animals all my life and therefore had to let a lot of them go…it’s hard and there have been regrets, so now I try to do as much as I can to make my pets happy while they can still enjoy it. I wanted to write to tell you absolutely you should be able to find a vet that will come to your home – I’ve had it done several times. Good luck with your little Byrd! She looks like a sweetie!
Julie Ruble
October 6, 2013 at 2:41 am (11 years ago)Thanks, Cheryl! I hope that day is FAR FAR away, but when it comes, I don’t want to have to scramble and do it in a way I’d regret.
Sandra
October 6, 2013 at 12:24 pm (11 years ago)I wish I had thought of those things. Zeke was our 135 lb furry rottweiler son and I miss him everyday.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
October 6, 2013 at 3:15 pm (11 years ago)I love that you made a puppy bucket list! This is so fun!
Anna @ Bashful Bao
October 6, 2013 at 5:18 pm (11 years ago)What a wonderful thing to do for your pup! They brighten our lives so much and deserve that extra lovin’! The kuchen looks fabulous too!
JC Carter
October 7, 2013 at 11:52 am (11 years ago)You should have put a warning label on this post. It made me want to cry, thinking about my little monster and hes only 8 months old. Maybe i’m just a softy.
Coco in the Kitchen
October 8, 2013 at 7:41 pm (11 years ago)I love that this is a family recipe you’re sharing.
It looks crazy delicious. I’d eat the whole thing fresh out of the oven….
ok, maybe I’d share with my family. 😉
PS – I made a Fall wreath to give away for a good cause (the Musc Dystrophy Assoc). Please enter to win it, if you can – details on my blog.
Thanks! xo
Jenni
October 9, 2013 at 7:48 pm (11 years ago)Oh my gosh, the same thoughts go through my mind all the time! Our dog Peanut was our first baby, and he is so special to us, when the time comes it will be terrible. But I know that we give him the best life we can everyday. And delicious looking kuchen! I have always wanted to make one, because I sure do love eating them! 🙂
Stuffedcritter
October 23, 2013 at 2:51 pm (11 years ago)NO your not alone thinking and worrying about losing a companion. I see the aging signs in my Boys also I start to get weepie about the day their faces won’t be in the window to greet me. They are also on healthy diet which includes apple cider vinegar and coconut oil.