Fruit Crisp

Ingredients
TOPPING - 1/2 cup butter or margarine - 1/2 cup brown sugar - 1/2 cup whole wheat flour - 1 cup oats FRUIT FILLING - fruit (no specific amount, but more is better than less and no particular type, but apples, peaches, berries or any combination works. Apples and cranberries are particularly yummy) - 1 tbsp of butter or margarine - 1 tbsp brown sugar - sprinkle of cinnamon
Instructions
My Mom used to make this recipe all the time when I was growing up. It was great because it was easy to make and you didn't need to take out any of those pesky recipe books as it was easy to memorize. Over the years, I am positive that the original values changed, but I think it speaks to the strength of the recipe that you really can't mess it up. Mom now calls me to ask exactly how much of each I put in. Which is fair because I always call her to ask exactly how long it takes to cook a stuffed turkey. Who knows these things but moms? I especially love this dish for when I have fruit that's going bad in the fridge. You can even make fun fruit combinations. The one pictured is apples and peaches, but honestly, anything goes. I recommend creativity in the face of rotting fruit. 1. Cut up fruit (unless you're using berries) and put into a deepish, tallish casserole dish. You don't need to grease the dish at all - unless you desperately love butter and you need this recipe to give you permission for your unholy obsession. Who am I to stand in the way of unholiness? Your deepish tallish casserole dish should be at least half full or you won't get your recommended serving of fruit from this dessert. Since it's already the end of the day, where else will you be getting your recommended 5 - 10 a day from? That rotting apple in the fridge? I didn't think so. 2. Add the smaller amount of butter and brown sugar to the fruit along with the cinnamon and mix it around. At this point, you can still deceive yourself into thinking this is healthy. 3. In a mixing bowl, mix together brown sugar and whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour is healthy, right? 4. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut the butter/margarine into the sugar in flour. Continue to do this until everything is somewhat blended and the mixture is in small, buttery, sugary clumps. 5. Still using the pastry cutter (or 2 knives), blend in the oats with mixture until it's, er, blended. 6. Pour blended mixture onto fruit and make the topping even without packing it down. 7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 8. Serve. 9. Enjoy the simplicity of the dish and the new life given to nearly rotten fruit. And since your fruit didn't end up in a landfill, you can heave an ethical sigh of relief. Thanks, Mom!