Apple Sauce

Last year I made applesauce with the boys as our fall apple recipe. It went well, so we repeated it this year...and honestly...let's be real..Baking is a lot of work. I don't recall ever baking a pie from scratch. I don't recall baking a pie using a pre-made pie shell either. The thought of spending so much time baking one thing boggles my mind. There are those who decide that if they're going to spend the time (and make the mess) to make one pie, they might as well double or triple the recipe to make several pies. Very Logical. I commend them and some day that may be me..after the kids are in college, right? Or at least when they're both potty trained and can turn the TV on themselves.

It is for all of these reasons that I decided to make applesauce...'cause it would be easier and quicker and less mess...Cha! Right. It was a total mess. I had tons of dishes to clean up afterwards and it took considerably longer than I thought it would...However...I really enjoyed it. I planned ahead and started the project as soon as D and L left the house.I knew when they returned it might be L's nap time, so I knew N and I had a good chance of having a size-able amount of time alone to be in the kitchen. I choose to bake/cook with one boy at a time 'cause I learned that hard way that "too many cooks in the kitchen will definitely spoil the broth."

I think my boys enjoy making applesauce because of the apple peeler corer slicer tool we use. While N had a difficult time saying the name of said contraption, he did a great job of assembling and using it. We got into a great rhythm of peeling and cutting all the apples. N's attention span is much longer than it was last year, so he prepped all 15 apples! Good job, Buddy! (There are several ways you can tell a child it maturing. I find one of the best ways is to cook with him/her. It is incredible to see how they improve at following directions, waiting their turn, etc if you cook with them over a few months or year's time). Once we got into a rhythm and the peeling became automatic, we had some great conversation. N learned a lot about apples at school, so he enlightened me with his breadth of apple knowledge as we worked. (So cute!) He decided he was going to save a handful of the seeds to plant in our back yard to create an orchard for our family. We decided with our crop of apples from our apple orchard we would make (que Bubba Gump) apple butter, apple pie, applesauce, apple muffins and apple stew..No just kidding. No apple stew...although I'm sure someone somewhere has made it. I've had strawberry soup and liked it. So, apple soup might be a good one to try.

Below is the recipe (I got from a friend). I used Gala apples. It turned out tasting really good, especially when it was still warm after being in the crock pot. D said it tastes like apple pie (minus that pesky homemade crust, of course). This year (and last year) I told myself I would double or even triple the batch to make the most of a big mess....Didn't happen. We'll see how next year goes. ;)

Crock Pot Applesauce

8 to 10 large apples (or 15 small), peeled & cut into chunks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker; gently stir. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until apples are tender. After letting the apples cool for a bit, I put them through the food processor in batches. Yield ~ 5 cups

Lunch Date

L and I ran some errands this morning. We are both fighting off a cold/sinus infection, so we decided to skip the gym today. L was a super good shopper, so we drove through Wendy's for lunch. (Thank you Wendy's for your gluten friendly chili and baked potatoes!!) We parked at the mall and watched the demolition of a multi story brick building that once housed several businesses and a bank. L loved the front row seat. There were two excavators, two dump truck semis, a big crane and a skid steer loader to watch. L kept saying, "Back ho working! Back ho working!!" There was another car parked near us watching the "show." After a while I decided we could have a better view if we moved to a different parking lot, so we drove across the street and watched from there. L was sad to leave, but I figured thirty minutes of watching machines was enough for me....and we were creeping up on nap time, so we needed to go. L must have been forcing himself to stay awake to watch the demolition, 'cause as soon as the machines were out of site he fell asleep. There's something so sweet about looking through the rear view mirror at your sleeping child. I was glad I had thought ahead and removed his shoes and jacket before we headed home. That way I could just pull him out of the car without waking him. I love carrying the boys inside after they've dozed off in the car. It's about the only time they are moving slow enough for Mommy to get any snuggles from them. I almost always stop at the full length mirror in our room to hold them and to see how big they are. When the boys were babies, I'd hold them and the were tiny, so their feet would dangle at my stomach. They grow and their feet eventually reach my waist. Now L's feet are somewhere between my waist and knees right now. They grow to fast! I carried him to his room and snuggled him for a couple more minutes before laying him down. I savor these moments 'cause I know all too well that they grow up and head off to Kindergarten before you know it!!

Pumpkin Butter, Cauliflower

As I mentioned in a previous post, we went to a local pumpkin patch a couple weeks ago. I picked up some pumpkin butter and I love it!! I have found that toasted GF bread smeared with pumpkin butter and drizzled with melted almond butter (or peanut butter) tastes realllly good!

Another recipe I tried recently turned out to be good. I think D liked it too 'cause he went back for seconds the nights we ate it. The recipe is below. It is called "Mac N Cheese" by the person who originally posted it. However, I would call it Cauliflower Au Gratin as mine did not resemble mac n cheese at all. The next recipe I'd like to try involves stuffed squash.. This may be going out too far on a limb for D, but I'd like to try it anyway. I'll make sure to have some cooked peas available for another option the night I make it. Ha!

Cauliflower Au Gratin

1 head Cauliflower, cut into small pieces (or 10oz frozen)

3 TBSP Butter
1 cup Yogurt Cream (I used sour cream)
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese, grated
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a casserole dish.

Steam cauliflower for a few minutes, just until barely tender. Drain well and pour into the casserole dish.

In a saucepan melt butter. Add yogurt and heat through. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until blended. Add cheddar and seasonings. Stir until melted and blended. Pour over cauliflower and bake about 15 minutes until bubbly and slightly browned.

Recipe also found at link below:

http://mrsedsresearchandrecipes.blogspot.com/2009/10/mac-and-cheese-scd.html

Buddies

L has two very favorite Buddies. Aunt J (that's tricky since two of his Aunts begin with J) gave both of them to L. The Bear was originally named Harry because he was purchased at Harrod's in London (that might give away which Aunt J I am speaking of). However, L woke up one morning and declared a name change. He said Harry's name would be Ben from that point on. Aunt J brought L the most adorable bunny from her favorite store in The Netherlands (Okay, now we know who Aunt J is). Bunny didn't have a name, but at the time L was calling bunnies "hop hops," so the name Hop Hop stuck. These two fav stuffed animals have nicknames. Ben has also been known to go by "Benny" or "Bear." And Hop Hop often goes by Bunny. I tend to lump the two of them together and call them Ben and Bunny. At any rate. Ben and Bunny are like an extension of our family. At least in L's eyes they are. L carries them around with him everywhere he goes inside the house. Often times I find L "feeding" his buddies. I've seen him telling them stories, ask them if they like the TV he's watching and he has given them rides in laundry baskets. Ben and Bunny have learned a few dance moves from the boys and I. And they always go to the doctor's office with us when shots will be given. They go on any and all road trips that are over thirty minutes long and L sleeps with them every night. L cries when it's time to "give them baths" (in the washing machine) 'cause he doesn't want to let go of them for the time it takes them to get washed and dried...But when they come out of the dryer gleaming white and toasty warm, L gets the biggest smile on his face and reaches for them to give them hugs... My favorite thing is to listen to L tell Ben and Bunny about his day before falling asleep at nap and bed time.

L giving Ben a drink of water and feeding Bunny some crackers.

Skinned Knee

L got his first skinned knee the other night. He also bumped his head and has a bruise there, but this is not the first time he's bumped his noggin. He was soo upset about his skinned knee. He did a pretty good number on it. He kept asking me to wash it, as if washing it would remove it from his leg. I put ointment and ice on it. He still cried. I put on his favorite TV show. He still cried. I got Ben and Bunny. He still cried. I held him...tried a bandage. Nope. Didn't work. He didn't want to sit, but he didn't want to stand 'cause, "hurts me Mommy," he said many times. Sitting with his knees bent at a ninety degree angle neither pulled nor pushed the skin, so that was the most comfortable way for him to sit. I had a lightbulb moment and decided that sitting in the stroller would be the best thing for him. So we went for a walk. His mind was preoccupied by our search for pumpkins, "ghostbusters" (ghosts) and all things Halloween. He held tight to Ben and Bunny for comfort. It was a good thirty minutes before he remembered he had an ouchy. Then his tears resurfaced. L has a pretty high tolerance for pain, but a low tolerance for things being out of place. I think his knee hurt, but I think he was more annoyed that the scrape was not supposed to be on his skin. He slept all night (thank you, L!!) for the second night in a row, woke up and is feeling better.

Columbus Day

N had Friday off, as I mentioned in a previous post. He also has Columbus Day off. We've had a lot of fun over the course of this four day weekend. Today (Columbus Day) I was going to feed everyone and load 'em up and go to the gym before running some errands, but I decided we all needed a slower day. I miss the leisurely pace of summer. So, we ate, watched a video about Columbus Day on Youtube and played a bit before heading out. Grammy is coming over this afternoon and we are going to paint little pumpkins. We will try making Gluten Free pumpkin bars if time allows. We went to the store to purchase the ingredients and supplies for our afternoon activities. After getting the groceries put away and playing outside for a bit, we headed to the Halloween Store to get N's ghostbuster costume. He saw the costume in a magazine and immediately said that's what he wants to be for Halloween. He has stayed with that idea for more than two weeks, so I figure he will still want to dress up as a ghostbuster by the time trick or treating rolls around. The only place I've seen the costume was at the Halloween store. Remember how I said L is terrified of the Halloween aisle at the store?? I debated taking him with us to the H-ween store, but decided N needed to try on the costume to be sure it fits. Returns are not allowed at the H-ween store, so we needed to be sure it fit before buying it. I took both L and N to the H-ween store...and L did really well. We stayed away from the super creepy area and he did just fine. N did well too. He was really good about trying on the costume, but did not want to take it off. So, he left the store wearing it. We met Daddy for lunch at N's favorite sub sandwich store and N proudly wore his new costume. In fact, he's had it on for about two hours now... Hopefully he will be careful and it will last long enough to be worn for trick or treating and a few parties we plan to go to.

Cook Out

The boys ended up sleeping outside in the tent all night! L and I slept inside. He's been waking up every night at either midnight or 2am, but he still wakes up for the day between 5:30 and 6:00. He did it again last night like clock work.We gotta break these habits!!

This morning I went to my favorite class at the gym again. Have you tried Sh'bam? It's sooo fun! I came home and painted a second coat on the dining room wainscotting. This evening D and another neighborhood Daddy hosted a cul-de-sac cook out at one of the empty lots. Everyone pitched in and brought hot dogs, sides and dessert. We took our fire pit so everyone could cook the dogs and marshmallows. The kids had fun playing on the neighbor's basket ball hoop that was lowered down to their height. L tried to catch crickets and grasshoppers. M, the neighbor boy, youngest of three was so cute. He was a little scavenger. All night he was stealing Doritos off of everyone's plates. He'd take one from you, eat it and give you the biggest, cutest smile. The kids did a good job of staying away from the fire, but also did a good job of carefully cooking their hot dogs and marshmallows. The party ended early due to the kids' early bed times. But that's fine 'cause that gives D and I time to relax and watch our favorite shows that we have DVR-ed. Here's to relaxin.

Have a good weekend!

Camping

When we moved into this house, D started a tradition of setting up a tent for N to "camp in.' Which, back then, meant N would play in the tent during the day and he'd sleep in his own bed at night. For some reason, D started this tradition in June and for the past couple of years has continued to do it in June. However, this year June didn't work out. I can't remember why it didn't work out. The sweltering heat may have been the main reason. Anyway. Tonight is our first time to camp in October and I think this is our new time of year to do it. The sun goes down much earlier, so the boys can play in the tent when it's dark, the mosquitos are gone (thank you to the frost we had the other day), and it's much cooler outside! This year is the first year N is attempting to sleep outside. Although he's soooo excited about it, I don't know that he will ever nod off.

We started the evening off by setting the tent up on the back deck. Both boys helped. The boys ran laps around it and ran in and out of it for starters. Then they moved onto the garage where Daddy had some "new" (new to us) Power Wheels for the boys to help him clean and put back together. Once that was done, it was time for L to go to bed (no camping for him due to his age, his cough and ear infection). Once I got him to bed I joined Daddy and N on the deck. Daddy got bag chairs out for everyone. We ate puppy chow while we looked at the stars. We turned off all the lights in house so the stars would be easier to see. Daddy taught N what the big dipper is. N said it also looks like an arrow and drew it for us. Then N taught us the "Star light, star bright" poem so we could all wish on a star. We didn't see any shooting stars, but we did see what we decided were planets.

N decided it was time for us all to retire to the tent, but it was not time to sleep. It was time to make shadow puppets. I came inside to find a few shadow puppets online and we tried them. After laying on the hard deck floor D and I decided it was worth it to get the air mattress out, so he did that while N and I stayed in the tent. N and I agreed it would be cool if we had bunk beds in the tent. N would sleep on the top bunk. Before N settled down and, dare I say, started to fall asleep, he made three rules for the tent (warning, boy humor). I'm pretty sure all three rules were broken. :)

#1 No tickling in the tent

#2 No tooting in the tent

#3 No sleeping in the tent

Confetti

Below are some thoughts I've had and things that have happened lately. They are pretty random. I'll let them "fall" and land where they will in the post. They may even be a little colorful...Kinda like Confetti.

Tonight L was in the boys' bathroom. He asked me for some "poap" (soap). I gladly squirted some in his hands (and accidentally left the bottle within reach), then left the room. I thought he was going to wash his hands with it, but he had other ideas. I returned to the bathroom a few minutes later and L proudly said, "Mommy help. Wash, wash." He had spread the soap all over bathroom counter and was preparing to dump a full cup of water on the counter to wash it away. What can I say, he had good intentions.

On Friday morning N said with a big sigh, "Oh, man I'm glad it's Friday." When I asked him why he said, "'Cause it's our last day of walking in gym. We've been walking in gym every day and walking is sooo boring!"

L is terr-i-fied of the Halloween aisle at the store, any store. He doesn't like the Halloween aisle at Wal Mart, Menards or Hobby Lobby. When we get within eye sight of anything remotely related to Halloween L clings to me and says, "Too skeewy, Mommy. Too skeewy!" In fact, one day he woke up from his nap because he had a bad dream. He had seen the Halloween aisle (from a distance) at Hobby Lobby earlier that day. He woke up crying and saying, "Punkin too skeewy."

L is consistently waking up at 5:40 in the morning. Need I say more??