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.