Homemade Applesauce and where did December come from?

Anyone else go to bed in September and wake up in December?  Where did 1/4th of the year go.  And, how is it already a week before Christmas? Please tell me I’m not alone. I always used to shake my head at those people who ran around right before the holidays like they didn’t know it was coming.  I’ve become one of those people.

I’m not sure when September became December but here we are.

Today I was happy to find about a dozen apples left over in our cold stash.  It was nice to still have a glimpse of fall.

Making apple anything is always fun with the kids this Fall we got really creative.  Chunky homemade applesauce simmering on the stove makes the house smell like home.

Everyone is so busy this time of year.  Getting them to stop and enjoy a moment is tricky but when warm applesauce and cold vanilla ice cream are involved it usually does the trick. The four of them run from school to orthodontist appointments, football, basketball training, choir performances, play practice, voice and piano lessons, cello practice, art club, Girl Scouts, homework, church, peer ministry, confirmation classes, and a couple of them actually assist on my photo shoots. As I write I’m starting to get a clear picture of why I am behind in my posting. If it can’t be done in the carpool line I’m probably not doing it.

With all of our days full to the brim the kids were still happy to take a day together to pick apples laugh together and just be. This makes my heart especially glad considering that most 13, 15 and 16-year-old boys are simply above spending that kind of time together.  I’m so blessed that they still value these moments.  We’ve been every year since my oldest was a baby. Many Christmas card photos have been taken sitting on pumpkins.  Now that Joe is 6’ 5” he looks pretty silly on a pumpkin.

Paul will still be my date at the movies although recently I’m told that weekends at a theater with Mom was walking the line of totally uncool. I understand!

Our favorite Apple recipe this year was simply applesauce. We also made apple crisp, apple pies, apple carrot soup and apple gallettes.  This year we tried something new and actually put apples in our chili.  Yes thats not a typo, Apple chili!

I usually purée about half of the beans to keep the fiber and protein without causing them to turn their noses because there are too many beans.  I made the chili like any other… ground meat, burger or sometimes turkey, canned tomatoes, kidney beans, chili powder and seasonings, this time I filled the vita mix with roughly chopped apples added the can of beans and a can of tomatoes tomatoes for liquid and blended them up. The fresh apples in the chili cut the heat and made it slightly sweet they loved it and insisted we do it this way more often.  I guess we will.

 

Homemade Chunky Apple Sauce

about a dozen apples, cored, peeled and chopped in 1” chunks,

We like fuji, honey crisp, jonathan and pink lady.

about 3 Tbs of butter

1Tbs cinnamon

1/2tsp fresh grated nutmeg

1/2 C. raw sugar (You can also use cane sugar)

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

Add the apples to sauté pan.  Add all ingredients. Let simmer about 30 minutes, stirring frequently on a low/med heat.  Your house will smell fantastic.  When the apples start to soften I use an emersion blender and roughly blend up about half the batch so some of it is pureed and some chunks remain.  We serve this with chicken, pork chops, or my personal favorite, over vanilla gelatto.

 

Enjoy!

Cooking in the kitchens at Astei in the Basque country was the highlight of my year.