Crockpot Applesauce.

Well hey there!  Long time no...talk?  I feel like we've had some silence between us while we were on vacation last week and I am happy to be back in the blogging saddle once again.

I like it in this saddle.  It's nice here.

Even though we had a wonderful time visiting family in North Carolina, it's always nice to get back home and into routine once again.  I much more productive that way.

Last week, my biggest accomplishment was making lamb stew.

This week, well, let's just say it's all back to normal.  

Normal meaning cooking, cleaning, laundry, bible studies, doctor appointments, a toddler to raise, and a schedule to keep.  Though admittingly, 'normal' is a very beautiful life.

When we arrived home late last week, we were surprised to find we had been blessed with a bushel of Washington apples.  My previous boss (an orchardist) from back home sent us an entire box! Oh Mama! 

What a treat!

I wasted no time getting to work with them.

Since we didn't have enough to really hammer down and put up some applesauce, I decided to try a new and smaller-batch method of making applesauce.  The crockpot method, baby.

This recipe took me fifteen minutes from start to finish, so I assure you, it's not very involved.  Which makes it all the easier to slip into your 'normal' day.  

The added bonus is your house will swarm with the smell of fall goodness.  Which is always a treat.

Crockpot Applesauce

You will need: 

 - 12 to 16 apples, peeled and cored

 - 1 cinnamon stick (optional)

 - 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice (optional)

 - 5 tablespoons of rapadura or sweetener of choice (optional)

Note: You'll yield the best flavoring applesauce if you mix and match a few varieties of apples.  I used a combination of honeycrisp, pinata, golden delicious, and red delicious.  

Step One:  Peel and core the apples.  I used a hand peeler.  Chef Ramsey taught me the easiest way to core an apple and I've been using the method ever since.  Allow me to demonstrate:

Cut along one side, careful to avoid the core...

And then along the next...

And the next...

Step Two:  Dice up the apples into 1 inch pieces.  No need to be precise.

Step Three:  Combine all the apple chunks and the optional cinnamon, lemon juice, and sweetener in your crockpot.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  

Step Four:  After the cooking period, simply use a potato masher or wooden spoon to stir the apples and break up any leftover chunks.  If you want a completely chunk-free applesauce, you could easily use a hand-immersion blender to smooth it out.

That is all!  Delicious, homemade applesauce.  With minimal effort on your part.

As soon as my first batch was finished, I threw in another one.  I'll freeze the extra and and enjoy it later. 

I love apples.

I love applesauce.

I love sitting down with a giant bowl of said warmed applesauce, sprinkling it with extra cinnamon and a dash of vanilla extract, and watching movies in my sweatpants.  It makes my belly happy.

Especially since my belly can expand as big as it wants when I'm wearing sweatpants.

Which means I can eat a second giant bowl of warmed applesauce.

I love it when things work out.