Simple Unsweetened Applesauce

I promised you applesauce, did I not?

     DISCLAIMER: My camera has wandered away. It is either in one of our travel bags from when we went away a few weeks ago and never got unpacked, or it has been swallowed by the abyss of our spare room. So, the photos in my next few posts were shot on my iPhone, and I apologize in advance if the photos aren't great. I've never used photos taken on an iPhone in a blog post before, so I really have no idea of how the photos are going to look. Not gonna let loss of camera stop me!

    Anyway. Applesauce.

    This is really just a nice, basic, no-sugar applesauce that is great for baking, to feed to kids and babies, and for people who don't like really sugary or overly spiced applesauce. I found the recipe in the short-lived but awesome baby-food sub-blog over at Smitten Kitchen. The biggest change I made was that I did not peel the apples (okay, I peeled one, and then I realized how long it was going to take me to peel 4lbs worth of apples and I was working in a limited time-frame, so I skipped peeling the apples and everything was fine). This was a great way to use up apples that are just south of being good for eating. This whole thing went together quite quickly, and made my kitchen smell delicious :)

Unsweetened Applesauce
-Adapted only very slightly from Deb at Smitten Kitchen

- About 4lbs apples, cored and sliced (I used a mix of Honey Crisp and Macoun apples, but use whatever you like) Peeling is optional, do what you like.

-4 strips of lemon peel

-1 cinnamon stick (if you don't have a cinnamon stick, about 1/4tsp to 1/2tsp ground cinnamon would be fine)

-1/4 cup apple cider or unsweetened apple juice

-3/4 cup water

-Core and slice the apples (peel them if you are moved to and if you have more time than I did) and place them in a large pot.

-Add cinnamon stick, lemon peel, cider and water to the pot with the apples and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, cover, and let the apples cook until they are soft, about 30-35 minutes.

-Once apples are soft, remove lemon peels and cinnamon stick and let applesauce cool a bit.

-Depending on the consistency you like, you can mash the apples down further with a potato masher or whisk. Or, for a smoother cosistency, use a food mill, blender or food processor (PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN PLACING WARM LQUIDS IN FOOD PROCESSOR OR BLENDER). I pureed mine in the food processor and it is sooo lovely and velvety ;)

UPDATE 11/11/13: IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE PEELING THE APPLES BUT DON'T WANT PEELS IN YOUR FINISHED SAUCE, YOU CAN RUN THE COOKED APPLESUACE THROUGH A FOOD MILL BEFORE PLACING IN CONTAINERS AND FREEZING :)

-The applesauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or two, and for months in the freezer :)

NOTES: As you can see, there is no sugar in this recipe, so if you're expecting a sweet sauce, you're in a for a surprise. The taste of this applesauce is very light and clear, with some really nice background notes from the lemon and cinnamon. The sauce tastes even better the next day after it has had a little chill time in the fridge :)

Next up? Mexican Rice :)

Hope this made your Monday a little brighter!

Love,
Lynn ;)

Flavored Butter

Okay Folks, I admit it, I can't resist a *handy dandy last-minute homemade gift* post ;)

Meet Flavored Butter:

Flavored Butter is our Friend! Why? Glad you asked :)

Because it's way easy, way cheap, and WAY DELICIOUS!!!

   I don't know a single person who is not busy around the holidays. On a personal note, this is the first holiday season in a very long time where I was working full-time, and the first holiday season where I have been engaged (yay!) and spending time with both my family and my fiance's family. I've been rehearsing for two plays, and, oh! Did I mention we're MOVING? (Not very far, still in CNY, and we're thrilled, but add packing onto the holiday rush and things get REALLY interesting). So yeah, not a lot of time, I know we've all been there.

  However, I love making homemade gifts, and the fact that you're reading this means that you probably do too :) The Cocoa I posted about earlier in December and these Flavored Butters are a dream come true for the DIYer in a time-crunch.

Anyone need a refresher on why butter is awesome? No? Good, didn't think so ;)

  And who better to provide the Flavored Butter recipes than the Queen of Comfort Food herself, Ms. Paula Deen? These recipes came from her Christmas Cookbook, and I couldn't more pleased with them :)

  Kids, I can't tell how how fast this butter came together. Minus the softening time (which wasn't labor intensive, I just left it out on the counter and did other stuff), this whole thing came together in about an hour, as in, I had it all blended, packaged and ready to be put it gift bags in an hour, and I multiplied each recipe by 6!!! SO. FAST. If you find yourself in need of a last minute gift, you cannot go wrong with this.

  And taste? *SWOON* So incredibly delicious :) I mean, come on, it's BUTTER mixed with marmalade, or cinnamon and honey!!! How could it possibly NOT be delicious??? After this recipe, I don't expect to see a naked piece of toast, pancake, waffle or muffin in my house for loooong time :)

  NOTE: These recipes are proportioned for 1 stick of flavored butter (as they appear in the book). To make this in bulk, multiply the recipe by the number of sticks of butter you'll be using. For example, I used 6 sticks of butter for the Cinnamon Honey Butter, and 6 sticks for the Orange Butter, so I multiplied each recipe by 6. This makes a very generous amount of flavored butter, depending on what size containers you're using, (if any), you'll most likely have leftovers :)

Orange Butter
-based on a recipe from Christmas with Paula Deen
- 1 stick (or 1/2 cup) butter, softened
- 3 tbsp. orange marmalade


-Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl (I used a hand mixer on low, it gave the butter a nice whipped consistency)

Cinnamon Honey Butter
(based on a recipe from Christmas with Paula Deen)
-1 stick (or 1/2 cup) butter, softened
-2 tbsp. honey
-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
-salt, to taste ( the salt is optional, I tasted my butter and it needed it, but yours may not, taste and see :)


- Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl (again, I used a hand mixer on low speed)

- FOR EACH RECIPE: Pack into small crock or jar (I used 4-oz canning/jelly jars) with tight fitting lid. Or, roll in waxed paper into a log shape and twist at the ends. Chill thoroughly. If rolling in wax paper, wrap the wax paper in colorful paper.

  As I'm sure you all have guessed by now, the possibilities for Flavored Butter are virtually endless, Maple, Garlic, Lemon, Herb, Fruit; the sky's the limit!!! Have Fun!!!


Happy Holidays to You All :) You are all part of what makes life so sweet for me :) Even if we haven't met in person, I love you :)

Buona Festa!!!

Lynn :)