Applesauce

About 2 weeks ago, I bought a bunch of honeycrisp apples, made some applesauce, and two days later, it was gone!  I was a little astounded, because I had always been indifferent to applesauce before, but this, this was amazing!  So I thought I'd pass on the love...

You'll need a large pot (the bigger the better), a food mill of some sort  and about 5-6 pounds of apples.  It will make approximately 5 cups of applesauce. Cut the apples in half, and then quarter the halves.  You don't need to remove any seeds or stems.  They'll be caught by the food mill.

I've only made applesauce with honeycrisp or fuji apples, and they're quite different.  If you're using honeycrisp, add 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup honey and a tablespoon of lemon juice. For fuji apples, add everything except the water-they're incredibly juicy on their own! 

Put everything in your pot, turn the stove onto high, and bring to a boil.  Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat way down so that it's just simmering.  Cover the pot with a lid. Simmer for half an hour, or until all the apples are soft and mushy.  Make sure that you stir the apples so that they all get cooked, and also so they don't burn.

Once everything is good and cooked, find a large bowl that works with the food mill, and ladle the apples into the mill.  Turn the crank, and you've got applesauce!  I added a very small amount of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon to my applesauce.  No more than a half teaspoon of each, because you don't want to overshadow the apple flavor.  Enjoy!

CD of the Month-November

 

As my mom said, it's a little weird.  At least that was my first reaction.  Even now, after listening to the set of five cds, I can see where she's coming from.  But I think I like this music.  Sufjan Stevens sings like he means it.  When he says "you" in a song, it takes a second to realize that he's not talking to me. The home recording may play apart in that reaction, but from reading the liner notes, it seems like Sufjan Stevens has a deep desire to be sincere and transparent.  I really like that, even if I may have my doubts about some of his music.

Favorite song for lyrics: Once in Royal David's City (Disc 5)

I didn't realize that this song had lyrics in the first place, and now that I listen to them, they're well thought out and reflective.

Most questionable song: Come Thou Font of Every Blessing (Disc 2)

Still not sure what I think about this one.  It almost sounds like the instrumentals are in a minor key, while the vocals are in a major key.  Not the most beautiful rendition, although very creative.

Song I want to listen right now: O Come O Come Emmanuel (Disc 5)

It makes me think of paint by numbers, where you're not quite sure what's going on, but suddenly the colors start to make sense and you can see the big picture.

CD of the Month-October

I was so eager for this CD to come in the mail!

Reason I bought it: One of the teenagers at the church played the last track (Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme) for offertory sometime in September. It's so rich and complex. If you ever get the chance to listen to this song, close your eyes and imagine God leading the planets in a dance where they spiral around him and interweave with each other. It has that feeling of graciousness and majesty each time I hear it.

Favorite thing: I've listened to this CD more than 10 times since it arrived on the 30th of October. I don't think I'll ever get tired of it. The music is too complex for me to understand in one hearing, and so enjoyable that I simply keep listening to it!