Homemade Applesauce

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Fall is my favorite season of all, for many reasons. I love the sights and smells of Autumn, and the fresh vegetables and fruits it brings. Some of my all time favorite meals are made with different types of fall produce. Also, the colors of Fall are great, so it is lots of fun for me to break out the Fall decor at home.

In honor of today being the official first day of Autumn, I've decided to make a special treat for each of my kids classes. I went down to the produce store and bought 4 8lb bags of apples. I plan to make Homemade Applesauce for Amanda Lily's class and Caramel Apples for Steven's. Kids of all ages love applesauce, and this is a super easy recipe, so I thought I'd share.

Homemade Apple Sauce:

6 Apples, Peeled, Cored, and Sliced

Place prepared apples in steamer basket, and steam on high heat for 7 mins.

Put steamed apples in food processor and process until desired consistency. If you need to make it thinner, add the water from steamer pot, but do so slowly, so it doesn't become runny.

If you like, add a little cinnamon to your applesauce to spice it up a bit.

The apple sauce will keep well in the fridge for 3 days. You can freeze any extra you may have.

How easy is that??????

Apple Cake Balls

My friend Heather called me a couple of weeks back raving about these treats that I just "had to make". One of my other friends, Trish, called a few days later telling me all about the same treats, so I figured it was meant for me to give them a try. Trish and I joined forces in her kitchen, and took them on together. We were making a total of around 90 "apples". Enough for each of our kids classes. They turned out really ADORABLE, and we had lots of fun making them together. We learned a lot in our creative process. Next time will be easier, bc we now know what to expect, and what needs tweaking in the recipe.

Amanda Lily told me that all her friends said they wish their Moms would make them, so her class enjoyed them for sure. The Teachers who saw them ooooooood and awwwwwwwwd over them, so I'm pretty sure they were a solid hit. I must say though, every adult that tried them, myself included, felt they were a little sweet. So next time, I think they will be smaller....like a bon bon, one bite size. If you want to give them a shot, let me know and I'll post the recipe, or just head on over to Bakerella where we got our creative inspiration! She has so many cute ideas. I was thinking of doing them again, but in an Autumn theme. September 22 is the official first day of Autumn, and I thought it would be a fun excuse to make them again. Anyone have any ideas of what I could shape the cake balls into that would be appropriate for that?

10th Anniversary

George and I celebrated our BIG 10th Anniversary this year! Honestly, it feels like we are living in a time warp....it just goes by so quickly. We took a weekend cruise on Royal Caribbean to the Bahamas. It was so nice to n0t have anything planned, and just be. We took naps in the afternoons, ate breakfast in bed or on our private balcony. We were total loafers! We walked the streets of Nassau shopping, and ran into this little Greek Cafe. It was good timing because then came the torrential down pour of rain! We sat there talking to the owner and his wife while drinking our Greek Coffee's and eating Baklava for almost 2 hours. I snapped a photo of the cafe as we were leaving. It is the one with the Blue and White (Greek) Flag on the exterior. Next, we did some shopping at the local "Straw Market". George could have done without that part of the trip, but he tolerated it well. I even talked him into having a couples massage, which he thanked me for. It was WONDERFUL! Another highlight was that we played BINGO! I haven't played since I was a kid, but it was lots of fun.

We made a great time of our Anniversary. I am so very blessed that I have George as a husband. He is such an honorable man, and an old school romantic. My Angel. The rest is to be continued........

Swimming with Friends

I have to post these photos. One day last month, Jennifer and Pam came over with their kids. Looking at these pictures makes me smile because when we became friends at 14, I don't think we could have ever imagined this day. What a blessing to still have friends in my life that I have experienced so many "milestones" with. Funny to think how we used to turn to each other for advice on crushes and homework. Now, we are on to cooking and parenting. Time surely flies when your having fun. (;