When Life gives you Apples, make Applesauce!

We went apple picking with some friends at one of the local farms and of course the excitement of picking our own apples resulted in a bushel of apples that would comfortably feed a family of twenty.  With so many apples I was able to give a good old college try to any and all recipes apple.  I ventured into making apple crisp, apple crumble, apple streusel, and apple you-name-it, until our home was flooded with too many lingering apple desserts.  Yes, the desserts were amazing, but healthy not so much.  So, I started to look for some lighter options as to what to do with our bushel.

Applesauce is a perfectly healthy and delicious snack food or dessert. Kids love it, adults love it, and most importantly, I love it. It pairs perfectly well with pork chops, or shines just on its own.

At first I was shocked by how simple the recipe is, but then again, I did remember we made applesauce as a project when I was in kindergarten.  Granted, mostly I remember it entailed dancing around the kiddie lockers while the teacher made us a snack; I wasn't as into the act of cooking at that point in time, being five years-old and all.  Anyway, enough babbling, check out the recipe below, and do give it a try:

Ingredients:
1 Apple (1 Apple per serving/person)
1/4 cup of Water
1 teaspoon Sugar or Sugar Substitute
Optional: Cinnamon and Nutmeg

Directions:

Wash and Peel the apple (Yes, You are peeling the apple, but I still wash it first just to keep things extra clean).

Cut the apple into small square pieces (about 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch).



Put the apple chunks in a small pot on top of the stove and add 1/4 cup of water.



Crank up the stove to high heat, bring the water to a boil, cover and put the heat down to low to simmer for 5 minutes.

Once the apple has cooked for 5 minutes, remove the lid and let the apples simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the water has evaporated from the pot.

Using a fork, spoon, or a masher if you have one, smash the apples to form a smooth consistency.  I do it in the same pot to avoid pile up of extra dishes in the kitchen - efficiency!

 Add 1 teaspoon of Sugar or Sugar Substitute, to taste.

Stop here and serve if you want just a good, solid Applesauce. But if you're like me, and enjoy a little spice in your life, read on...

Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a sprinkle of nutmeg (a sprinkle of nutmeg goes a long way).

Serve it up and dig in.  See that - easy as pie.