Monday, November 26, 2007

How 'bout them Apples?


A few weeks ago, I purchased a bushel of apples at a Farm that was closing for the season that week. We ate some of the Apples, but seeing as most of them were a bit blemished, I decided the rest were going to be "saved" for cooking. Well, they sat and sat, till one day My husband said, "Honey you need to do something with those apples, they are getting mushy!!!" "I know I know, don't worry I'll be using them soon...." I was keeping them in a bag at the top of the cellar stairs where it was nice and chilly. Figuring of course that they would, oh I don't know, keep through the winter?! The smell was just too much. Jim and Zoe picked a bunch out and pulled out the Apple- Peeler-Corer-Slicer I had purchased last year (and hadn't even used yet!). While Emma and I were at rehearsal for the play we are in together, they baked a yummy apple pie! Jim said Zoe went to town with the contraption. Peeling and coring those apples in 5 minutes. Truth be told I had avoided the Apple Peeler-Corer-Slicer. I am just not that technically inclined. Oh I love appliances like my Kitchen-aid Mixer, but sometimes I would just as soon peel and core things like apples by hand!
Even after they baked the pie, I still had a ton of apples left, and I did NOT want them going bad! I made a pie to take to NH for Thanksgiving, but peeled and cored the apples by hand!
"Honey, just use it, it will take 5 minutes! Heck, even a 3 year old can do it!"
So,,, today Zoe and I put on our aprons and got busy. I set up the Apple Peeler-Corer-Slicer, and put Zoe to work! You should have seen her, grunting as she cranked the handle round and round. I'll be darn, it WAS easy. I plopped the Apple slices (about15 apples in all) in a big pot, added 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, dash of cinnamon and 1 cup of water. There you have it, easy yummy Applesauce!