A is for Apples!

I love autumn. It's definitely my favorite season, and always has been. I really miss the annual changing of the leaves, but we really try to take part in all my other favorite autumn activities.

Especially since H introduced us to Julian and the yearly apple picking pilgrimage. Because Thatdog LOVES apple picking, don't you Thatdog?

This year Prez came with us. Because she'd never been, and frankly also because she was in town. Which is always a rare and highly appreciated event. I swear, we've spent time together every week this past month because she's always traveling. As I speak this, she's on the road visiting family, working at one of her sites, and attending a wedding.

This year our annual apple picking also became a day of debauchery. Because we had a designated driver.



So after picking our apples and grabbing some BBQ for lunch, we headed home with plans to make several stops. First we stopped at Julian Hard Cider. Thatboy and I had tried to stop there last year, but we missed their opening by a week! This time they were open and sampling. We all LOVED their cider. Prez compared it to champagne. We each grabbed a bottle to take home. And when my pal Kira came to visit last week, I made sure I had a bottle tucked in for her in her "welcome and happy belated birthday" basket.

Next came a stop at Orfila, a wine tasting located conveniently next door to Julian Hard Cider. We made friends here. (Prez makes friends everywhere she goes. That's why we always bring her to Vegas) Which meant we got to taste all the super secret "for members only" wine. And our new friends told us about the little wine/beer tasting room next door. So we headed there next. Cider, Wine, Beer? It was a good trip.

Prez asked me what I was going to do with all the apples we picked. I told her that I always come up with a list of things I want to make, but in the end, we always eat them on their own. And of course, this held true as usual. Just a week or so later we were practically out of apples. I knew I wanted to do SOMETHING special with our yummy apples, (fresh picked are ALWAYS the best), I saved a couple so I could turn them into applesauce! Delicious applesauce. My second favorite way to eat apples. And ridiculously easy to make. I know a lot of people use the crockpot for this, but it doesn't take long the old fashioned stovetop way.




Applesauce
8 apples
sugar
cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 Tbsp butter

1. Peel and core the apples and cut them into large chunks.
   
2. Place apples in saucepan with 2 Tbsp water, 2 Tbsp sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Cover and cook 20 minutes, until apples are tender.
3. Remove cloves and cinnamon, then mash up apples until desired consistency.
4. Add butter and as much sugar as you like. (Thatboy likes it sweeter than I do)