The Sauce

Wow - I have totally fallen off the blogging wagon. My only excuse? Life with three little ones! I've got some catching up to do ~ I hope you'll join me. 

Kennedy keeps a nightly reading log as part of her ongoing homework and in October she reached her goal of 400 minutes for the month and received a Book It Personal Pan Pizza coupon. When I was in elementary school, we participated in Book It too and I remember thinking getting that little pizza was the best thing ever - so did she!  

 Dad and Kathy stayed with Melissa when they first got here but after church on Sunday they came over to stay with us and Grandaddy got in some truck play with Grey. 

 Monday morning was applesauce making day and we had A LOT to make! We purchased enough apples to hopefully carry us through until next "apple season" with some to give away too. I called the farm where we purchased our apples the day before we came and they had all these ready with my name on them - all I had to do was pay and they packed them in the car and all. Awesome!

 Step 1: wash pesticides off apples. I decided that my bathtub was the best place to wash the apples so I could do a bunch at a time. 

 After I washed a box of apples, I then loaded them in a laundry basket and lugged them into our bedroom where I  spread them out on a big blanket under the fan to dry - holy apples batman! 

 Next: quarter apples

 Boil Apples

 Once skins pucker and apples get soft - fish em' out! 

Carry piping hot apples over to the magical applesauce making machine, 

 otherwise known as the Victorio. {did you hear the hallelujah chorus?}

 Push apples down and turn crank.

This perfect sauce pours out - YUM! Isn't it pretty? Maybe it's me but I thought the color was perfectly pink and pretty! In addition to being visually appealing, this applesauce is delicious! The apples were yummy before we began and I think having two types made for a good mix of flavors - we didn't add a thing (color or flavor-wise) and it tastes wonderful. 

Prepare to bag in quart sized freezer bags. 

Let the bagging begin! 

 Be sure to take a baby snuggling break! 

 My Dad and Kathy were here for part of the applesauce making process, but then they needed to get on the road for home and I was worried about how I'd work on applesauce making. As it turns out, empty apple boxes are big fun and can be used for all sorts of things: making a cat bed, working as a make shift train car, a fort, etc. 

 Other than one little incident where Avery busted her head on the toys shelf, the kids did really well keeping themselves entertained and we filled my entire chest freezer with fresh home made applesauce! 

 Just along for the ride. 

I hope this will be an annual tradition for Melissa and I - we had a really good time but boy were we tired when it was all said and done! I must give proper credit where credit is due too - if Abby and her family hadn't introduced me to this process and how easily doable it was, I would know nothing of it so thanks for that Abby!