Homemade applesauce

I love, love, love applesauce and so does everyone in the house.  I also like baking new things, especially things that smell good.  I don't know too many things that smell better than cooking apples with cinnamon - it's no wonder there are so many candle companies that make Apple Cinnamon scents, it's because it's delicious!  Growing up my mom used to make cooked apples in the microwave sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.  It wasn't anything amazing or unusual, but we always liked it.  I decided to try my hand at applesauce on the stove.  It shouldn't be too difficult, if you cook apples long enough you can smash them: so that's exactly what I did.

I used 4 apples and quickly realized after it was on the table that a 1:1 apple/person ration would be best.  So when 5 people were at the table, we were sadly, 1 apple too short.  I'll go ahead and redo this again using 6 or 7 apples, they were a big hit and, although not a ton of work, it is enough work that I want to make sure everyone has enough.

Homemade applesauce:

6-8 apples - try to use at least 2 different types of apples and avoid sour apples like Granny Smith
3-4 Tbsp apple cider - I will probably use apple juice when cider isn't available
cinnamon and sugar to taste

1. Peel and chop apples into 1/2" cubes.
2. Place all the ingredients into a deep sauté pan*.  Cook covered about 20 minutes, stir frequently**.  Apples are done when they are soft enough to mash.
3. Mash them with a fork to the consistency/chunkiness you prefer.  Eat them warm or cold but remember, there aren't any preservatives and treat leftovers as you would any other leftovers.

Enjoy!

*My pan is about 3" deep and 10" wide, the 4 apples filled the pan about halfway up.
**If you notice the pan is getting dry add an extra Tbsp of cider or juice.

I added a bit too much cinnamon to this batch.  Hubby said it tasted like really good pie filling.  Hmmm... maybe I'll be making some apple pie this Thanksgiving.  Maybe.

Vicky

Turkey craft

I am thankful for...

all sorts of things, and so are my Daisies.  I am always amazed at the ideas these girls will come up with as well as the direction a thought will lead.  I love turkeys and they are a great craft but I am almost guaranteed to get a turkey-hand craft from school.  These are sweet and I love having the size of their hand marked out, but I didn't need to add to the collection.  Instead we made a turkey with their ideas and thanks written in their own first grade handwriting.  Simple enough project that you can help and do as much as you'd like or let the girls do it all.  I decided to cut the body out, the feathers, and write "I am thankful for..." on the body.  If I were to do it over, I wouldn't write on it.  Many of them rewrote on it anyways.

Supplies:

Construction paper, including brown for the body.
Glue/glue sticks
Markers or crayons

Directions:

Cut the body of the turkey out in a peanut type shape.  I had thought about having the girls trace their foot, but envisioned 15 little girls not knowing how to tie their shoes and needing help.

Cut out "feathers", at least 5 per turkey.

Glue the feathers onto the back of the turkey and have the girls write different things they are thankful for on each feather.  If they are not able to write it, have them draw a picture of what they are thankful for.

Draw a face on the turkey.

Hang in your front window for everyone to see!

Vicky

Apple pieces

I got the idea from eating apple chips and making pumpkin seeds.  I'm certainly not the only one who has thought of it and I'm sure my recipe isn't exactly original.  I'm not sure, I figure if I don't look other recipes up, I won't know and therefore I can claim this as an original.  :)

Ingredients:
Apples
Cinnamon and sugar (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 250°F

2. Slice the apples as thin as possible, I recommend using a mandolin.  I also cored the apples, I know in the crispy bags, you can eat the seeds, but all I could think of is cyanide laced apple seeds.

3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

4. Make a thin layer of apple slices on the parchment paper and stick in the oven on the second to bottom rack about 6" from the bottom.

If you are making it with cinnamon and sugar follow steps 1 & 2:

3. Use a very small amount of cinnamon and sugar.  You may choose to use only cinnamon.

4. Layer on the parchment lined cookie sheet and stick in the oven.

Cook it for 2 hours.  Flip the apples after about an hour.  These will come out chewier.  They will not be crispy as the bagged kind from the grocery store.  Either way, we finished 4 apples in 1 1/2 days.

My Pampered Chef mandolin.  I'm not even sure if they still sell them!  I've had it for years and (gee surprise, surprise) it works great.

In the oven.  Be sure to keep the door closed and only open a couple of times to keep it hot inside.  This was not what I would consider a thin layer.  Next time I will use fewer apples to allow for a thinner layer.

Mmmmm....  all done and ready to eat.

The cinnamon apples took a bit longer to cook and ended up being a bit soggier because of the extra sugar creating juice.  They were still very good and were gone before the plain.

The obvious advice:  I suggest not sticking your arm in to flip the apples but rather take the cookie sheet out.  If you decide to  not take this advice, at least use a mitt.

We never had a chance to store them in anything as they were eaten too quickly.

Vicky

The Dragon, the Witch, and Batman

The kids all had an awesome time trick or treating.  Even, or should I say especially, Bug got into doorbell ringing and collecting his own loot of goodies. There was no stopping him, he carried his own pumpkin and, except the last few houses when we were done ringing doorbells, he walked the whole time.  Monkey, or should I say Batman, was extra eager this year and ran from house to house with his bat-cape flying behind him.  Sadly the strap on his bat-mask kept coming undone and popping off of his face.  Sunshine was the best witch, quite original too.  Although I had a pair of black boots she could have worn, she insisted on her pink cowgirl boots; no self-respecting witch would not own a pair of pink boots!  She also won't wear make-up, but that doesn't surprise me, she won't let me put any kind of make-up on her, even at fairs when you can have a little heart painted on your cheek she will still decline the offer.

Monkey at his school wearing his costume, minus the mask.  They had a no-mask policy.

 No school party would be complete without the ever popular Halloween parade.

Loving his costume!  Don't tell Monkey he's a dinosaur, he WILL correct you.

A witch with sass... and pink boots

Waiting for Bug before they ring the bell.  Eventually Sunshine would drag him up the last 5 steps to get to the door.

Vicky

My baby is 2!

Well, he's 2.  What else can I say but that.  Except maybe that he's added joy and love to our family for the last 2 years.  He brightens everyone's day and is a truly happy to see everyone.  Our family is now complete with our newest addition.  He is an inquisitive, playful, stubborn, strong-willed, tough little boy, capable of climbing onto and into everything.  He will play with his brother and sister or sit and work on puzzles by himself.  He runs, runs and runs even more; never walking from place to place.  He jumps and spins and laughs at everything and everyone, including himself.  He enjoys being surprised and loves when you jump into his room when he wakes up from his nap.  He'll kiss you and cuddle until your arms are sore from holding him for so long and you will continue to hold him because he is 2 and he may not cuddle like this much longer.  He adores his older brother and sister and copies them when they play.  When I come home he runs to me yelling my name and gives me a huge hug, regardless of the amount of time I was away.  He may not talk much but is definitely able to get his point across, usually quite loud about it as well.  He loves helping and doing little jobs for you.

I cannot imagine our home without him.

2 years - busy outside raking leaves.

Busy, busy, busy and always with a smile.

1 year - Happy, as always.

<30 minutes old - trying to figure out what on Earth just happened!

Vicky

Woes of boys

Bug is turning 2.  As in 2 hours he'll be 2.  My little baby will be two and where has the time gone?

Oh, where has the time gone?  It's very close to his birthday party and we still need to get him something.  Sunshine and I had picked out a big book of Dr. Seuss books but for some reason I felt he needed something else (this way I will have one more thing to pick up/put away/wash).  It doesn't matter what logic was telling me, my heart was saying, "Buy, buy, buy!"  Either that or it was the huge influx of commercials and advertisements

So Sunshine and I are at the store and I decide to look for one more thing.  We head over to the toy department, which is small since the store only has it set up for Christmas.  I look and I look and I look.  Sunshine looks and she finds: toys that are too much money, toys that aren't age appropriate, or toys that we have something almost exactly like at home - sometimes it was all 3 of them.  I realize (again) that we still don't need anything.  Our home has way too many toys and our kids have way too much clothes.

Unfortunately, this doesn't mean that poor Bug shouldn't get presents since he is the youngest.  It just means that as a baby, he'll get gipped out of getting as many as his brother and sister.

There is one thing though that Bug could use.  Pajamas.  He's been having this obnoxious habit of pushing at the top of his pajama pants which then causes pee to squish out all over the place.  The only way we've been able to stop it is on him or by either putting one piece pajamas by putting onesies under the 2 piece pajamas.  He doesn't have too many one piece jammies and it's October and the house can get cold so I figured I'd buy him some footie jammies.  Sunshine and I looked at the racks and racks of clothes and she says to me, "Why aren't there as many boy pajamas as girls?"  A question all mothers of sons ask and I sadly had no answer for her.  Instead I told her, "Some people who make clothes like the flowers more than trucks."  She did not like the possibility of someone not thinking that every single bit of her Bug was perfect-and that included making his clothes.  She answers, "That's not very nice.  Bug's clothes are cute.  Remember, he has all those dinosaurs and things.  I don't think I like this store anymore.  I don't think we should shop here, let's go home."  She was serious too.  She wanted to go right then and there.

We left, without any pajamas or toy, and when she came back she gave Hubby an ear-full on how terrible the world is because boys don't have as large of a selection as girls.

Vicky

ChiTAG Fair Giveaway!

For those of you who have never heard of the ChiTAG Fair, it can be summed up in one word: awesome.  Picture Toys R Us on steroids... and they want you to play with the toys.  Maybe you don't understand this.  A giant toy store where you can play with the toys and have no feeling of obligation to buy anything!

My family and I went last year for the first time and I'm not sure who had the most fun.  Hubby, who was in love with all of the electronic gadgets.  Sunshine, who saw puzzles and games.  Monkey, who saw enough blocks to make the biggest kid content.  Or even Bug, who was happy banging away on the smaller baby toys.

They still have those rings saying Chicago Toy and Game Fair

The tower of blocks.  Another hour and he'd have been able to be like the man who made one 6' tall!

Bug, enjoying the wooden balls and the mallet that goes with it!

Pretty awesome, right?

You want to go?  Well of course you do!  Why wouldn't you?  Would you like to win a ticket?  Well of course you do!  Why wouldn't you?

From now until the fair on November 17-18, I will be giving away a ticket free admission to the fair.  This is for entry into the fair only and does not cover the cost of parking.  There are 4 ways to enter, please make sure to leave a comment for each and include your email for me to contact in the following format:
thisis AT myemail DOT com

1.  Like my blog.
2.  Tweet about this and leave the link.
3.  Follow me on twitter.
4.  Head over to ChiTAG's website and check it out.  Come back and let me know which exhibitor you might like to visit.

You may also see prices and print out a coupon here.

Congratulations to Melissa!

Vicky