Also be sure to check the leave piles along your streets and watch for flowers and perrenials that can be rooted and planted yet this year for additional blessings next year!
Apples...If you haven't gotten them already, you should! This is the time of year when apples can generally be found cheaper than at any other time. If you are one that has not grown up with the inviting fall smell of fresh apple sauce, cider, pie or cobbler, I empathize with you, but do not excuse you from going ahead and giving it a go this year! If you have children they will begin to associate and appreciate the harvest as well, and is there any other smell in the world more welcoming then apples and cinnamon?
APPLESAUCE : To make your own sauce, simply wash and peel the desired amount of apples you would like to use. Then if you have a corer and or slicer use these to wedge and keep hard areas and seeds away from apple pieces. Put into a microwave safe bowl; add a little water, a sprinkling of sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and cover. Cook in the microwave until apples are tender, mashing every couple minutes to make sauce. Not only with this make yummy sauce for snacking, pancakes or bread, but it will also make your house smell so good. To keep applesauce from browning, add a little bit of orange juice, lemon juice or pineapple juice to the sauce before cooking.
APPLE SNACKS: Lots of kids love eating apple slices. This is a cheap and good for them snack that you should feel great giving them. The problem comes in when you have a lot of kids, who like a lot of apples, peeled, sliced and cored, and little time and patience. Is there a way through this dilemma? Yes! Peel and slice and core several apples at a time. Place in a large bowl with a lid. After putting apples into the bowl fill up with pineapple juice. This will keep the apples from browning and going bad, and will keep for several days in the fridge. When hungry kids are calling for apples, just whip them out of the fridge and spoon them out with a slotted spoon if you do not wish to serve the juice. This sweetens the apples, preserves, them and kids and/or adults will appreciate the enhanced flavor!
