Last month Chris and I took the kids to an apple orchard in Indiana. We hope to make this an annual family tradition as it is a very pleasant way to spend time together as a family on an autumn afternoon. When I think back to our trip last year I can’t believe how much has changed. Evie is now a big girl, and we have our newest addition, Mack! Evelyn loved running through the trees and exploring the orchard, and Mack seemed to really appreciate the fresh air.

We brought home 18 pounds of apples. As our small family of four couldn’t possibly eat them all before they went bad, I put them to use in other ways. A warm apple cake was a real treat for Evie when she woke up from her afternoon nap. Apple muffins fresh out of the oven on a Sunday morning gave us energy to start a new week. But I think I’m most proud of the applesauce I prepared and preserved for us to enjoy later in the winter. As I wrote about last month, learning the domestic art of food preservation has been a goal of mine for quite some time. Making applesauce was quite simple – boil peeled apples with a little water, puree, bring to a boil again, add some lemon juice, pour in jars, process in a hot water bath. It took me about 45 minutes to make five pints.

I opened one of the jars today to use in place of butter to lighten a homemade loaf of pumpkin bread, and it was delicious! Not only did I enjoy a few spoonfuls of apply goodness, but it was a lovely treat for little Mack, too!