Homemade Applesauce #TasteCreations

I can feel the closeness of Thanksgiving coming on me and I am having shivers of excitement! I love seeing my extended family in Marceline (Missouri) and knowing that we will be having my mom's cooking is a thrill for me, too.

When I was growing up, I remember Mom doing ALL the cooking for our feast. Lots of people would come over, but I rarely remember anyone else contributing, except for a dessert here and there. My sister learned to make my Grandmother Holt's yeast rolls when she passed, and when I married, I started bringing pies, but still the bulk of the cooking fell to my mom.

The years that my dad was so ill, is when we started dividing up the cooking responsibilities. My mom loves her turkeys so she still does that, the mashed potatoes and stuffing. My nephew's wife does the green bean casserole, I do the noodles and pies, my sister does the rolls, my husband brings Brussels Sprouts and a macaroni and cheese dish. We've stuck to this plan more or less, over the ten years since dad has been gone.

This year, though, I am adding something to the mix. Homemade Applesauce. I used to make it every fall with my daughter after we'd go to a farmer's market and come back with a bushel of apples. We made it in the slow cooker and it would smell fantastic all day! I'm sharing with you the recipe I used back in the 80s with my daughter. I hope you enjoy it!

Slow Cooker Applesauce

4 pounds apples, cored, any variety

a bouquet garni of cinnamon sticks, two whole cloves, a star anise

several passes of the whole nutmeg over the microplane

1 T fresh lemon juice

1/2 c water

scant 1/4 t of salt

Chop the cored apples into about 1 inch pieces and toss into the slow cooker. Tie the spices in a piece of and add to the apples. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours. Stir a couple of times throughout the cooking process. Taste. If you like your applesauce sweeter, this is the time to add in your desired sweetener. Start with 1 c of sugar. Stir in, wait 5 minutes and taste. Adjust from there.

The Taste Creation bloggers have all kinds of side dishes ready to go for you! Check out the new posts below and the linked side dishes that we put together from our past posts. You will find something for everyone in your family.

Nikki is the creative force behind Tikkido.com and author of Gingerbread for Beginners. She loves baking, crafting, and geekery of all sorts. Check out her Brussels and Bacon recipe.

Lauren Kim from Mom Home Guide has these awesome buttery potatoes for you here.
Lauren Kim a lifestyle blogger at Mom Home Guide. She loves cooking, crafting, decorating, day tripping and gardening. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and twin teen daughters. You can find her blog at http://momhomeguide.com.

Rosemary from An Italian in my Kitchen made Double Cheese Mashed Potatoes. Go and see it here.
Rosemary Molloy calls Toronto and Rome home, she shares Traditional Italian Recipes and some North American desserts. https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/

Teri from The Freshman Cook made Autumn Veggies with Rice. Click here to see the recipe. Teri is the chef and chief bottle washer at The Freshman Cook, where she hopes to inspire and teach young cooks. Come join the fun at http://www.thefreshmancook.com