Food Friday

Mash it. Smash it. Sauce it up!

I am talking apples today!  I have been in heaven with all the amazing fruit hitting the local markets and farmers markets. Our poor apples were taking a turn for the worst so I decided to whip up some applesauce and add a fun treat to warm days. 

I know this is relatively basic but it is one that often gets overlooked because it is so easy and basic.  I even came across a quick recipe to make fruit leather with the left over apple sauce or with half your batch.  No more having to buy applesauce, fruit leather or those costly masher packets my girls still love. 

12-15 ripe apples. I used organic gala apples as that is what I had in our fridge. (and yes, we had that many! oops) 

I preheated the oven to 350 degrees

Peeled and cored the apples

placed in a baking dish

sprinkled with cinnamon (I like to use a lot as the cinnamon is what adds so much flavor) 

I sprinkled a little brown sugar over them. I have also used Agave Nectar, honey and coconut syrup as well. You decide what to use and how much. 

 **Other variations to add: Orange peels, cloves, blueberries, carrots, sweet potatoes, you can get as creative as you want with this. 

Bake them for 30-45 minutes until they are easy to pierce with a fork. 

I let them sit for a bit but you can also put them straight into your high speed blender or food processor. (We have a VitaMix and I have to say it is the best investment you will ever make) I started with a half cup of water and added more until I found the consistency that I liked.  My girls like it nice and smooth although a chunky version is always fun and you can build it into chicken dishes, turkey meatballs etc.  It really is more than just a treat.

I poured most of the finished sauce I made into big quart jars as we like to eat it as a sauce.  I also came across some re-usable "Masher" container called SQUOOSHI  that I thought I would try. They worked amazing and I have to say they were much easier to clean than I thought and I am no longer adding more waste to our weekly trash.  A little effort goes a long way:) Squooshi gives you some great recipe ideas that are not only great for your little ones but also for your big ones too.  Fun, new ways to look at an original sauce.  

How do you like them apples?!

Have a great weekend everyone!