Applesauce! It's getting close to THAT time of year; trips to the local orchard, digging out my grandma's colander (at least that's what I think it's called), and that wonderful smell throughout the house! Also, I've been dealing with a toddler with stomach flu for two days, so applesauce has been on our minds a lot! Most often, I make "traditional" applesauce, which involves peeling and chopping a billion apples and boiling them with a little water till mushy enough to push through the colander. I add some granulated sugar to taste, and then fill many, many freezer containers. I also make a "fancier" version I found in Martha Stewart Living about 10 years ago (that's where the lovely stock photo came from). It is fairly decadent, and of course, I "tweak" it too...

Oven-roasted Applesauce

1/4 cup cider

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

pinch of ground cloves

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 TBL unsalted butter

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths

3 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths

pinch of salt

Heat oven to 375. In a 12-by-14-inch roasting pan or an 11-by-17-inch baking pan, combine the cider, cinnamon, cloves, lemon juice, brown sugar and butter.  Add the apples and toss. Roast until the apples are very soft and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer apples to the bowl of a food processor; pulse until smooth. Stir in the salt. Serve warm.

I usually use 6 McIntosh apples, or throw in a few Yellow Delicious. I also use salted butter, so there's no need to add salt at the end. This stuff is to die for; it tastes like apple pie!Another recipe I am wanting to try is from Food and Wine Magazine, also from about 10 years ago (you know, from before I was married and had a child and had tons of time to cook).

Pear-spiked Applesauce

4 apples, peeled, cored and quartered

2 pears, peeled, cored and quartered

1 cup water

1 TBL lemon juice

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

Bring apples, pears, water and lemon juice to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and cinnamon.  Serve warm or chilled.

I've been wanting to make this for a while. I'll post pictures if I get around to it. Right now, at my house, I'm serving Motts in kid-sized containers!

Sometimes, I've discovered, my blog topic is chosen for me.  I've had several requests for my peach salsa recipe, mostly from those who've tasted it! Some have asked for a second pint, but my thinking on that is to give away one jar, and then share the recipe with those who want MORE! Really, I just want the remaining salsa for myself! I can't totally take credit for the recipe, but the "tweaking" is ALL ME!

Spicy Peach/Tomato Salsa

one large package Mrs. Wages Medium salsa mix (it makes about 5 pints)

1/2 cup vinegar (per mix instructions)

13-18 tomatoes, diced

two 29-ounce cans peaches (halves or slices) diced

one small onion, minced

one green pepper, diced

The mix instructions go through this tedious process of boiling the tomatoes briefly to remove the skins; I don't do that. I just chop everything into small bite-sized pieces. Combine all ingredients in a big pot and bring to a boil. The mix instructions say to simmer for 15 minutes, but I've done it a little longer, to make sure all the flavors combine well. Let the salsa set for a while to cool before ladling into jars. You can put the lids on while still very warm, but let the jars then set for 24 hours before eating or tossing into the fridge. I freeze the remaining jars (leaving at least a half inch at the top for expansion). I think the mix recommended eating the salsa within two weeks...like it lasts that long!

If you are a "purist" and don't want to use a mix, I do have another peach salsa recipe. I have no idea where I got it. If you make it, please let me know how it tastes!

Peach Salsa

2 cups diced peeled peaches

1 cup diced tomato

1/4 cup diced green onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup diced bell pepper

Combine all ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Optional: add chopped cilantro or jalapeno.

I just realized I'm out of tortilla chips - oh no!

OK, so here we go...I do not claim to have any great expertise when it comes to cooking/baking, but others have raved about things I have served them, and have asked for recipes. So, since I LOVE food in general; cooking, baking, grilling, EATING, and especially trying new things, and since I have created a notebook-style three-ring binder kind of cookbook that is bursting at the seams, I felt I needed a food blog as a creative outlet. Today's blog is all about food I made today (it seemed like a good starting place); most recently, a variation of bread salad I made for supper a mere hour and a half ago! I think I saw the recipe in Women's Health or Shape magazine (yes, I steal magazines from work), but "tweaked" it a bit, so this is how I made it:

1/2 french baguette, slightly stale, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 medium cucumber, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

1/2 small onion, diced

1 TBL olive oil

1 TBL red wine vinegar

1 TBL Dijon mustard

8 fresh basil leaves, torn to pieces

2 TBL pine nuts

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar and mustard. In a large bowl, toss tomatoes, cucumbers, onion and dressing. Refrigerate before serving. Right before serving, add bread, basil and pine nuts and season with salt and pepper.

I had two servings. No one else wanted any - big surprise! The bread cubes soaked up a lot of the dressing - yummy! I thought it was a great dish, because I have a ton of tomatoes and cucumbers in my garden, and a stale baguette. Speaking of leftovers...I had some Hershey bars we had taken to my Mom's last week (for s'mores), so this morning, Regan and I made chocolate-filled croissants using a tube of Pillsbury crescent rolls and the leftover candy bars. Oh my! Regan ate 3...