Do your kiddos like applesauce?  Do you ever make your own?  I never even buy applesauce anymore, because we always have apples kicking around here, and it’s so quick and easy to make.  Not to mention, it’s so much tastier than anything you buy in a store.

Kinda like making banana bread when the bananas go black, this is one of those things I make as soon as our apples start to soften.

I had a bag of strawberries that I’d tossed in the freezer after picking them this summer.  I love to freeze a few bags after picking them fresh.  They’re great to add to sauces like this.   And the house smelled SO good when they were cooking!  Just like summertime!

I’ll give you the how-to in a minute, but first I wanted to share some pics.  Today I decided to hand out some dinner knives, and let the Hooligans cut up the apples.  I sliced the apples first, and had the kids cut the slices up into smaller pieces. To make sure this wasn’t too risky, I tested the sharpness of my knives.  We’d be safe as long as no-one started frantically “sawing” their fingers.  It was all good.  The children were very careful.  Just look at the concentration on this face!  The tongue says it all.

And look at the way this little one is holding the apple while she cuts.  She’s 2.5 years old.  

This two handed approach was very popular among all three children.

They did so well!  I was kind of proud of myself too.  We’ve never played with knives before.  

Ok, here’s how you make it:

• Peel and core several apples.  We used 4 small reds and a large green today. (entertain the troops by attempting to remove the peel in a single twirly strip).
• Chop apples into pieces (approx. 2 inch cubes).
• Put pieces in a pot (add frozen berries now if you have them) along with a tbsp or two of water, and simmer until soft and mushy.
• Pour off most of the liquid, and with a potato masher, mash until smooth.
• Add sugar to taste.

Mmmmm, mmmm!  Wasn’t that easy?  Snack-time!!