It Might Even Be an Apple Cell!

Tommy had a school project that was due. Yesterday. So we went ahead and started it last night. *blush*

He had to make a model of a cell ~ it could be plant or animal. I printed out a color picture, with labels, of his choice (plant) and we talked about the different parts.

I learned a lot!

He used that sheet to make a plan for the model...a cake, with strawberry frosting for the base. Natch. Fruit roll ups for the nucleus and the vaculoe and green pieces cut for the chloroplast. Gummy worms for the mitochondria, fruit snacks and/or hard candies for the chlorophyll and nucleolus and also whatever that thing is called, the one that splits and makes a new cell? That thing. Sprinkles for ribosomes. And licorice for the hard cell wall; orange gel for the membrane. Piles of tiles for two things I can't recall.

See? I learned a lot! So did he, actually, and he's quite excited about his model.

And so it happened that we had caramel apples for dinner. Again. *cough* On Sunday I was too busy admiring my new pottery to actually cook something. And last night, well, I don't actually have an excuse! It's just that caramel apples are good.





This weekend I also went through another 30 or so apples, making applesauce. Why haven't I always made applesauce? Seriously, what is easier than this?

Peel and core 12 apples; slice them thin-ish-ly. It's a word!
What kind of apples, you say? I used a mix from the apple orchard...some fujis, some granny smiths, golden delicious, and even a few braeburns. Sweet apples are good ~ they don't have to be bitter greens.

Because I used the sweeter apples, I didn't add any sugar. I put in some cinnamon (judging by the color, I may have been a bit heavy-handed with the spice!) and 1/2 cup of water with all the slices into the slow-cooker on high.

Then I lived my life. It was at least four hours, as many as six hours, later, when I remembered the apples. I dumped them into a bowl, ran a masher through them (though a fork would have worked!) and then put them in pint jars in a water bath. I made two batches worth and got 5 pints.

Bob's your uncle! Let's just run through that again: peel/core/slice apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Slow cook on high with 1/2 cup water, 3 to 6 hours. Mash. Enjoy. I will never buy applesauce again! Plus, Tommy won't eat store bought applesauce, but he loves this stuff.

I'm giving a couple of jars to my brother; his girls eat applesauce until somebody gets hurt. And, judging by the seemingly bottomless box of apples in my kitchen, I'll be making at least two more batches. And then I'm open for suggestions!