Mandala progress, and my basic applesauce recipe

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I’m still plugging away at the wonderful Spice Market mandala, which will turn out to be a special table or wall decoration. There are such a variety of stitches on this pattern that I’m never bored. It is taking some time, though, because the stitches are small and I can only work on this in the mornings. Also, the sides get longer as I go. My goal is to finish this by the beginning of June.

This afternoon, I made applesauce and thought I’d share my process with you. Cooking is another creative activity I enjoy, but I haven’t been motivated to do much of it lately. Since applesauce is one of the easiest things in the world to make, and I haven’t enjoyed it in quite some time, I went for it today. Tomorrow, I might level-up and make a cake! Stay tuned for that…

Meanwhile, here’s my applesauce recipe. I use it to make applesauce spice cake, I mix with my breakfast oatmeal, eat with pork chops, or just have some on its own. It’s good hot or cold. I’m not sure if it’s freezable, though.

You need:

7–9 large apples (I use Korean honey apples from Miryang, Korea’s apple capital. Fuji apples or another type you enjoy eating raw would work fine.)

1-3 Tblsp. granulated sugar, according to taste

1 Tblsp. lemon juice

1 cup water

Optional: small cinnamon stick and 3-4 whole cloves, wrapped in cheesecloth, or just put loose into the apple mix (make sure you remove them before blending)

1. Peel, core, and slice apples into 1-2 inch chunks and put in stock pot.
2. Sprinkle sugar and lemon juice over the apple slices, and stir to coat the apples.
3. Add one cup of water, and spices, if desired. Turn on the stove and bring the water to a boil, then immediately turn down to simmer, and put the lid on the pot.
4. Let simmer for about 30 minutes. Check to see if the apples are tender; if they are not, cover again and keep cooking an additional 5-10 minutes.
5. When apples are soft, remove the spices. If the mixture is a little watery, you can remove the lid and cook a bit longer, to evaporate the water.
6. Let cool somewhat, then mash the apples. If you like chunky applesauce, you can use a potato masher; a hand-mixer will make a smoother mixture.
7. Eat hot or cold, with breakfast oatmeal, pancakes, or anything you like. It makes a great base for an applesauce cake.

Yield: About 4-5 cups of applesauce.

That’s it! Easy-peasy. Take care and stay healthy! See you again soon.