Whiteley Creek Homestead

Here's an easy one. Make your own naturally sweetened applesauce in the time it takes to open a jar of the store-bought variety. The bonus is that it's uncooked and the peels are included, so the nutrition is equivalent to eating a raw apple. I served it this morning atop buckwheat/quinoa pancakes with just a drizzle of real maple syrup. Sooooo good.

Homemade Raw Applesauce

4 apples of a sweet variety (i.e., gala, pink lady, fuji, honey crisp)

1 cup water

1 tbsp lemon juice, optional

1/4 cup raisins

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

Core apples, then cut into chunks. (Do not peel.) Place in a blender along with the remaining ingredients. Very quickly, it will look like applesauce. For a chunkier consistency, blend only briefly.

Did you know that there is a set of measuring spoons for when a recipe requires a  pinch, dash, or smidgen? Ace Hardware sells the set. Surprised? Nah.