Slap me silly and call me Susie Homemaker

The apple extravaganza took place yesterday.

To be honest, I was kinda nervous because I had never made applesauce or apple butter before. In my mind, I pictured it as an arduous process which would require numerous hours and grueling labor. I also pictured myself in a bonnet, hunched over a contraption similar to a butter churner. (In my defense, we recently watched The Last of the Mohicans, although I'm pretty certain Cora never makes applesauce.)

I asked for Alaina's recipes because she spent 14 hours last week canning four bushels of applesauce and apple butter. And if the end result is worth that labor of love, then I wanted to taste it.

I was prepared for the most complex recipe. I was ready to run to the grocery store to buy ingredients and tools I had never heard of before.

Instead, she said to put a little concentrated apple juice in the bottom of a big pot, pile the apples on top and cook them.

Seriously? That's it?

It seemed Katie-proof. And so I began.

After making Janna's apple crisp (which is AMAZING!) and eating apples for lunch, we only had 1/2 a bushel left. But it still made plenty.

An awkward shot of my super cute apron from Anthropologie. Before you mock my lack of photography skills, you try taking a self-portrait of your torso. Not easy and highly unflattering. Side note: I think it's emotionally impossible for me to walk into that store and not want to buy everything.

I filled this bowl four times to use all my apples. I have newfound respect for Alaina and her four bushels.

I used my apple slicer to core and cut the apples and then skinned them while watching Camelot. I have a strange nostalgia for that movie because I listened to my mom's cassette tape of the soundtrack a million times growing up. Amazingly, I still remember most of the lyrics. Yes, I am that cool.

I used two pots because I questioned whether or not the apples could cook piled on top of each other. FYI - this was totally unnecessary.

Side note: other than the apple drippings, what do you see when you look at my double-spoon rest? Because every guy who walks into my kitchen asks why I have a butt on my stove. I still don't see it.

Apparently, there's this thing called "steam," which can be created while cooking. In other words, close-ups might not work over a cooking pot.

Much better. I'm still amazed really good applesauce is created by literally cooking down the apples. Who knew.

Once Madeline was up from her nap, she helped me out. I love this age because she can follow simple directions and actually help me. For the record, she's a great stir-er and food processor turn-er on-er.

The finished result! If you're wondering 1/2 a bushel made 16 cups of applesauce and we used four cups for the apple butter.

The big moment: the taster who delivers the verdict. Don't worry, I cleanse her palette before she was allowed to taste.

It's a hit! In fact, it was so good, Madeline asked for another bowl and scrape the remains with her fingernails.

So we now have fresh, homemade applesauce in the fridge. two frozen quantities in the freezer and really, really, really yummy apple butter.

Totally worth the effort and no butter-churning contraption involved.