As part of our Alphabet Exploration this week we did Aa is for apple. G is currently obsessed with applesauce. She asks for it at almost every meal. So I thought this would be a great opportunity to get in the kitchen with her and talk about the letter A, colors, and counting while we did it. I know there are a lot of recipes for slow-cooker applesauce out there, but I couldn’t find one at the moment we started to do this, so I just made one up. It turned out amazing!
It tastes very much like the Fried Apples at Cracker Barrel restaurants (a special treat for me because we don’t have any close by). Here’s the recipe:
Slow Cooker Applesauce
Ingredients:
- 5 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut into large uniform chunks (we used Braeburn)
- 1/4 c. light brown sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Procedure:
Add all ingredients to a medium sized slow-cooker. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Mash mixture with a spoon or potato masher or blend if desired. Chill and store in airtight container in the refrigerator.
I loved how simple this recipe was and the time in the kitchen with G. I didn’t get a picture of the final result because I kept forgetting to take one and it was gone before I knew it! Here are some of the things we talked about while we made our applesauce:
- Numbers (counting the apples, counting the washed apples, counting the peeled apples…etc.)
- the parts of an apple (peel, fruit, core, and seeds)
- the color of the apple
- cutting with a knife (Dad made sure to let her know that it was very sharp and dangerous)
- patience while we wait for it to cook
