Every year around Christmas time I tell myself I’ll make homemade applesauce. See, Swedes like it with their ham, and sometimes I like it on my beet salad sandwiches since, as a vegetarian, I don’t partake of the meaty bits. But as a master of procrastination, I always put it off until the last minute creeps up, which inevitably ends up in us buying a jar of store-bought stuff.
Fortunately this year I was well motivated. I had a bunch of apples in the fridge that were too mushy for me to eat raw (I like my apples very crisp). So yesterday I hunkered down and peeled the apples and cooked them into a pot of lovely applesauce. The entire process was surprisingly simple, with the peeling of the apples to be the most taxing of the process. Once that’s done, however, the rest of it’s super easy. So easy, in fact, that there’s no excuse not to do it every year (don’t remind me I said that next year).
But that’s not all. In a moment of stunning domesticity, I also made a batch of knäckebröd, or crisp flatbread, at the same time. This was a pretty big deal for me. I’ve been trying my hand at making my own whole grain bread lately, but I’ve had mixed success. I’ve never made knäckebröd, so I wasn’t sure how my meager bread-making skills would come into play. I was delighted, therefore, when the bread resulted in crispy, yummy goodness. Woo!
Simple, yet tasty, triumphs.
So what’s the point of this post? Nothing, really. Christmas is nearly here, so I’ve put my writing/editing on hold until after the holiday. In the meantime, I’m puttering around in the kitchen, and am having a great time of it–despite my sore shoulders from rolling out all those little rounds of bread. If you’d like to try your hand at applesauce making, I found a lovely recipe for it here.
I hope that wherever you are, and whatever you might be doing, your Yuletide season is a magical one, filled with love and laughter. And if you have a culinary triumph you’d like to share (no matter how big or small), I’d love to hear about it, so please chime in on the comments.
Happy Winter!
Simple yet tasty DOES triumph! I remind myself of this often when I’m appraising a new recipe. Thanks for the applesauce idea; I too love it with my ham and other “meaty bits”.
Wishing you a wonderful, warm, and heart-filled holiday <3
I like simple. Simple makes me happy. Literally.
Thanks, Lori. Much love to all you guys. 🙂
I love a post when you can say, ‘What’s the point? Nothing, really.’ Actually, I’m glad I read this. You just reminded me that I need to get rid of some mushy apples in my own fridge.
I have a blender that would create a hurricane if I unleashed it, so I just leave the apple skins on and nuke them in the blender to death after they boiled 🙂
Hehe. Points can be overrated sometimes. 🙂
Oooh I have a blender like that as well, and I did think about using it for the applesauce, but opted for the traditional route instead. But I might try it your way next time. 🙂
I’m the same with with a Christmas pudding. Every year, I gravely announce to my mum that I’ll be making the Christmas pudding this year, and every year I sheepishly confirm that she bought one, right? Next year, for sure! Well done on the knäckebröd – I’ve never thought of making it before, but might give it a go now!
Thanks, Claire! You should try making knäckebröd sometime. It’s definitely better than the store-bought stuff.
And I’ve been mystified over Christmas puddings for quite some time. I’ve never tried one though, so I’m left to imagine what they’re like. I imagine them as quite exotic. You should make one and let me taste it. Unless it has weird stuff in it, then maybe not. 😉
I’ think I’ve got applesauce making down, but would be interested in a recipe for knäckebröd! I also read the blurb on the Thirteenth Tower and am intrigued! Have to check it out. Visiting here from the A-Z Challenge and thoroughly enjoying this blog-hopping aspect.
Gail at Making Life An Art
Thanks, Gail. If you do read it, I’d love to hear what you think. As for the bread, here’s a recipe for some crisp bread. I’ve not tried that recipe, but it seems similar. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂