Hey all,
Goblins, ghosts, and ghouls–oh my! Halloween is near! I am so excited! Have any of you bought Fall decorations yet? I just bought a few things for the apartment: pumpkins and a tres chic decorative lantern I bought at Target for $2.50, woooo!
The cutest part of decorating though was when Ron asked, “So when are we going to get our Christmas stockings?!” I hadn’t even thought about getting stockings for our little apartment, but why not? How fun.
And things are good on the health front! I’ve made some small changes to my overall lifestyle. I bought Lavender-scented Tom’s of Maine natural deodorant that doesn’t contain all the metals that are bad for the thyroid (love it, by the way!), and I now have hypoallergenic makeup and organic shampoo. I also bought a Brita to filter all the water I drink, I try to not eat as much grains and sugar, and I stick to one cup of coffee a day. I’ve tried to workout a couple times this week, and I plan on working out more in future weeks. We are even thinking about purchasing a bike trainer, so we can cycle in the house during the winter. (You can find them relatively cheap, actually!) Anyway, this is all to say that I’ve lost a little weight, rather than gaining (I swear I’d wake up and be a pound heavier for no reason!) and I overall feel better.
Speaking of feeling better, I decided to make one of my favorite fall foods this week: Slow Cooker Pumpkin Applesauce. Of course, I have a deep love affair with my slow cooker. Who doesn’t like a one pot tool? And Pumpkin Applesauce is a major comfort food for me. There’s something about this healthy, smooth & spicy sweet treat that I just love. You can spoon Pumpkin Applesauce on yogurt or ice cream, put it into a smoothie, or even add a bit to a squash soup. And it is much better than the store bought– it has a more tart, silky smooth consistency. What’s not to love? I make this applesauce with almost no added sugar (just a touch of maple syrup and dried cranberries), a squeeze of orange juice, and a healthy amount of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice (who doesn’t love cinnamon and pumpkin pie?). Say hello to your new favorite fall food!
Pumpkin Applesauce
- 3 lb bag of apples, washed and roughly quartered (I prefer organic Gala apples)
- 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/3 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tbsp dried cranberries
- 1 tsp orange juice (or lemon juice)
Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours (lid on), stirring frequently. When the apples are soft and becoming sauce-like, take off the heat and let cool. Remove the cinnamon stick, and use an immersion blender or standing blender to blend and pulverize the apples and pumpkin into a smooth sauce. Store in a jar for up to 2 weeks.
What a super idea! I actually don’t like applesauce at all… it’s a texture thing. But it’s a really great butter substitute for baking! This is the second crockpot applesauce recipe I’ve seen in recent weeks and I think I’m gonna need to try it! Glad your lifestyle changes are working for you & you’re feeling better and more healthy. LOVE that lantern. Sooooo cute! And yes, you NEED Christmas stockings. It’s crucial.
Oh, you could even cook the applesauce for longer and make it an apple butter! I actually made an apple butter the week before, and it was SO good. It becomes even smoother (less apple chunky) and more thick…even something like a paste. And the intense tart sweetness is magnified even more. Great on toast! And so cute about the stockings, right? I love that Ron is “nesting” more than I am (even before we moved into our new place, he had already bought a print picture and framed it to put on the wall!). And thanks for the support! I really am trying to change my lifestyle. I still have mishaps once in awhile, but I’m trying to stay positive and slowly change my habits!
Oh wow my friend, this applesauce looks like the epitome of good apple sauce – absolutely STUNNING
Festive ftw!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Yes, and I’ve realized apple butter/applesauce is so easy to make, and it really does taste ten times better than the store bought! It just has a deeper, more rich apple flavor. I don’t know if you like apple stuff, but definitely try it one day! It’s also fun to throw in different fruits with the apples (like peach or pear!).