Criss Cross...

Applesauce! I had a bunch of apples that needed to be eaten. Our cruise is coming up, so I didn't necessarily want to make a pie or a crisp, so I made applesauce. I love this recipe, as it requires no time over a stove, and it makes the house smell like Christmas.

Peel, core and cut about 4 pounds of apples (I used Braeburn, Granny Smith, and Jonagold) into good-sized chunks. Reserve a few red peels. Add about 1/2 tsp lemon zest, and a good squeeze of lemon juice (Ina Garten zests and juices 2 whole oranges and 1 whole lemon into hers, but she likes a lot more citrus in her apples than I do.) Throw into a Dutch oven.

Add about 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. brown sugar, 1/8 - 1/4 tsp all spice, and some butter. However much you like. (I like 2 Tbs) I also added a Tbs apple juice concentrate. Mix.

Place red peels in Dutch oven. They will add a touch of rosiness to the applesauce.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for about an hour. Remove and mash with potato masher until you get your desired consistency. I like texture in my applesauce. Next time, I'd probably only add a pinch of all spice, as I like spice to be just noticeable. This is, as always, inspired by an Ina recipe, but is so tweakable. You can play with pretty much all the ingredients.

Our grocery store finally has ripe pears! Jesse had made steaks with Gorgonzola for dinner, so guess what I'm eating for my bedtime snack? By the way, did I mention the cruise is in two weeks? During which I will be donning a bathing suit?! Sheesh. Well, I did run two miles today (my first run of the week [yikes!])

We found out yesterday that the reason Jesse's been feeling so tired lately is this: he had mono! Which might explain my dizzy spells and the reason we both had a cold that just wouldn't quit. Apparently, my running faze helped me fight it off, and poor Jesse got monotonized!

So because Jesse didn't feel up to running with me this afternoon (when I sorely needed some motivation), he hopped on the scooter and rode along by my side. We got some laughs when a school bus went by. He's pretty rare.

In other exciting news, I finally cleaned out the fridge tonight. Also, work was fine. Also, in order for me to obtain a Washington license, I must take the driving test again. Bollucks. Also, my next project will be a pear, blue cheese, walnut crostata. Stay tuned...