apples in my ears..

I'm pretty sure if you look closely you'll see remnants of apples in my ears...because I was up to them in apple making this weekend.
Saturday after soccer we ran to the orchard & bought a bushel & a half of seconds to make applesauce. I'm so glad I have a husband who doesn't mind turning the handle on the apple peeler/corer/slicer for 5-6 hours, because 6 hours later I had 13 quarts of 'big people' cinnamon applesauce & 8 or better pint jelly jars of baby applesauce. We peeled, we stirred, we sliced...my kitchen was a sticky mess but by 6 o'clock (we started at 11) the mess was cleaned up & my kitchen smelled yummy & was sparkly clean.
Then the phone rang...my dear friend, Laurie, had been out to a church friend's house & had picked apples. She left a huge Aldi's freezer bag full on my porch...uh, oh...what now? So I asked her about her apple butter recipe. Shonya, I left this in my comments, but here it is...
Peel, core, & slice your large crockpot full of apples (18-20)
Throw in 1/3 cup vinegar, 3 Tablespoons cinnamon, & 3 cups sugar
Cook on low overnight or on high for 6-7 hours. Then when mine had cooked I just threw them in the blender for a couple of seconds to make it all smooth. While hot, put in hot jars (I put mine in the dishwasher on 'dry' so they were hot when I took them out!), with hot lids & they'll seal themselves. Easy & yummy! Out of the 15 jars I had, I think only 1 didn't seal, so we'll just eat it first.
So Sunday, after we got home from lunch at mom's after church, I got the peeler/corer/slicer back out (have a new respect for that little gadget) & went to town. By 4:30, all 3 crockpots I had (borrowed 2 from mom) were hot & cooking & the whole mess was done & over with by 10! Yay!...I was grateful for the apples from Laurie b/c I really wanted to make apple butter but had talked myself out of it b/c I'd "run out of apples." He, he, he...I think I'm really NOT going to do the apple jelly...I was just going to make it with boughten apple juice but I think the butter will be enough for this year. Had enough apples left after filling the 3 crockpots that I made 2 more quarts of applesauce (one baby, one grown-up) for a total of a 15 + the baby's. Yay! A busy, apple filled weekend, but a delicious smelling one that I'll appreciate this winter! (& that Andrea's horses are appreciating now b/c they are getting all the peels & leftovers!).
Happy Monday everyone!