The Lure of Apples

 Since the beginning of time,

apples have been a tempting treat.

Nash and Pepper would do a lot for a taste of an apple (especially if it is one that I am already eating.)

The horses are always game for an apple or two as well.

My children and the pony pals and cowpokes love homemade applesauce,

especially when it is made from varieties that my parents grew on our orchard.

So, with the holidays fast approaching, I have been making and freezing lots of homemade applesauce to serve at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

And that means apple spaghetti for the horses!

Hokey literally stakes a claim on some of it.

and quickly gobbles it down. (Catch that Thanksgiving pun? Hah!)

Dolly enjoys hers. (That's snow on the grass in the foreground. Winter is definitely here.)

Someone would like me to get off the couch and get busy on the next batch. (So that I will toss him the occasional piece or two.)

Six gallons of sauce from Mutsus, Cortlands, and Northern Spys are in the freezer. Hopefully that will be enough for my apple-loving family.

Early Holiday Cooking

 I started cooking for the holidays yesterday.

Two batches of homemade applesauce! Which is only the start for my big family. I need to get another half bushel put up to feed everyone.

The byproduct of homemade applesauce is one of Abby's favorites - apple spaghetti.

And she came hustling right up that afternoon when I called her.

Everyone else came right behind her. (Except for Dolly. She was happily grazing and had no interest in coming over to see what the fuss was about.)

Apple spaghetti is a real delicacy to a horse.

Although it can be a little hard to distribute!

I had brought a large sack of peelings and cores and spread them along the fence line so all could have a chance to nibble.

Those were some very happy horses and one in particular really hoped I'd give them the whole bag.

I'll be back later today, Abby, and give you the rest of them then.

Apple Spaghetti

My family owned and operated a family apple orchard when I was growing up. It was an old orchard with 3,000 plus trees (I remember helping my dad count and log them all - what a job!) with many varieties that are now considered heirloom. We had Northern Spy, Grimes Golden, Maiden Blush, Winesap, Rome Beauty, Paula Red, Lodi... I wish I could find all those old varieties now!

A 1960s family picnic among the trees during apple blossom time. That's my mom's parents, Georgia and Earl Honeywell, on the left and our cocker spaniel, Benny, lying in the grass in the middle.

A fall tradition when I was growing up was making homemade applesauce from some of those apples and freezing it for winter. I continue that tradition now, even though I have to buy the apples instead of growing them.

I was delighted when my sister found an orchard in northern Indiana that still grew Northern Spies. She brought me some so I could make what we consider to be REAL applesauce.

I always save all the cores and peelings in a large bag and take them out to the horses.

Apple spaghetti makes them all very happy.

To ensure that no one horse gobbles it all, I walk along the fence row and sprinkle handfuls on the ground, spreading it out for quite a way.

Independent Hokey was a little slow in coming up, but I made sure that he got his fair share, too.

I miss having access to fresh off the tree apples, but the memory lives on every fall when I make applesauce and pies. I serve it at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and boy howdy it DOES NOT last long. 

Apple pie baking with Cowpokes and Pony Pals.

Luckily, the memories last forever.

Comment to enter for the blankets - I will be drawing several names this time!