Donna Erickson: Make slow-cook applesauce for a tasty fall treat

(Donna Erickson)

It wasn't exactly a pretty picture when an unexpected snowfall blanketed the Twin Cities during the Oct. 10 weekend. We weren't ready for cold temps and a whiteout of fall colors.

Since we were feeling and acting noticeably glum in our household, it was a moment to resurrect the familiar adage I had repeated to the kids when they were young and the lemon of life had just turned sour on their hopes and dreams: "OK, you guys, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

But we don't grow lemons in Minnesota, so we did the next best thing. We rooted through the closet for last winter's mismatched mittens and hats, went out in the back yard to our fledgling, spindly apple tree, picked our last 10 apples from snow-laden branches and collectively mused, "So, when life gives you 10 juicy apples, turn them into applesauce!" And that's exactly what we did.

For a change of pace, we put aside our traditional stovetop recipe and instead sliced and diced all 10 apples and tossed them in the slow cooker with some water, sugar and a dash of cinnamon. It was a success! As the apples sputtered and gurgled to their own rhythm, the sweet and fragrant apple-cinnamon aroma permeated every room of our house. As for life lessons, once we put a positive spin on the situation, we enjoyed cozy indoor time together, and we are no doubt the better for it.

Here's what you'll need to turn the apples into 5-6 cups of tasty homemade applesauce: