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If your SIL asked you to bring Applesauce for Thanksgiving dinner...


Ginevra
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...(in addition to other things you are bringing), would you think, "Great! I'll swing by Costco and get a 10# can of applesauce!" or would you think, "Great! I'll swing by the orchard and pick up 3# of apples!"   :tongue_smilie:

 

Generally speaking, my in-laws are on the "foodie" side, and honestly, so am I...BUT I haven't made homemade applesauce ever before (not that I think it's terribly hard to do) and I'm already making Stuffing, Pumpkin Pie and Green Bean Casserole, all of which will be homemade. Will canned sauce be an unforgivable faux pas? Do I just need to suck it up and peel a freakin' lot of apples and learn how to make homemade sauce? Should I just not give a flyin' patootie?  :tongue_smilie:

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Go to Costco for the applesauce, transfer it to a nice serving dish, and sprinkle with some type of foodie approved topping - voila!

I have an actual nutmeg-grinder. That might work. 

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It's super easy to make. Peel. Chop. Throw in fresh lemon juice, a little salt, and a little water. A cinnamon stick if you're fancy. Simmer. Mash with a wooden spoon. You can do it in the crockpot too.

 

Mostly I would think it's a really weird request for Thanksgiving.

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Sorry, I'm on the homemade side.  It's not hard and you don't even have to peel the apples, nor do you have to measure or add anything.  Just core the apples, chop 'em in your hand as you put them in the pot, and get 'em cooking.  When soft, whizz in/with a blender (hand, if you have one).  Done.  This is how we've made our sauce for years.  Storebought applesauce is icky.  :p

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I have an actual nutmeg-grinder. That might work.

 

Perfect!

 

Bring the grinder with you and make a big show out of how you should never add the nutmeg until the last minute so the flavors will blend properly and the fragrance will be enhanced. Discuss the importance of it being fresh nutmeg and say yours is from the Banda Islands, because that's where everyone who is anyone gets their nutmeg, and all others are clearly inferior. (Look snooty when you say this, as though you assume that your SIL probably buys domestic nutmeg because she doesn't know any better.)

 

Watch a couple of food shows so you can memorize a few fancy food phrases and you'll be all set.

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Costco! One year SIL made homemade cranberry sauce. It was soooooo pretty--the color was so bright and fresh looking. But it tasted just like the canned kind, not any better. That's when I decided canned was just fine. And since you're making other things also I'd just go with canned on the applesauce.

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Perfect!

 

Bring the grinder with you and make a big show out of how you should never add the nutmeg until the last minute so the flavors will blend properly and the fragrance will be enhanced. Discuss the importance of it being fresh nutmeg and say yours is from the Banda Islands, because that's where everyone who is anyone gets their nutmeg, and all others are clearly inferior. (Look snooty when you say this, as though you assume that your SIL probably buys domestic nutmeg because she doesn't know any better.)

 

Watch a couple of food shows so you can memorize a few fancy food phrases and you'll be all set.

 

:lol:  You're making my night! 

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I would just say no to making bringing the apple sauce :) but that is just me.

"You want me to bring the applesauce? Don't you have time to run into Costco and buy it yourself?"

 

I guess that could work, but if she says that, I'm not sure how Quill could work her fancy-schmancy nutmeg grinder into the conversation... ;)

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I would just say no to making bringing the apple sauce :)  but that is just me.  

 

I do understand this sentiment.

 

I'm feeling sympathetic to SIL, though, because poor MIL doesn't know which end is up anymore. It's hard enough convincing MIL that she can't make Thanksgiving dinner anymore. So, SIL does get props for stepping in and putting some order to things. And I have to say, I'm happy to be making the pie, because my pie rocks the house. Not to brag. But it's way better than a different SIL's pumpkin pie. So I'm glad I'm making it! 

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you guys are too funny. 

 

why not ask one of your dc if they'd like to give it a go? 

they could make carmalized apples rather than pureed apple sauce.  that is my current approach.

they could investigate and play.... and make it a few days ahead.

 

if you buy organic apples, you don't even need to peel.  just core, cook, blend and go.... 1 hr stop to finish, with a good 45 mintues of cooking in the middle.

 

hth,

ann 

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I do understand this sentiment.

 

I'm feeling sympathetic to SIL, though, because poor MIL doesn't know which end is up anymore. It's hard enough convincing MIL that she can't make Thanksgiving dinner anymore. So, SIL does get props for stepping in and putting some order to things. And I have to say, I'm happy to be making the pie, because my pie rocks the house. Not to brag. But it's way better than a different SIL's pumpkin pie. So I'm glad I'm making it! 

 In that case, I'd go the home made route.  It'll be a little extra effort but if you MIL is struggling with not being able to make dinner anymore it may be more comforting to her to have the real deal! Even if she doesn't acknowledge the extra effort it'll still be nice

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My mind is officially blown!  I think I've used nutmeg twice in my life so the thought of such a piece of equipment existing doesn't compute.  

 

It's funny, too, because I am not a fan of gadgets that do one thing. I despise things like mellon ballers and strawberry hullers and ice-tea stirrers. But somewhere along the way, I bought the logic that freshly ground nutmeg is far superior to ground nutmeg. It is, it turns out. So the nutmeg grinder stays, even though it is a uni-tasker. 

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I don't have a nutmeg mill.

 

I feel like such a loser.

 

I'm starting to think I need one.

It is time to expand your spice-generating horizons! Christmas is coming! Plus, the whole nutmegs are kind of cute! 

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It's possible to make applesauce? That thought would have never crossed my mind!

 

Says the mom who doesn't cook or even grocery shop.... (am I going to get banned from WTM????????)

 

That was me when I was 21 and first met my MIL, except the food in question was stir-fry. This is hard to admit, but I had no idea there were people who chopped up meats, veggies, seasoned them, sauted them, added broth, cooked it down...voila! Stir-fry. No LaChoy cans involved. I was dumbstruck. 

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I think if you don't make applesauce you will have completely failed your family . What kind of example do you want to be for your children. Won't your dh be terribly embarrassed to have a wife who takes short cuts.

 

You should be picking each apple yourself. Next spring, you need to plant trees so in a few years you can make apple sauce from your own fruit.

 

Clearly you are not doing enough. It's no enough until you are so exhausted that you can't pleasantly converse with your in laws at the dinner table. At the same time you do pleasantly converse because it's all on you. It's all on you.

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I think if you don't make applesauce you will have completely failed your family . What kind of example do you want to be for your children. Won't your dh be terribly embarrassed to have a wife who takes short cuts.

 

You should be picking each apple yourself. Next spring, you need to plant trees so in a few years you can make apple sauce from your own fruit.

 

Clearly you are not doing enough. It's no enough until you are so exhausted that you can't pleasantly converse with your in laws at the dinner table. At the same time you do pleasantly converse because it's all on you. It's all on you.

 

You sound remarkably similar to the voices in my head.  :tongue_smilie: The Zoloft is supposed to help.

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I think you should do what you want. Personally, I would never show up anywhere with store bought applesauce, but I wouldn't think twice if someone else did.

 

And applesauce is just about one of the easiest things you can make (my 8 year old is an old hand) so maybe give it a shot?

 

Don't make it if you don't want to, but don't not make it because you think it is difficult or time consuming

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I say you buy a big basket of apples and cover them with caramel sauce and tell them that is your interpretation of apple sauce.

 

Oh! Sidebar tangent: someone at our homeschool co-op made homemade caramel apples with Halloween sprinkles on them for Teacher Appreciation Day.  They were so, so, so very good! I was so very sad that I ate the last one and, hence, did not discover this gastric delight until there were no more to be had. 

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Now that has serious potential! Plus, I love Honeycrisp apples. They are SO very good.

 

The only thing I will advise is to check and make sure honeycrisp apples make good sauce. Just google it. It will take about 30 seconds. Some apples are too watery to make good sauce. It comes out flat and yucky even thought the apple is good. Or sometimes the apple is too firm and makes a weird sauce.

 

I just don't want you to spend $$ on honeycrisp (those are expensive around here) only to find they make lousy sauce. That would be sad

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Does your extended family usually have applesauce at Thanksgiving? If so, is it store bought or homemade? If not, do you know if SIL is thinking that it might be a kid friendly option to have on hand or is it to be enjoyed by all? If it's to be mainly for the kids, she might have store bought in mind. I'm not saying that kids can't enjoy homemade (mine does); I'm just trying to guess what SIL might have in mind since I've never equated applesauce with Thanksgiving dinner. It's not a bad idea, though, and now I'm jonesing to make a batch of homemade applesauce.

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...(in addition to other things you are bringing), would you think, "Great! I'll swing by Costco and get a 10# can of applesauce!" or would you think, "Great! I'll swing by the orchard and pick up 3# of apples!"   :tongue_smilie:

 

Generally speaking, my in-laws are on the "foodie" side, and honestly, so am I...BUT I haven't made homemade applesauce ever before (not that I think it's terribly hard to do) and I'm already making Stuffing, Pumpkin Pie and Green Bean Casserole, all of which will be homemade. Will canned sauce be an unforgivable faux pas? Do I just need to suck it up and peel a freakin' lot of apples and learn how to make homemade sauce? Should I just not give a flyin' patootie?  :tongue_smilie:

 

If I was already making home-made stuffing, pie and casserole, I would forget she ever asked about apple sauce. I can't imagine anyone missing it, unless it's a long-standing tradition.

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That was me when I was 21 and first met my MIL, except the food in question was stir-fry. This is hard to admit, but I had no idea there were people who chopped up meats, veggies, seasoned them, sauted them, added broth, cooked it down...voila! Stir-fry. No LaChoy cans involved. I was dumbstruck.

21, yeah, I'm 21. We will go with that.

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People love my applesauce.  It has a secret ingredient.

Is this the part where we're supposed to beg you to tell us what it is, and then you get all snarky about it and say that if you told us, it wouldn't be a secret anymore?

 

 

 

OK.

 

 

 

 

So what's the secret ingredient? PLEASE tell us! PLEASE!!!

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If I was already making home-made stuffing, pie and casserole, I would forget she ever asked about apple sauce. I can't imagine anyone missing it, unless it's a long-standing tradition.

If I was already making homemade stuffing, pie, and a casserole, I'd go buy a turkey and have dinner at home.

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Applesauce for Thanksgiving...is that a usual dish served? We've never served it but my normal-Thanksgiving-food-hating son would be all over it (although he does prefer store bought...he's super picky!).

 

As for making your own, you really don't need to peel the apples first? I'm trying to figure out what that would be like...

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