The snow was too soft and fresh yesterday to build anything, but today it was perfect.
We’ve never been able to create a snowman this big here in Georgia. Usually they are pitiful things that look more like the one pictured in this past post, so we’re very proud.
As Daddy and the big girls built, Mary Elizabeth did what she does best: She ate. Snow. Lots of it.
Meanwhile, I made old-fashioned hot cocoa* on the stove and started a big batch of crockpot applesauce**.
*I used only 1/2 cup sugar, 4 cups of milk, and added a dash of cinnamon.
**I adapted my crockpot applesauce from the must-have cookbook, Make it Fast, Cook it Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking.
Crockpot Applesauce
Ingredients:
8 apples, peeled and cored, and chopped into quarters
1/2 cup water
Juice of 1 orange
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
Dash of ground cloves
2 T. brown sugar
A handful of dried currants
Place apples in slow cooker first, and then add rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours until apples are moist enough to be smushed with a potato masher or a big fork. Stir occasionally during cooking process.
Stay warm, my friends!
Don’t miss another random post in which I unleash my inner domestic diva. Subscribe to Momopoly.
your snowman looks awesome!
I can't take much credit. I helped just a little with packing the snow in and provided the nose (a carrot stick), eyes (chocolate cookies), the scarf (hand-knitted from Nana), and the hat, but Dave supervised the construction process. :-)
Thank you for the slow cooker recipe book suggestion! I got a slow cooker for Christmas and have been looking everywhere for good recipes. I just reserved this one from our library!
Jen, it's a great cookbook. I cook a recipe from it during the fall and winter at least three times a month. I made the slow cook Chex mix from it the other day, in fact. I hear there's a sequel. I hope to check it out.
yum! i love real cocoa, and i am trying this applesauce recipe today. i just bought a bag of apples and this looks perfect.
happy winter:)
A quick recipe note: Applesauce may not be the best name for my recipe adaptation. It's a very chunky – a bit like baked apples, but you can squish it to the consistency of your liking. When we don't make the real thing, we like Trader Joe's Chunky Applesauce, so we like it chunkier.
Stay warm! We're still snowed in here in Georgia!
Impressive Snowman! My daughter got to experience her first snowman this winter. Fun! And I'm excited about the homemade hot cocoa link! I have a hot chocolate pot I got for Christmas that needs filling.
I want to make a snowman so bad; but I'm just too pregnant. I don't have the flexibility or the stamina.
When I make applesauce I usually substitute apple cider or apple juice for the water. That makes it sweet enough I don't really add sugar. I also like it really chunky.