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1. Homemade applesauce. I may have mentioned it already (say, here and here), but I just have to tell you: my homemade applesauce is the best applesauce I can remember tasting. Mumsy Dearest, I apologize for all those times when I was younger and wouldn’t eat your (home canned!) applesauce because it had chunks in it. I now realize that I was missing out.
My “secret” recipe is to slice apples into eighths with the skins on, as many as the crock pot will hold, which amounts to about 3 pounds. 1 tablespoon of lime juice over the top, cook on low for 4 hours, puree with an immersion blender until it reaches a consistency I like, add boatloads of cinnamon and just a smidge of nutmeg. No added water or sugar. I used a kilo of local gala apples and 2 leftover cox apples for this last batch, and it’s the best yet. Protip: Use a non-metal spoon to stir in the cinnamon, stainless ones leave weird marks on the crock pot (ask me how I know). It’s always so yummy when I eat that first bowlful from the crock pot that I now pop my applesauce in the microwave for a minute or so before eating to get that warm-apple-pie taste. Better than cookies. Up there with coffee.
2. Endnote bibliography software. I went to a workshop yesterday on the research databases and affiliate libraries available to us at the university, which wound up with a seminar on using Endnote (both free and licensed versions) and Mendeley (free) to manage bibliographies. You enter your references into the software, then any time you want to reference something, pull up the toolbar and select the work you want to reference. And then the bibliography magically appears at the end of your document, neatly alphabetized and in any format you choose.
3. This week I am officially a grown-up. Yesterday I received my first batch of essays to mark, and my application for a staff card. Among other things, this magical card will let me remove otherwise unlendable materials from the library. Mwahahahaha. And today is the day I deal with some stock options from the company I used to work for. Stock options. Way too grown-up for me.
4. Thick sheepskin insoles for winter boots. The thicker, the better.
5.Candied peel. Currently my favourite sweet. Someone made a delicious boatload for our last SCA event, and despite our concerted efforts, we did not manage to finish it off in one sitting. So it’s in my fridge, being delicious one sliver of peel at a time.
Ian Gorry said:
Soooooo…..,
How much would a person have to beg to get that recipe for candied peel?
farouterhebrides said:
Here’s the “recipe” as my friend sent it to me:
Peel some oranges and lemons (2 of each will go a long way) and cut the peel into small slices. Fill a sauce pan with cold water, add the peel, and bring it up to the boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Drain, repeat if you like a sweeter peel. In another sauce pan, make enough sugar syrup (equal parts sugar and water) to cover all the peel. Chuck the peel in and simmer for 15-30 minutes depending on the depth of your peel, until it tastes good (we started taste testing at 20 minutes). Pull out and allow to air dry for awhile, then shake in a ziplock full of sugar. Serve immediately. If storing, allow to air-dry for longer (until nearly dry) before shaking in sugar and storing in an air-tight container.
If you make some, let me know how it comes out!
Best,
Brid
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