Applesauce

I love fall, with it comes so many beautiful changes to the land.  Unfortunately, with some of the good changes, comes weather so awful that all you want to do is stay inside and make fudge.  BUT, if you make the fudge, you will more than likely be the one EATING the fudge, and that's no good for the diet.  Well, here's a recipe for comfort food that you won't feel QUITE as guilty after eating.  :)

Plus it makes your whole house smell like cinnamon.  Ahhhh.

• 4 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon.  Cover and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until apples are soft.  Allow to cool, then mash with fork or potato masher.

OR...use your crock pot (I doubled the recipe and used my crock)

1. Place apples, water, sugar and cinnamon in crock pot and cook on hi for about 4 hours.  No need to mash.  Serve warm or cool and serve.



Puffy Pumpkin Cookies (Low Fat!)

These cookies were yummy, and not QUITE as bad for the diet.  The kids gobbled them right up. 

Ok, ok, I did too.  :)

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/2 cup applesauce)
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp milk
• 1 TBS vanilla
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used half choclate chips and  half chocolate chunks)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I used chopped pecans, either way it's optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, oil (or applesauce), and egg.  In a seperate bowl combine dry ingredients (flour through salt).  Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix.  Stir in milk and vanilla.  Mix in chocolate chips (and chunks) and nuts. 
3. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.  These are good warm, or for a more pumpkin-pie-kind-of-experience, serve chilled.  :)