Easy Homemade Applesauce for the Vagabond Soul

Around this time of year, every year, I feel the old familiar stirring, the wistful yearning to be out rambling through the woods, among the golden and crimson trees. The third stanza of a poem by Canadian poet Bliss Carman captures this feeling well for me: “There is something in October / Sets the gypsy blood astir; / We must rise and follow her, / When from every hill of flame / She calls and calls / Each vagabond by name.”  The trees and bushes are turning colors before our very eyes, and the beautiful changes are irresistible to the vagabond in our blood.  Right along with this desire to wander in the woods is a heightened appreciation for the comforts of home.  After walking outside in the chilly (and sometimes wet) elements, we savor the warmth of something simmering in a pot on the stove.  Especially when it smells as good as homemade applesauce. The recipe I have posted below is one of my mom’s recipes–it is very simple, and it makes a hearty, chunky applesauce that tastes delicious and makes your kitchen smell amazing.  I have great memories of returning from a long walk to her warm, fragrant kitchen with apple sauce bubbling on the stove, and I enjoy making it in my own kitchen too. It creates instant autumn coziness and warms the chilly wanderer.  It’s also a good way to use apples that have gone a little soft.  You  can serve it warm and steaming, or use it as a healthy topping for waffles or oatmeal.  Also, if you have any left over, you can store it in the refrigerator and serve it cold.