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Going back to our visit to the apple orchard in the beginning of this Autumn season, I needed to use up the last of the apples we picked. Having just a few left, I decided to make something I really enjoy but have never made before...Applesauce! Just a few simple ingredients and you can have a wonderfully tasty applesauce! The apples and sugar caramelize on the bottom of the pan as they roast in the oven, giving the finished applesauce a marvelous depth of flavor. If you don't have a food mill, core the apples before roasting; after they're cooked, puree the apples in a food processor, and strain before adding spices. Roasted Applesauce1/4 cup water6 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar1 teaspoon fresh lemon juicePinch of coarse salt2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces3 pounds small assorted apples, such as Gala, McIntosh, or Fuji1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamonPinch of freshly grated nutmegPinch of ground cloves
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine water, brown sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Scatter butter pieces over mixture, and top with apples.
Roast until apples are very soft, about 30 to 40 minutes. The smell from the kitchen today was simply amazing!!!!!
Working in batches, pass apple mixture through the medium disk of a food mill and into a bowl. Stir in the spices.
Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Applesauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
With the Autumn season upon us, the apple orchards and cider mills are just beginning their busiest time of the year. Looking for something fun to do on a Sunday afternoon, James & I decided to go apple picking, along with my mother and niece, Gabrielle. Blake Farms has been in business since 1946 and operates 3 apple orchards and a cider mill. They specialize in an array of the freshest Michigan grown produce, most of which you pick yourself, including U-pick pumpkins and fresh cut Christmas Trees. They're also famous for their freshly pressed apple cider, fresh doughnuts, fudge, jams, jellies, honey and many other tasty treats!! Here are a couple shots from inside the small market at Blake's Big Apple Orchard.
Some fresh tomatoes, eggplant and garlic! Makes me crave Eggplant Parmesan!
With provided bags in hand, James and I headed out to the apple orchards! The trees were just screaming with apples waiting to be picked! 
We picked many varieties such as McIntosh, Early Fugi, Molly Delicious, Gala, Honey Crisp, Cortlands, etc....
As well as some of the most delicious Bartlett Pears!
Oh my, what to do with all these apples??? All in all, I think James and I picked close to 2 bushels of apples and pears!
Pumpkins were almost ready for picking, but I think they needed time to grow much larger! 
After apple picking, it was off to the raspberry patch! Picking the raspberries was a bit of a challenge because the bees were EVERYWHERE! Guess that's a good sign, though! We need the bees!
Roast until apples are very soft, about 30 to 40 minutes. The smell from the kitchen today was simply amazing!!!!!
