the "holidays"...

I absolutely love this time of year.  Many of the beautiful red and yellow leaves, products of the incredible Denver fall season, have fallen off their trees.  I love the chilly weather.  I love warming up in the morning with a hot drink whether it be coffee, tea, chai, cider, hot chocolate (ask Sarah, she knows my obsessions).  I love participating in Advent.  I love reading the book Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas every year.  I love planning travels to see my family and friends.  I love driving home from work and seeing the wide sun setting over the Rockies.  I love wool socks. I love holiday music.  

1.   After much anticipation with my lovely friend Pascha, Rosie Thomas released her first holiday album this week entitled, A Very Rosie Christmas! and I have been listening to it ever since. Check it out from your local public library for a mellow, "heartwarming" listen of some traditional tunes revisited and also many Rosie-written songs.

2.   This is absolutely fantastic!  Last year, Sarah and I were in Germany for a week before Christmas and discovered a fascination with the beautiful country.  It is a great place to be this time of year because it seems like the whole country is aware.  So maybe the whole country is not aware of why Christmas is great (Jesus) but...  This picture is the Rathaus (town hall) of Gengenbach, Germany in the Black Forest area.  They boast the world's largest Advent calendar.  Every year the community changes the building into a giant Advent calendar.  The windows are painted by a local illustrator and are unveiled every night to community people.  I saw some pictures of this town on this woman's Flickr site and added them below as well.  Such a nice looking place!  Yet one more place to add to my list of places to EXPERIENCE during my life...  

3.   I have never really had an opinion on applesauce.  I mean it is good to use in place of vegetable oil while baking.  It is a good option to feed little ones before they have teeth.  It doesn't get old for a long time.  I just don't particularly like or abhor it for myself.  I'm quite indifferent.  Then I tried this recipe that I found on the website Eat. Drink. Better.  This recipe is wholesomely good, it sure beats the stuff in a jar at the grocery.

Apple-Cider-Sauce

4.5 lbs. Apples of your choice (I used Gala), peeled and sliced

2 cups no-sugar added apple cider

1 cinnamon stick

1 star anise (optional)

2 Tablespoons lemon juice, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 cup sugar

Combine the apples, cider, cinnamon stick, and star anise if using, and lemon juice in a large Dutch oven.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium.  Cover the pot and simmer for 25 minutes until the apples are tender.  

Remove star anise and cinnamon stick.  Mash to desired consistency, then simmer uncovered for another 10-15 minutes until the mixture is the desired thickness.

Remove from heat and mix in sugar and spices.  Adjust tartness with additional lemon juice if desired.

4.   That's all I've got for now...