unsweetened applesauce from smitten kitchen.

the other week i had an overflow of apples from dumpster diving.

so what better thing to do than to make applesauce?

i used this recipe from smitten kitchen.

in place of lemon peel i used orange peel and i did not puree the finished product.

it was delightfully sweet even though no sugar was added and it was oh so easy to make. 

i highly recommend this recipe for kids and adults alike!

this past weekend, wake and i went to chapel hill to visit some of my dearest friends!

we camped over at the miller house which is a lovely log cabin style home out in the country.

we did lots of cooking and eating and chatting and laughing.

we also went to one of my most favorite restaurants, milltown, in carrboro.

how i miss the sights and sounds of chapel hill!

and how i miss my dear friends' sweet faces even more!

A new favorite blog: Zero Waste Home. 

Check it out for some good ideas on how to reduce waste in your home. 

homemade pasta from martha.

the other day i made my first batch of homemade pasta.

i received a set of 3 pasta attachments for my kitchen aid mixer at christmas and i have been wanting to try them out. 

the pasta was surprisingly easy to make. 

i used martha stewart's recipe for fresh lasagna noodles.

i did substitute one cup semolina flour for one cup of the AP flour. 

a sweet little package from a sweet friend. 

sit with me and tell me once again
of the story that's been told us
of the power that will hold us
of the beauty, of the beauty
why it matters

speak to me until I understand
why our thinking and creating
why our efforts of narrating
about the beauty, of the beauty
and why it matters

.sara groves. 

cranberry banana bread from my new roots.

cranberry banana bread.

one of the fun things about dumpster diving is figuring out what to do with what you find.

this bread is a result of some ugly looking bananas and a stash of cranberries. 

i used the recipe from my new roots blog.

i did not add any nuts or chocolate (although the next time i plan on doing so!).

instead of spelt flour, i used whole wheat flour.

and, of course, i added a cup of fresh cranberries. 

it's best served warm. 

and is great with a cup of coffee!