Homemade Applesauce

Since we all started waking up at 6 a.m. this year for earlier school start times, weekend mornings have taken on a whole new significance. These days, we crave a morning to sleep in and stay in our pajamas and slippers as long as we can. On Saturdays or Sundays, we also enjoy a special breakfast that we wouldn't normally have time to savor during the frantic weekday mornings. Sometimes we make croissants (okay, I admit it, we buy them frozen and bake them fresh in the morning) or fresh muffins, fluffy scrambled eggs, bagels, and lox.

One of our recent favorite weekend breakfasts is a delectable strata, that we assemble the night before we plan to eat it. In case you aren't familiar with it, a strata is an Italian baked egg and bread dish. The ingredients meld together as you soak it overnight, and the strata evolves into a fluffy casserole when you bake it in the morning. Stratas are especially fun to make with kids because they can mix and pour the ingredients in the dish, and then see how the texture transforms after you bake it.

This Homemade Applesauce recipe is a favorite of mine. Nothing beats the smell of fresh apples simmering in a bath of spices and citrus juice to get you into an autumn state of mind. Enjoy!